"Beginning in 1945, the sounds of big bands, the blues, and rock blended on the dance floor of East Waco's Walker's Auditorium...Continually looking for ways to serve his community, African American entrepreneur Herbert Walker founded the club. Prior to opening the venue, Mr. Walker provided his neighbors with leisure and transportation through his taxi stand and stables. Later he added a BBQ pit and apartment buildings to his business portfolio. As the only establishment of its kind open to blacks, Walker's Auditorium served as a prominent social spot for Waco's African American community. Its pea green, maroon, and grey interior was complemented with elegant furnishings, a sizable dance floor, pool tables, and a mirrored bar that offered patrons drinks and entrées like fried chicken. Mr. Walker told a local paper he envisioned the spot as offering “Wacoans a good place to go for amusement."...The advent of the civil rights movement, the closing of James Connally Air Force Base, and competition from other entertainment eventually hurt Walker's Auditorium. Like many venues on the Chitlin' Circuit, it fell into disrepair. In 1977, Walker's Auditorium came under new management, but only a year later it ceased operating. By the 2000s, nothing remained where the legendary venue once stood. Through over three decades of operation, Walker's Auditorium gave Wacoans, particularly its black citizens, a place to relax and celebrate."

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Audio:
A Little Something for Everyone
ID: 2706 ~ Source: Floyd-Love, Charlotte, Adrion Floyd, and Roderick Floyd, Interviewed by Stephen Sloan, July 4, 2020 in Waco, TX. Baylor University Institute for Oral History, Waco, TX.