“Waggin Trail Bike Ride” Planned for May 3rd
Two of Hill County’s finest community oriented non-profit
organizations, Hill County Paw Pals and Boys and Girls Club of Hill County, have
joined together to launch their inaugural annual fund raiser—“Waggin Trail Bike
Ride”—scheduled on the first Saturday of May (May 3rd).
The event will cater to the avid cyclists with 70 and 51 mile routes, a 36
miler for the casual rider, and a 10 mile route for fun-seekers that will involve
a traffic-controlled tour of Hillsboro.
The planned routes of Waggin Trail Bike Ride will offer
cyclists a unique tour of rural Central Texas.
Hill County is 986 square miles of rural area that is joined together with
miles and miles of splendid paved farm to market roads.
With a combined county population of only 33,000, Hill County offers plenty
of wide open spaces. On many areas
of the bike ride, one can see for miles around—the splendid beauty of open land—flowing
creeks, pastures with cattle and horses grazing, farmers’ cultivated fields, and
proud, rural communities.
All Waggin Trail routes start near the highest elevation
of Hill County at Hill College and run though the county seat of Hillsboro and through
its historic town square where the famed county courthouse stands. Built in 1890
and gutted by fire on New Years day 1993, it has been completely restored thanks
to the aid of community members, two Willie Nelson concerts, and the Texas Courthouse
Alliance. This massive three-story
limestone structure is an impressive seven stories high, making it the tallest structure
in Hill County and it can be seen from many miles around.
Hillsboro is known for its historic buildings and features Victorian Bed
and Breakfast homes, antique stores, and a popular outlet mall.
The varied routes all explore the back roads of Hill County
and go through communities that were established during the 1850’s when Hill County
was created and named after Dr. George W. Hill, a settler who served as a congressman
and Secretary of War for the Republic of Texas.
The month of May will have a full abundance of Texas wildflowers in bloom—notably,
bluebonnets—the Texas State flower, so named by the Texas Legislature in 1901. Named for its color and it is said,
the resemblance of its petal to a woman’s sunbonnet, bluebonnets have been loved
since man first trod the vast prairies of Texas. Native
Americans wove fascinating folk tales around them and the early-day Spanish priests
gathered the seeds and grew them around their missions.
This practice gave rise to the myth that the padres had brought
the plant from Spain, but this cannot be true since the two predominant species
of bluebonnets are found growing naturally only in Texas and nowhere else in the
world.
The planning committee for this event, in alphabetical
order, are: Hillsboro Chief of Police Tony Cain, Paw Pals Director Lana Crow, Family
Diagnostic Medical Center Dr. Lane Dykes, Hillsboro Police Corporal Jeremy Gloer,
Paw Pals Director Mike Hendricks, FUMC Reverend Reed Justus, Hillsboro Chamber of
Commerce Director Robert Watts, and Boys and Girls Club of Hill County Director
Barneda Wesley.
Because Hill County has so many available rural roads, Waggin Trail Bike Ride routes
will be altered to change the scenery from year to year…picturesque scenery just
waiting to be enjoyed with your family and friends while at the same time supporting
two worthy causes—Hill County Paw Pals and Boys and Girls Club of Hill County. Please join us for a fun Saturday!
To register or for more information about the bike ride, please visit
www.waggintrailbikeride.com or
call (254) 580-0679.