Placelessness in Hico
Photo from Koffee Kup
According to Tuan, a location has to have something distinguishing it from other places in order for people to experience it, and the thing that distinguishes Hico is the Billy the Kid Museum. Everything else in Hico is just like every other small ranching community with the Historic downtown and old fashioned pies. Brushy Bill's story is the only thing in Hico that brings content that has meaning to tourists. Hico's lack of content is interesting because unlike suburbs and technoburbs, Hico isn't filled with chain restaurants and supermarkets. Its history is authentic, but not original. There is very little in terms of distinctive culture or uniqueness to make Hico a place. Even its attempt at attracting tourism is common. The use of a historical district is typical and common to every other small town. Most settlements have interesting histories and while the details may differ from town to town, the histories are similar in the context of how they shape the place. There are bed and breakfasts, antique shops, gourmet chocolate shops and Hico’s Koffee Kup Family Restaurant apparently “is a world famous stopping point for locals and travelers alike” (Allen). But what classic roadside café is not world famous? Texas is full of self proclaimed famous cafés. There is Marble Fall’s Blue Bonnet Café where “Good food and friendly greetings are what we're all about. In fact, they've made us world famous.” Or Georgetown’s Monument Café that invites you to step up to the counter for their famous cobbler. San Antonio’s Alamo Café is “famous for the best Mexican food in San Antonio.” Does putting a sign outside of your restaurant claiming to have the world’s best cup of coffee make it true?
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Hico tries to set itself apart from other small towns through the Billy the Kid Museum. While the majority of the small town details of Hico allow it to fade into obscurity and placelessness, the museum’s topic is unique. It gives the people a reason to visit.
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