Taylor County Timeline

• 1821 - Mexico wins independence from Spain.
• 1821 - Stephen F. AUSTIN brings first colonist to Texas.
• 1836, March 2 - Texas declares independence from Mexico.
• 1836, April 21 - Texas independence secured at the battle of San Jacinto and the Republic of Texas comes into being.
• 1845 - Texas joins the Union, becoming the 28th star on the U. S. Flag.
• 1849 - Capt. Randolph MARCY, U. S. Army engineer comes into the area checking routes across West Texas for travelers to California.
• 1850 Texas boundaries set in compromise of 1850.
• 1851 - U. S. Forts, including Belknap, Phantom Hill, and Chadbourne were established to help control Commanches in West Texas.
• 1854 - Ft Phantom site abandoned, Army deplored because of water and wood supply.
• 1855 - Comanche and other Indians put on reservations, including one near present day Throckmorton.
• 1856 - Second Calvary, top unit that produced many Civil War Generals, sent to West Texas Camp Cooper on Clear Fork near Throckmorton. Camp Colorado on the Colorado River near Coleman opened.
• 1858, Feb. 1 - Taylor County was created on paper by the Texas Legislature, one of several counties designed from outer, unsettled reaches of Bexar and Travis Counties.
• 1858 - Southern Overland Mail, so called the Butterfield Line, begins a stagecoach service through West Texas, via Phanton Hill fort ruins and Mountain Pass south of present day Merkel.
• 1861 - Civil War forces closing of the frontier forts so that West Texas is turned back to the Comaches.
• 1862 - First white settlement on Texas soil at Spanish Isleta (Ysleta) near present day El Paso.
• 1870 - Abilene had a population of 892 and 26 business, of which 8 were saloons. Other business such as hotels, a boarding house, drug stores, a barbershop, a feed store, a bakery, a general store, livery stables, a lumberyard, grocery stores, churches, and an opera house. The primary industry was cattle and ranches. The great Barbecue was held every 4th of July on the city picnic grounds for the social of the year. It was located on the Overland Mail Line stage from St Louis to San Francisco. The location was near the Butterfield trail, Fort Phantom Hill and Fort Chadborne.
• 1872 - First cattlemen venture into present Taylor County.
• 1877 - Taylor County early in 1877 was unorganized and the entire population did not number more than one hundred. Fear of the plains region has pervaded all development of the frontiers in the history of civilization: the traditional fear of the pioneers was that the plains were useless for habitation. This same fear was felt about the prairie regions of what is now Taylor County. The settlers largely depended upon ranching, but had begun to till the soil to produce cane, corn, and a garden truck. The earliest farmers were called "nesters" and were objects of ridicule by the cattleman for "planting something that would not grow" as the cattleman put it.
• 1878, July 4 - Taylor County was formally organized at Buffalo Gap. The town selected was the county seat.
• 1880 - The Texas and Pacific Railroad, purchased by Jay Gould, began to crawl west across the prairie from Ft Worth.
• 1880 - An historic meeting was held late in 1880 at the headquarters of the Hashknife Ranch on Cedar Creek. This is just West of where the present Abilene Christian Campus is now located. Taking part in that parley was J. N. SIMPSON, Hashknife's owner, (later a prominent figure of the Dallas banking circles), Clabe and John MERCHANT, Callahan ranchers who played a prominent role in the history of this area, H. C. WITHERS, track and town site locator for the Texas & Pacific, J. T. BERRY, a merchant of Belle Plain in Callahan County, and S. L. CHALK, a surveyor from Belle Plain. The meeting seemed to have broken up without full agreement on the site. Then entered into the picture J. Stoddard JOHNSON, nephew of Gen. Albert Sidney JOHNSON, friend of the high officials in high places. He owned some land between Elmdale and Tye. The MERCHANTS, Mr. SIMPSON, and Mr. BERRY brought some land in the same area. Mr. CHALK sold out and left. At last all the local founding fathers were together on the location. A formal contract between the railroad and the landowners was signed on Dec. 18, 1880. The land needed for the town was divided and turned out to be a good deal for all concerned. Abilene was named in honor of the Kansas cattle town at the end of the Chisholm Trail.
• 1881 - An agreement the previous year had been signed with the Texas & Pacific Railroad. Whereby Abilene, already three hundred people strong, and not Buffalo Gap would receive the benefits of a railroad through their town. The Texas & Pacific Railroad tracks reached the future city of Abilene on Jan. 13, 1881. The railroad fostered the springing of a small town along its tracks named Abilene. A town lot auction was held on March 15, 1881 on the corner of what is now South First and Chestnut streets. A floundering "tent" city was born. An auctioneer began the sale. It was agreed upon one lot would be sold on one side on the railroad and the next lot could only be sold on the other side. Putting the railroad in the heart of the town. In the previous year of 1880, Col. C. W. MERCHANT and his twin brother John along with other rancher in the area, met with the Texas & Pacific Railroad to persuade them to choose a route through this area. One of those ranchers was a member of the Guitar family, John GUITAR, some of whose descendants still attend the Church of the Heavenly Rest, including the GUITAR, ALEXANDER, POLK and WOODS families. Abilene was a town that slowly increased in size and population and the new railroad assured its economic nourishment. Even before the lot sale, in Feb. the first church had been organized by the Presbyterians, Feb 27 1881, followed by the Methodists and the First Baptist Church. In late of 1881, Dr. J. M. ISBELL and Mr. Ed Starkey KEAN decided Abilene must have an Episcopal Church. They wrote a letter to the new missionary Bishop, The Rev. Charles GARRETT requesting his permission to begin a new mission. Bishop GARRETT happily granted permission and indicated that when they felt they were ready, he would come out and help them. Seed planted the first Episcopal mission was organized in Taylor County and named St Paul's. Religion was to play an important role in the molding of the History of Abilene. C. E. GILBERT published the first issue of the Abilene Reporter on June 17. Thus becoming a daily newspaper within three years. The paper was first published in a tent. located at South First and Oak where it is still in operation. Making it the oldest continuously operated business firm in Abilene.
• 1881-Jan. T & P tracks reach site of Abilene.
• 1881, Feb. 13 Abilene hosted its first convention, the "Cowpunchers Convention".
• 1881, Feb. 27 - Presbyterians among the tent - dwellers gathered for the town lot sale and organized the first church in the community.
• 1881, Feb. 28 - Terminal cars and ticket agent arrive to formally "open" town of Abilene.
• 1881-March 15-16 auctions of Abilene town lots took place.
• 1881-Spring time the Methodist Sunday School was opened.
• 1881, June 17 - Abilene Reporter, forerunner of the Abilene Reporter News published its first edition in a tent pitched just south of the depot.
• 1881, Dec. 17 - The First Baptist Church was organized.
• 1883, Jan. the city of Abilene was incorporated.
• 1883-Oct 3, Abilene County seat from Buffalo Gap in a special election whose outcome was disputed by Gap residents.
• 1883 - Abilene stages its first fair.
• 1883 - Shakespeare Club was organized.
• 1883, Oct. 3 - Abilene wins county seat from Buffalo Gap In a hotly disputed election.
• 1885 - Taylor County News, another forerunner of the Abilene reporter News was born.
• 1885, April - Abilene contacts with Grosscup & Keith for the first city water works.
• 1885 - Palace Hotel, first "luxury hotel", was built at South 4th and Chestnut.
• 1886-1887 - A serious drought was a blow to all the area including the new town of Abilene.
• 1888 - Taylor County was organized by the commissioner's court into fifteen school districts. The first term of school in the county was taught by Dr. J. M. RUMP in what was later known as the Jim Ned School District, in the year of 1877. During the past twenty-two years the original fifteen school districts have been changed and divided into fifty-nine. However "fifty-four" was the highest number ever used by the officials in numbering school districts.
• 1889 Nov. 30 - The Farmers and Merchants Bank, now the First National, was organized.
• 1890, Oct. 22 - Abilene Board of Trade, one of the forerunners of the Chamber of Commerce was organized.
• 1890 - Abilene's first brick school, Central, was built.
• 1891, Jan. 5 - West Texas Press Association was organized in Abilene.
• 1891, April 10 - First electric lights turned on.
• 1891, April 30 - Lytle Lake was created with the completion of the dam.
• 1891, July 4 - The corner stone for first Simmons College (HSU) building was laid.
• 1899, February - Legislature unanimously approves Abilene as the site for the State School.
• 1899, November - The library was moved to the Reporter Building.
• 1900, February - A librarian, Miss Nellie CANNON was hired.
• 1904, March 26 - The doors of the State Epileptic Colony formally open.
• 1904, June 1 - Alexander Sanitarium opened.
• 1904, October - Hollis Sanitarium opened.
• 1906 - Childers Classical Institute (ACU) was founded.
• 1908, Nov. 30 - Streetcar service begins in Abilene.
• 1914, May 7 - The first natural gas was connected.
• 1921 - Work begins on West Texas Sanitarium, now Hendricks Memorial Hospital.
• 1921, April 5 - McMurry College located in Abilene.
• 1921 - Lake Abilene was completed.
• 1921 - Abilene's Klan made it's first public appearance inn 1921 when the local newspaper announced the organization's $100 donation to the Salvation Army
• 1923-1925 - during this period Fair Park Zoo came into being.
• 1924 - Hendricks Memorial Hospital, called West Texas Baptist Hospital when it opened.
• 1925, April 15 - Gregory Orphan's Home formally known as the West Texas Children Home of Lubbock, is relocated in Abilene.
• 1926 - Sadlers Clinic opened. Owned and operated by Dr. W. T. Sadler until shortly before his death, October 28, 1985.
• 1927 - Lake Kirby was completed.
• 1935 - Taylor County is located in central West TX in the center of an essentially farming and ranching area. Size wise it is 919 square mies, with streams, which remain dry most of the year. The greater portion of the county is level plain and the soil is well adapted to the growing of cotton and small grains. A chain of hills traverses the county from East to West in the southerly portion, which renders a sizable portion of the county unfit for cultivation. The county is rather densely populated except in this hilly section, but more than one half of the entire population is centered in Abilene, which is the county seat. Abilene is the whole sale and banking center, serving a large area outside of the confines of the county. Paved highways radiate through the county in seven directions from Abilene. Abilene has a first class airport, three railroads that traverse the county and an adequate system of lateral roads, which show the ease of accessibility to the county for all purposes. The Federal census of 1930 reports a population of twenty thousand in Abilene, against forty-one thousand for the entire county. Merkel, the second largest town, had a population of less than two thousand on the same date. Trent, Lawn, Tuscola, Ovela, and Bradshaw were other small towns then in existence. Although Taylor County has little to none of oil activities noticeably, through Abilene, financial gains were found from the oil development in adjoining areas.
• 1938 - Lake Ft Phantom Hill was completed.
• 1939-March 3, the Pony Express rides through Abilene. Thornton's Department Store on Oak Street was the relay station.
• 1940 - Ten years later the Federal Census reported 3, 170 - population gain for Taylor County. The population was 44, 193 as compared with 41, 023 in 1930. Taylor County leading town was Abilene with 26, 763 in population. Merkel was the next largest with a population of 2, 003. Other smaller towns were Tye, population 98, Caps, population 61, Wylie, population 28, Potosi, population 90, Buffalo Gap, population 296, Tuscola, population 418, View, population 60, Bradshaw, population 166, Lawn, population 306, Ovelo, population 199 and Trent, population 362.
• 1940 - St Ann's formally known as DeBerry Clinic was opened. It operated until April 30, 1969.
• 1940, Nov. 26 - Abilene Learns it can get a military base named Camp Barkeley, if the town can raise $125, 000 to buy the site. They do this in a week's time.
• 1941, Feb. Camp Barkeley was occupied.
• 1943 - June, Abilene Air Force Base opened at Tye.
• 1945, April 1 - Camp Barkeley ordered closed.
• 1946, Aug. 27 - Abilene adopted city manager form of government.
• 1949, May - U. S. Times opens Abilene Manufacturing plant.
• 1950, Dec 2 - the Philharmonic (then called the Abilene Symphony) had its first concert.
• 1952, July 3 - Congress approves Abilene Air Force installation, known as Dyess. After letters and visits had been exchanged, the Department of Defense announced in July 1952 Congress had approved the $32, 273, 000 needed in appropriations for constructing a base in Abilene. The local community was interested in providing for the Air Force an exemplary relationship between the community and an Air Force base. After initial groundbreaking ceremonies on Sept. 24, 1953, construction of the base progressed rapidly. Dyess Air Force Base, known as Abilene Army Airfield from 1942-1948 and Abilene Air Force Base until Dec. 6, 1956, was named after Lt. Col. William E. Dyess. He was born Aug. 9, 1916, in Albany, Texas.
• 1953, Television comes to Abilene with the beginning of KRBC-telecasting.
• 1953 West Texas Rehabilitation Center has it's beginning, working out of Bonham School until building is obtained for them.
• 1953, Fed 15, the Pickard Branch Library at Woodson School opened.
• 1955 - Abilene, Anson, Albany, and Breckenridge begin work on multi-city water project that produced Lake Hubbard.
• 1955 - New Abilene High School, located "out in the country", opens.
• 1956 - Health Clinic opens
• 1958 - Contract let for first area segment of Interstate Highway 20.
• 1958 - Cox hospital (first called Doctor's Clinic) opened.
• 1959 - Abilene tears up and rebuilds downtown streets and sidewalks.
• 1960, January - New Abilene Public Library opens.
• 1960 - Cooper High School opens.
• 1960 - Work begins on 12 Atlas Missile sites installation around Abilene.
• 1962, November - Abilene City Charter is rewritten.
• 1965 - Work begins on new Abilene City Hall and new Abilene Zoo.
• 1965 - Altas installations phased out.
• 1966, Feb 14 - was the opening of new City Hall.
• 1966, July 4, Nelson Park Zoo opened.
• 1967 funds were provided for the building a new county coliseum on S 11th near the fair grounds.
• 1968, January - West Texas Medical Center was opened.
• 1973, July 29 - West Medical Center moved to old Highway 80. It operated here until 1983.
• 1975, June the Black Chamber of Commerce was organized.
• 1978 September 20 - The Texas Supreme Court flashed a green light for the first sale of beer for off premises consumption in the city of Abilene since 1902
• 1979, July 5 Mall of Abilene opened it's doors.
• 1983, March 18 - ground breaking was held for the hospital's new site at U. S. 83-84 on Antilley Road. It opened at the new address under the name of Humana Hospital. In 1993, the enlarged hospital became Abilene regional Hospital.
• 1985. June 29 First B1B arrives at Dyess.
• 1988 November 8 - B-1 crashes near Abilene
• 1989 January 31 - Abilene experienced the worst air disaster in its history. 19 die when KC135 tanker crashes near Dyess.
• 1989 Feb 17 the tallest building in Abilene, home of First State Bank of Abilene during the 1980s, opened under the name and flag of NCNB.
• 1990 - Abilene was made "All America City" either in May or June
• 1997 April 13 - legendary rancher of the area, Walt MATHEWS dies at age 98
• 2001-Present February 2 - Front page Abilene Reporter News Columbia lost
• 2005 - Health District holds open house. The Abilene Taylor-County Public Health District will host an open house Thursday, Nov. 17, from 1-5 p. m. , to show the public its new facility at 850 North 6th Street. A brief grand opening ceremony will be held at 1:30 p. m. , which will include a ribbon cutting ceremony and raising of the U. S. flag by a Color Guard from Dyess Air Force Base. Afterwards, Health District staff members will lead tours of the facility for the public, and refreshments will be available. The Health District staff has been offering services to the public at the new 20, 760 square foot location since Sept. 12. The old South 19th Street Health District facility, built in 1955, is now closed.
• 2006 September 18 - City/Chamber to celebrate north side development project. The City of Abilene and the Abilene Chamber of Commerce will celebrate a successful public/private partnership with a ceremony on Sept. 26 at 11 a. m. for the opening of the new Enterprise Park and associated land developments. Members of the media and the public are invited to join Mayor Norm Archibald, developer Kenneth Musgrave, Abilene Chamber of Commerce redcoats and City of Abilene staff at the entrance to Enterprise Park, where the new Musgrave Blvd. intersects the Interstate Hwy. 20 service road, for a brief ceremony to commemorate this success and more quality development to come for Abilene's north side. "The partnership between developer Kenneth Musgrave and the City of Abilene has resulted in a virtual explosion of land development and retail growth in this area on the north side of town along I-20, " Mayor Norm Archibald said. "This public/private partnership has set a new standard for commercial development in Abilene. One product of this is the planned construction of a second location for a Lowe's home improvement center and the related additional retail development that will follow. " Musgrave and the City of Abilene are splitting the cost of construction of the East Lake Road extension, now called Musgrave Blvd. , and relocation by the Texas Department of Transportation of two ramps on Interstate Hwy. 20. However the City did not have funds available up front to pay its half, so Musgrave agreed to pay the entire project cost and allow the City to pay back its share over time from property taxes generated by the increased taxable values of property in the area. "This development also demonstrates how commercial developers can successfully work with the City to create quality developments that improve our community, " Mayor Archibald continued. "This project sets a high standard for quality development by including such features as beautifully landscaped medians, high quality thoroughfare lighting and attractive entryways. We also appreciate the willingness of TxDOT District Engineer Russell Lenz to work with us on moving the highway ramps to facilitate this. " "This project is an outstanding example of what can be accomplished when government and a private investor/developer work together for the benefit of the community, " Archibald said in summary. This news release is posted online at https://www. abilenetx. gov/.