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Abilene, Texas

Everything Abilene is known for

149 songs mention this city 52 artists from here

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Abilene, Texas, a city in the "Big Country" region of West Texas, has a notable connection to music. While known for its Western heritage and as the "Storybook Capital of America", Abilene is also home to 39 artists across various genres. For instance, the country music group The Gatlin Brothers and metal band Close Your Eyes both hail from Abilene. The city is also mentioned in 93 songs, including "Abilene" by George Hamilton IV and "Abilene" by Kacey Musgraves.

Music in Abilene

Songs About Abilene

Abilene
Dave Alvin
83%
"Abilene, Abilene"
The Pride of Abilene
Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash
83%
Abilene
Damien Jurado
82%
"A black-haired girl I called Abilene"
Abilene
Rebecca Patek
82%
Abilene
George Hamilton IV
82%
"Abilene, Abilene, Prettiest town I've ever seen"
Keep Abilene Beautiful
Carlton Anderson
81%
"Keep Abilene beautiful, baby"
Abilene
The Doc Marshalls
81%
Abilene
Kacey Musgraves
81%
"As long as it was far away from Abilene"
Abilene
Yarn
81%
"TITLE"
Abilene
Matt Kimbrow
80%
Abilene
Hunter Metts
80%
"Abilene"
Out Past Abilene
Songbird Jones
80%
Abilene
Tori Martin
80%
"Song about Abilene"
Lonely Abilene Nights
Hunter Hicks
80%
"Song about Abilene"
Abilene
Sheryl Crow
80%
"Song about Abilene"
Road to Abilene (feat. Parker McCollum)
Ronnie Dunn
80%
"Is the girl for me in Abilene"
Abilene
Bobby Bare
79%
"Abilene, Abilene Prettiest town I've ever seen"
Abilene
Buck Owens
79%
"Abilene Abilene prettiest town that I've ever seen"
Abilene
Paul Eason
79%
"In my heart I'm in Abilene"
How's Abilene?
Delaney Ann
79%
"How's Abilene?"

Showing top 20 of 149 songs · Hear more in the free iPhone app

Artists From Abilene

L
Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers
country
J
Jessica Simpson
pop
V
Vinnie Paul
metal
Q
Quanah Parker and the Fort Phantom Five
country
C
Close Your Eyes
metal
E
Eric Paslay
country
A
Aaron Watson
country
D
Dexter and The Moonrocks
rock
M
Mason Williams
folk
Z
Zane Williams
country
L
Lyn Collins
rock
L
Lee Roy Parnell
country
T
The Rocketboys
indie
T
The Gatlin Brothers
country
T
The Wilder Blue
country
T
Terry Noland
rock
G
Guy Penrod
gospel
S
Stuart Hamblen
country
C
Chris Christian
gospel
s
seth james
country

Showing top 20 of 52 artists · Hear more in the free iPhone app

Rivers & Roads in Song near Abilene

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Abilene.

Interstate 20 13 songs

Musical Heritage

Elvis at the Fair Park Auditorium RoadyGoat

In February of nineteen fifty five, Abilene was invited to come out to the Fair Park Auditorium and see Elvis Presley and His Bop Band, with shows at seven and at nine. Elvis was not a national star yet. That year he made at least twenty-six appearances in West Texas, two of them in Abilene. On February thirteenth, the Abilene disc jockey Slim Willet caught him in Lubbock and got on the phone to a Breckenridge deejay named Sid Foster. Sid my man, he said, you've got to see this guy, no kidding. And don't bring a date if you want to keep her. On October eleventh, nineteen fifty five, Elvis was back at Fair Park, billed now as Elvis Presley and his Western Bop Jamboree. He came back as the King, to the Abilene Expo Center in October of nineteen seventy four, and on March twenty-seventh, nineteen seventy seven, a crowd put at seventy-five hundred saw him at the Taylor County Coliseum. The next night in Austin, he played his last show in Texas.

RoadyGoat →

Slim Willet's Number One Song RoadyGoat

Winston Lee Moore came out of Erath County, studied journalism at Hardin-Simmons here in Abilene, and graduated in nineteen forty nine. He went to work playing country records on KRBC radio, and on the air he was Slim Willet. In nineteen fifty two he wrote a song called Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes. His own record with the Brush Cutters was a country hit, Skeets McDonald took it to number one on the country charts, and Ray Price and Red Foley recorded it too. Then Perry Como sang it, and an Abilene deejay's song went to number one in America and in Britain and sold more than a million and a half copies. Slim stayed in Abilene. He started his own labels, Edmoral and then Winston, and cut records in his backyard studio and in the back of the Slim Willet Ice Cream Parlor. He recorded Abilene's hillbilly favorites and young rock and rollers like Dean Beard, and two teenagers who played on his sessions, Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts, went on to become Seals and Crofts. Slim Willet died of a heart attack in nineteen sixty six. He was forty-six.

RoadyGoat →

History of Abilene

Abilene, TX RoadyGoat

In 2026, the Stargate AI infrastructure project in Abilene became one of the city's largest employers, with over 6,400 workers at the local campus. The facility operates at a 1.2 GW capacity, utilizing NVIDIA Blackwell-series hardware for large-scale AI training workloads.

RoadyGoat →

Abilene, TX RoadyGoat

Abilene sits up a little higher than you might expect, a good 1,700 feet above sea level. Maybe that slight elevation gave some folks a different perspective, a little extra something that helped them rise.

Abilene, TX RoadyGoat

Abilene was established in 1881 by cattlemen as a stock shipping point on the Texas and Pacific Railway. The town was laid out by Colonel J. Stoddard Johnson, and the auction of lots began on March 15, 1881. By the end of the first day, 139 lots were sold for a total of $23,810, and another 178 lots were sold the next day for $27,550.

Taylor, Edward, James, & George

1836

Inscriptions on the monument are: across top - "I shall never surrender or retreat." Travis, Edward, James, George sons of Anson Taylor, died at the Alamo March 6, 1836. Taylor County was named for these gallant men. Erected by John Hudnall Chapter of the U.S. Daughters of 1812, with the cooperation of the Taylor County Commissioners Court. (1955)

Historical Marker →

Abilene High Eagles (1954–1957)

1954

Football plays an important role in the culture of Texas. Local football teams create an identity for their communities. During the 1950s, the roll of football and community identity fit well with the political and cultural climate of America during the Cold War. Football came to be seen as the embodiment of the physical and mental characteristics of the country during a period of exceptional military and economic growth. To many Texans, a winning football team served as proof of a community’s prosperity, which in turn extended to all aspects of life. The Abilene High School Eagles (also known as the Warbirds) epitomized the nature of football in Texas and America in the 1950s. During that decade, the city of Abilene experienced significant economic and physical growth. The culmination of this growth occurred in the mid-1950s with the opening of Dyess Air Force Base just west of Abilene. At the same time, the Abilene High School Eagles (AHS) football team experienced unparalleled success. From 1954 to 1957, the team won a national record forty-nine straight games, three straight state championships, and six straight district titles. In the Abilene area, these accomplishments received more attention than national events, including the Cold War and civil rights movement. Led by second-year coach Chuck Moser, the Eagles won their first two games of the 1954 season and defeated Highland Park High School from Dallas and Sweetwater High School. The following week, though, AHS lost to Breckinridge High School 35–13 on October 1, 1954. The loss disheartened many Abilenians over their team’s potential success on the season. Little did the Abilene boosters know, their team would not repeat the loss for the next forty-nine games, a winning streak that lasted for more than three years. The success of the team dominated the minds of the people of Abilene. When Abilene High faced Odessa High in 1954, the Eagle Booster Club chartered a special train to carry 700 fans to the away game. Several weeks later, another charter train took 650 fans to a game in Midland. Sometimes local football could supersede world events in the minds of some Texans. When the Soviet Union undertook a series of atomic tests in 1954, for example, the topic paled in the level of concern for Abilene residents, as evidenced by the extensive coverage in the Abilene Reporter-News regarding Coach Moser and how he viewed his team’s depth as they prepared for the 1954 playoffs. The 1954 state championship game against Stephen F. Austin High School from Houston existed as the most important event in the city that year. The Abilene Reporter-News ran a full-page team photo following the victory. The paper also dedicated its first three pages to the game and included another photo of quarterback H.P. Hawking’s game-winning pass to Twyman Ash in the closing minutes of play. The 1955 team continued its winning ways. Led by star running back, Glynn Gregory, the Eagles became the focal point of the season for every team they faced as their opponents sought to be the ones to stop the winning streak. At the same time, Abilene’s growth from the new airbase led to the construction of a new campus for Abilene High and expanded seating at Fair Park Stadium. Another example of the prominence of the Eagles in the community occurred when the team played El Paso High School in the bi-district round of the 1955 playoffs. For the game, the Abilene school district chartered a plane to fly the team to El Paso. For many of the young men on the Eagle squad, the trip marked their first time to fly on a plane. A few weeks later, 7,000 fans traveled in a caravan to the 1955 state championship game in Fort Worth. Afterwards, many students declared the 33–13 victory over the Tyler Lions as the greatest day of their lives. The victory even pushed President Dwight Eisenhower ’s heart attack to the back of the Reporter-News . The team’s dominance in 1956 saw the Eagles average more points per game in their

Tsha Handbook →

Lindbergh in West Texas

1927

Four months after his record-setting trans-Atlantic solo flight, Charles Augustus Lindbergh (1902-1974) landed here for one hour and thirty-six minutes during a nationwide publicity tour. Touching down at Kingsolving Field (now the site of Abilene Zoo) after an almost nine-hour flight from Santa Fe, "Lucky Lindy" was given a hero's welcome by thousands of West Texans. His famous Ryan Monoplane, "Spirit of St. Louis," was taxied into a fenced area and surrounded by National Guard Troops for protection. An escort plane landed later. Heading a parade into Abilene were seventy-one mayors and countless officials. Lindbergh was escorted by Mrs. Mildred Moody (1897-1983), wife of Governor Dan Moody and an Abilene native; Mayor Thomas Edward Hayden (1891-1949); and Chamber of Commerce president Charles William Bacon (1871-1947). The young pilot reportedly balked at a "throne" rigged for him in an open Nash automobile, and rode with Mrs. Moody through the town to Federal lawn. Lindbergh delivered a brief speech over loud speakers praising the ideal terrain and weather in Texas for developing civil and military aviation. He was escorted back to this plane and flew two hours and forty-two minutes to his next stop in Fort Worth. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986.

Historical Marker → · 4.0 mi away

Pine Street Shoot Out

1884

WHEN THE YOUNG RAILROAD TOWN OF ABILENE INCORPORATED IN 1883, THE FIRST CITY OFFICIALS DESIRED TO PROJECT A MORE CIVILIZED IMAGE TO VISITORS AND NEW SETTLERS, AS THE NEW TOWN HAD ALREADY DEVELOPED A LAWLESS REPUTATION SINCE ITS 1881 FOUNDING. STRONG LAWS PROHIBITING SEVERAL FORMS OF DISORDERLINESS WERE ENACTED, ESPECIALLY IN PLACES WHERE ALCOHOL WAS SERVED. ORDINANCES MADE IT ILLEGAL TO FIRE A GUN WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS, AND GAMBLING WAS COMPLETELY OUTLAWED. ON THE EVENING OF JANUARY 8, 1884, CITY ALDERMAN FRANK COLLINS AND HIS BROTHER, WALTER, WHO WAS A TAYLOR COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF, ENTERED A SALOON AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF NORTH FIRST AND PINE STREETS. THE SALOON PROPRIETOR, ZENO L. HEMPHILL, CONFRONTED FRANK COLLINS ABOUT THE NEWLY-PASSED ANTI-GAMBLING LAWS. (HEMPHILL HAD BEEN CONVICTED OF ASSAULT IN 1880 AND WAS SCHEDULED FOR AN APRIL 1884 TRIAL FOR KILLING A MAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.) ANGRY WORDS, AND THEN PUNCHES, WERE EXCHANGED, AND HEMPHILL DREW A GUN AND SHOT WALTER COLLINS, WHO HAD STEPPED BETWEEN THE TWO MEN. GUNFIRE THEN BROKE OUT BETWEEN FRANK COLLINS AND HEMPHILL. WHEN THE DUST SETTLED, WALTER COLLINS AND ZENO HEMPHILL WERE DEAD, AND FRANK COLLINS DIED FROM HIS INJURIES AFTER TWO MONTHS. AS A RESULT OF THE INCIDENT, THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE NEW CITY ORDINANCES BECAME A TOP PRIORITY. JOHN J. CLINTON WAS APPOINTED AS CITY MARSHAL, AND HE SERVED IN THE POSITION FOR 37 YEARS. IN ADDITION, THE EPISODE LIKELY INFLUENCED VOTING IN THE JUNE 1887 STATE PROHIBITION ELECTION, IN WHICH ABILENE CITIZENS VOTED “DRY,” ALTHOUGH THE STATE VOTED AGAINST PROHIBITION. A CITY PROHIBITION LAW WAS DEFEATED IN 1894, BUT IN 1902, CITIZENS VOTED TO BAN ALCOHOL SALES WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS, AND ABILENE SALOONS REMAINED SHUTTERED FOR 75 YEARS.

Historical Marker →

Daugherty, James Monroe

1866

James Monroe Daugherty, cattleman, the son of James M. and Eleanor (McGehee) Daugherty, was born on February 27, 1850, in Texas County, Missouri. In 1851 he moved with his parents to Denton County, Texas. James M. Daugherty attended McKenzie College near Clarksville from 1861 to 1864. At the age of fourteen he joined the Confederate Army as an express rider delivering dispatches for Gen. Samuel Cooper's brigade. After the Civil War Daugherty moved to San Antonio, where he hired on as a cowboy for cattle-raiser James Adams. In 1866, at the age of sixteen, Daugherty persuaded Adams to let him drive 500 head of cattle to the new market that was rumored to be opening in Missouri. Thus Daugherty, starting at Denton, Texas, participated in the fabled long drive of the open-range cattle business at its inception. Despite Daugherty's near death, and the loss of 150 head of cattle stolen by Jayhawkers, the drive was successful, with the herd being sold for thirty-five dollars a head at Fort Scott, Kansas. From 1867 to 1873 he drove cattle to Indian Territory for the government to feed the Indians. Sometime before 1872 he acquired a ranch near Trinidad, Colorado. After completing several contracts with the government, Daugherty started a ranch in Stonewall County, Texas, on the South Fork of the Brazos River, establishing his home in Abilene while pursuing a career in raising, buying, and marketing cattle on a large scale. In 1875 he married Sara Elizabeth (Bettie) Middleton, daughter of a pioneer cattleman; they had five children, born between 1880 and 1887. Daugherty became prominent in local civic affairs-as a member of the Progressive Committee of Abilene, as the first president of Abilene National Bank, and as secretary of the Abilene Cattle Association. In 1900 Daugherty moved to a portion of El Paso County, Texas, that later became Culberson County. He started the Figure 2 Ranch, the Black Mountain Cattle Company, and the community of Daugherty, where his ranch headquarters was located. He was one of the organizers of Culberson County, serving as an early commissioner. Daugherty was on the board of county commissioners when the first county courthouse was constructed in Van Horn, Texas. He was also the organizer of both the Van Horn State Bank and the Sierra Blanca State Bank. Daugherty was one of the first members of the Cattle Raisers Association of Texas (later the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association ) and served twice as a delegate for that organization at the National Livestock Association Convention. He was a charter member of the Trail Drivers Association . James M. Daugherty's wife died on January 23, 1924, and he spent his remaining years on his ranch near Van Horn, Texas. He died on March 2, 1942, at the home of his daughter in Alpine, Texas. Some of Daugherty's papers, including account and tally books, are in the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin.

Tsha Handbook →

Maddox, William Leslie [Bill]

1973

William Leslie “Bill” Maddox, drummer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, was born to Ray and Trudy Maddox in Abilene, Texas, on February 15, 1953. His father was a dentist but had studied at New York’s Julliard School of Music in the 1930s. Ray Maddox could play six different instruments and was the frontman of the Ray Maddox Orchestra, which played for decades in the Abilene area. His son Bill showed musical talent at a young age and was playing in bands by his early teens. He primarily played drums but was also proficient on guitar and piano, and was a fine vocalist and songwriter. While in high school Maddox and some friends, Keith Landers , Noel Kelton, and Stephen Barber, started a cover band, Cadillac, which became very popular in both Abilene and Austin. Maddox and the other members of Cadillac moved to Austin in 1971 after he graduated from high school. They played on weekends, and he studied percussion with George Frock at the University of Texas. Bill became more serious about his playing and, along with Barber, wanted to branch out into progressive rock and fusion. This led to the breakup of Cadillac. Kelton and Landers then founded Johnny Dee and the Rocket 88’s, a popular Austin-based oldies group. In 1973 Bill started and led a new group called the Electromagnets, and by 1974 this fusion band featured Maddox on drums, keyboardist Stephen Barber, bassist Kyle Brock, and guitarist Eric Johnson. The band was a cult favorite but only recorded one album and did not achieve commercial success beyond Texas. Maddox and Johnson had become close friends, and when the Electromagnets broke up in 1977, he played drums in the Eric Johnson Group. Maddox wanted to pursue his own interests also and started another band, Project Terror, which he fronted, playing guitar and singing. During this time he also developed a substance abuse problem and often drank heavily. In the mid-1980s Maddox joined Alcoholics Anonymous and enrolled at the Southwest School of Electronics. By all accounts, his recovery strengthened his character and gave him a new appreciation for life. He left the music scene and went to work as one of the first ten employees of PCs Limited, which later became Dell Computer Corporation . Maddox took stock options as part of his compensation, and when Dell became successful he was able to retire and pursue music again, without worrying about paying the bills. In the mid-1990s he and Eric Johnson formed another band together, Alien Love Child, with Chris Maresh playing bass. This group also had a huge cult following and was more successful than the Electromagnets. Maddox won the 2001–02 Austin Music Award for best drummer. He continued to work with Johnson and played drums in another band, the Fabulous Chevelles, until his untimely death on December 27, 2010. At about 7:30 in the morning on that day, a mentally confused neighbor broke into the Maddox residence and attacked Bill’s wife, Rhonda. Bill went to her aid and during the struggle was shot and killed by the intruder. Maddox, before he died at the scene, fatally injured the attacker, who died three days later. His death sent shockwaves through the Austin musical community. Known for his musical passion and accomplishments, he was also lauded for his compassion for fellow substance-abuse sufferers. Bill Maddox was proud of being sober for twenty-four years and during that time gave help to many people with their struggles with addiction; he often gave talks and seminars on the subject. Maddox was survived by his wife, Rhonda Maddox, and brother, Ray Maddox.

Tsha Handbook →

Things to Do in Abilene

quirky 0.3 mi away
Flying Herd of Buffalo

Eight 8-foot steel buffalo each weighing over 1000 pounds rotate atop tall poles like giant weather vanes over the parade grounds of the Frontier Texas museum…
day trip
Day Trip to Abilene 🤿 (FULL EPISODE) S5 E4

Featured on The Daytripper — a full-episode local travel guide.

Sports in Abilene

⭐ HOMETOWN LEGENDS Class 5A · Baseball

Abilene Eagles — Abilene — a college & pro athletic pipeline

3 alumni who reached major-college or pro sports

Abilene High School has a proud tradition of developing athletes who excel beyond high school. The Eagles' commitment to sports has helped many former students reach major college and professional levels. This Hometown Spotlight celebrates some of the notable alumni who have represented Abilene on bigger stages, showcasing the talent that has come through our local programs.

Among these accomplished athletes are Maury Bray, an NFL player for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chuck Harrison, an MLB first baseman. Additionally, John Lackey, a retired MLB pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, and Chicago Cubs, also hails from Abilene High. These individuals demonstrate the lasting impact of Abilene High School's athletic foundation.

Pro/D1 alumni
3
Class
5A
Founded
1888
Key Players
  • Maury Bray — , NFL player for the Pittsburgh Pirates
  • Chuck Harrison — , MLB first baseman from 1965 to 1971
  • John Lackey — , retired MLB pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and
The moment

John Lackey was a retired MLB pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, and Chicago Cubs.

Sources: Wikipedia · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)
🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 4A · Baseball · 2017

Wylie — 2017 UIL 4A Baseball State Champions

Most recent: 2017 4A

Wylie High School in Abilene, a familiar presence in Class 4A baseball, holds a notable place in Texas high school sports. The Bulldogs have demonstrated their capability on the diamond, reflecting the competitive spirit often found in the heart of Texas.

Their program reached a significant milestone in 2017 when they secured a UIL Class 4A State Championship. This achievement stands as a highlight for Wylie baseball, showcasing a season of strong performance and dedication.

State titles
2017
Most recent
2017
Class
4A
The moment

The 2017 season culminated in a UIL Class 4A State Championship for Wylie High School baseball.

Sources: UIL State Championship Archives

Everything Near Abilene

205 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the nearest 200 are listed here — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

  • Abilene, TX

    In 2026, the Stargate AI infrastructure project in Abilene became one of the city's largest employers, with over 6,400 workers at the local campus. The facility operates at a 1.2 GW capacity, utilizing NVIDIA…

  • Elvis at the Fair Park Auditorium

    In February of nineteen fifty five, Abilene was invited to come out to the Fair Park Auditorium and see Elvis Presley and His Bop Band, with shows at seven and at nine. Elvis was not a national star yet. That year he…

  • Slim Willet's Number One Song

    Winston Lee Moore came out of Erath County, studied journalism at Hardin-Simmons here in Abilene, and graduated in nineteen forty nine. He went to work playing country records on KRBC radio, and on the air he was Slim…

  • The people who map the damage

    Here's something strange about that number on the news. A tornado's EF rating almost never comes from a wind gauge. Nobody measured the wind. Out here in storm country, after the sky clears, National Weather Service…

  • Multiple-vortex tornadoes

    Out here in storm country, a tornado is rarely just one smooth funnel. Inside the big spinning column, smaller whirls called suction vortices can break loose and orbit the center, two to five at a time, each one usually…

  • The Prisoners in the Bandstand

    During World War Two, Camp Barkeley, eleven miles southwest of Abilene, was one of the largest military camps in the country, and on February first, nineteen forty four, the Army opened a prisoner of war camp inside it.…

  • Pine Street Shoot Out · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    WHEN THE YOUNG RAILROAD TOWN OF ABILENE INCORPORATED IN 1883, THE FIRST CITY OFFICIALS DESIRED TO PROJECT A MORE CIVILIZED IMAGE TO VISITORS AND NEW SETTLERS, AS THE NEW TOWN HAD ALREADY DEVELOPED A LAWLESS REPUTATION…

  • Texas & Pacific Railroad Depot · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the historic Texas & Pacific Railroad Depot! It started in 1881 with just a railroad car, but by 1882, a grand two-story building went up, even housing a hotel. The current brick beauty you see was…

  • Taylor, Edward, James, & George · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    Inscriptions on the monument are: across top - "I shall never surrender or retreat." Travis, Edward, James, George sons of Anson Taylor, died at the Alamo March 6, 1836. Taylor County was named for these gallant men.…

  • The Texas & Pacific Railway: First Railroad Across West Texas · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Abilene, the first town in West Texas to be connected by rail! Look around – this is where the Texas & Pacific Railway made history in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1881</say-as>.…

  • Hotel Wooten · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Hotel Wooten, which opened its doors on June 6, 1930. Entrepreneur H.O. Wooten dreamed of a hotel as grand as those in New York City, and he delivered with this seventeen-story,…

  • 45th Infantry Division at Camp Barkeley · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Camp Barkeley, where the famous 45th Infantry Division, the 'Thunderbirds,' trained during World War II. Comprised of National Guard units from four states, they were among the first…

Show all 200 nearby places
  • Site of Curfew by John J. Clinton · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Abilene, and you might see the spot where for 37 years, New Year's Eve meant a unique kind of fireworks. John J. Clinton, Abilene's police chief, would fire his entire revolver into the air at…

  • Thornton's Store, Site of · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Thornton's Store, once called 'a city within itself' right here in Abilene. E. L. Thornton started with a simple fruit stand in 1919. But by 1937, his business had exploded, filling an…

  • Abilene Reporter-News · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Abilene Reporter-News, the oldest business institution in town. It started as the Reporter Publishing Company in 1881, just three months after Abilene itself was founded. The original owner, C.E.…

  • Flying Herd of Buffalo · 0.3 mi · Things to Do

    Eight 8-foot steel buffalo each weighing over 1000 pounds rotate atop tall poles like giant weather vanes over the parade grounds of the Frontier Texas museum…

  • Site of Guitar Mansion · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    Right about here, facing the railroad, stood the Guitar Mansion. John and Laura Hudson Guitar moved to Abilene from Missouri in eighteen ninety eight. John already owned cotton gins and cotton oil mills across Texas,…

  • Abilene's First School · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Abilene's very first school. Back in the spring of 1881, before the schoolhouse was even built, classes were held right here in a tent! Imagine that – learning your ABCs under canvas.…

  • Laughter Undertaking Company · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Abilene, and right here is the site of the Laughter Undertaking Company. Dan T. Laughter started here in 1900, taking full ownership of the firm in 1908. For decades, they even operated an…

  • Abilene High Eagles (1954–1957) · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Football plays an important role in the culture of Texas. Local football teams create an identity for their communities. During the 1950s, the roll of football and community identity fit well with the political and…

  • Daugherty, James Monroe · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    James Monroe Daugherty, cattleman, the son of James M. and Eleanor (McGehee) Daugherty, was born on February 27, 1850, in Texas County, Missouri. In 1851 he moved with his parents to Denton County, Texas. James M.…

  • Maddox, William Leslie [Bill] · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    William Leslie “Bill” Maddox, drummer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, was born to Ray and Trudy Maddox in Abilene, Texas, on February 15, 1953. His father was a dentist but had studied at New York’s Julliard…

  • Merchant, Claiborne Walker · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, Texas, a town that owes its very name to the cattleman you see here, Claiborne Walker Merchant. In August of 1880, as railroads pushed west, Merchant bought a huge tract of land right…

  • Butler, Dr. William & Beatrice, Home · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the former home of Dr. William H. Butler, Sr., the first African American physician in Abilene. After earning his medical degree in 1910, he began practicing medicine, pharmacy, and even dentistry…

  • Alexander, James Minor · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, Texas, where Dr. James Minor Alexander made quite a name for himself in medicine and building. In 1904, he opened the Alexander Sanitarium, a small, eighteen-bed hospital. But he didn't…

  • Crane, Royston Campbell, Jr. · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, the birthplace of Royston Campbell Crane, Jr., a cartoonist who brought adventure to millions. While still in college, Crane moved to Cleveland and created "Wash Tubbs," one of the very…

  • Hashknife Ranch · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Taylor County, not far from Abilene, and right here is where the legendary Hashknife Ranch got its start. Back in 1875, partners J. R. Couts and John N. Simpson drove a herd of longhorns to Elm…

  • Hendrick Medical Center · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, and right here is Hendrick Medical Center. It started life in 1924 as the West Texas Baptist Sanitarium, the dream of a local pastor. But the Great Depression nearly sank it. Facing…

  • Hughes, Edward Smallwood · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, Texas, a city that owes a lot to the ambition of Edward Smallwood Hughes. He arrived here in 1882, a Princeton grad with "western fever," ready to invest in sheep. His first attempt was a…

  • Jones, Jessie Kenan Wilder · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, and right here is a place that owes a lot to Jessie Kenan Wilder Jones. Back in the early 1930s, she was driving her kids to Colorado and couldn't find a single shady spot for a picnic…

  • Jones, Ruth Legett · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, a city deeply shaped by the generosity of Ruth Legett Jones. Born here in 1892, she and her husband Percy became one of West Texas's wealthiest families, discovering oil and amassing real…

  • Legett, Kirvin Kade · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving near Abilene, the city that owes its very existence to a bit of a bait-and-switch. Back in 1881, folks like Kirvin Kade Legett, a young lawyer fresh from Cleburne, moved to Buffalo Gap hoping it would…

  • Scarborough, Dallas · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, Texas, a city that owes much of its development to Dallas Scarborough. He wasn't just a civic leader; he was a legendary defense attorney. Scarborough's career started with a tough loss…

  • Smith, George W. · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, and right here, a Baptist pastor named George W. Smith was instrumental in founding what is now Hardin-Simmons University. In 1890, he championed the idea of a new Baptist college, even…

  • Turner, Jesse Granderson [Grant] · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving near Abilene, the birthplace of Jesse Granderson "Grant" Turner, better known as the "Dean of the Opry Announcers." Born in 1912, Turner's lifelong love affair with radio and country music started right…

  • Willis, Thomas Middlebrook · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, Texas, and right here, back in 1886, the new city attorney, Thomas M. Willis, was making some serious waves. He wasn't playing around with the town's reputation. Willis was cracking down…

  • Wills, Mary Motz · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Texas, and right here, you might be passing by the legacy of Mary Motz Wills, a remarkable wildflower artist. Born in Virginia in 1875, she grew up in Waco and later settled in Abilene. After her…

  • Winston Records · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Right here in Abilene, you're driving past the legacy of Slim Willet, a popular DJ and songwriter who penned the 1952 hit "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes." Willet didn't just sing and write; he built a music…

  • Connally, Ada Virginia Hawkins Boyd · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, a city that saw its first female medical leader emerge during a time of great change. Dr. Virginia Hawkins Boyd Connally, originally from Temple, returned here after medical school and…

  • Bluebonnet Brigade · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, and right here, you're passing the site of a unique World War II effort: the Bluebonnet Brigade. Formed in 1941, this all-women's group was created to boost morale for soldiers stationed…

  • Wedgeworth, Elizabeth Ann · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, and right here in Abilene, Ann Wedgeworth was born. She wasn't just any actress; she was a Tony Award winner, known for her roles on Broadway and in hit TV shows like 'Evening Shade.'…

  • Abilene, TX · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, a city born from a handshake and a railroad line. Back in 1880, ranchers and land speculators met with a railroad locator, convincing him to bypass the existing county seat. They wanted…

  • Velásquez v. City of Abilene · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Velásquez v. City of Abilene , was one of a series of federal civil rights lawsuits that interpreted the 1982 amendments to the federal Voting Rights Act and clarified the evidentiary and procedural standards that…

  • Abilene Christian University · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, and right here is Abilene Christian University. It started back in 1906 as the Childers Classical Institute, with just twenty-five students. The school faced serious trouble in the late…

  • Abilene Reporter-News · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, and right here is the birthplace of a West Texas institution: the Abilene Reporter-News. It started as a weekly back in 1881, founded by Charles Edwin Gilbert. Over the years, it went…

  • Abilene State School · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving past the Abilene State School, a place that began as a colony for epileptics back in 1901. The state legislature authorized its creation, and the city of Abilene donated a huge tract of land for the…

  • Dyess Air Force Base · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving west of Abilene, and right here is Dyess Air Force Base. It started life as Tye Army Air Field back in December of 1942, a crucial part of the World War II effort. It was named for William Edwin Dyess, a…

  • Grimes, J. Frank · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, a city that owes a lot to J. Frank Grimes. For over forty years, he was the editor of the Abilene Reporter-News, shaping public opinion with up to six editorials a day. His readership was…

  • Hendrick Home For Children · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, and right here is the Hendrick Home for Children. It opened in June of 1939, funded by oilman Tom Hendrick. It wasn't an orphanage, but a home for kids aged two to twelve who couldn't…

  • Jones County · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Jones County, a place that was once a crucial stop on the frontier. Back in 1851, Fort Phantom Hill was established right here, one of a line of forts meant to protect settlers and travelers. It…

  • Jones, Percy · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, a city built on railroads and oil. Right here, Percy Jones played a key role. He came from England in 1903, joining his uncle in building railroads like the Abilene and Northern. But his…

  • Lytle Lake · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, and right here is Lytle Lake. It was built back in 1897, not just for water, but to try and lure a state hospital for epileptics to town. The dam was nearly complete when, on June 14th, a…

  • Swenson, William Gray · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, and right here is a town shaped by the vision of William Gray Swenson. Born in Louisiana, his family came to Texas when his father acquired vast ranchland. Swenson grew up here, and by…

  • Taylor County · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Taylor County, a place named for Alamo defenders. This land was once Comanche territory, largely unsettled until the 1870s. Early settlers were mostly buffalo hunters, but ranching quickly…

  • Robertson, French Martel · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    French M. Robertson, lawyer, oil producer, and Democratic party leader, son of John E. and Eulah Elizabeth (Hudson) Robertson, was born in Stonewall County, Texas, on July 4, 1901. He graduated from high school at…

  • Scarborough, Laura Jewel Davis · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Jewel Davis Scarborough, Abilene civic leader, was born in Pittsburg, Texas, on May 7, 1887, to Charles Gardner and Martha Alice (Lockett) Davis. She graduated from Jeff Davis College, probably an academy, at fifteen.…

  • Abilene and Northern Railway · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through West Texas, and right here is the story of the Abilene and Northern Railway. Fostered by local promoters in 1906, this line was chartered to connect Hamlin to Brady, with a branch reaching…

  • Abilene and Southern Railway · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through West Texas, and right here, the story of the Abilene and Southern Railway unfolds. Chartered in January of <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1909</say-as>, this railroad was built to connect…

  • Ely, Walter Raleigh · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through West Texas, and right here near Abilene, Walter Raleigh Ely made a big impact on the roads you're traveling on. Born in 1879, Ely was a lawyer and judge who eventually landed a crucial role on the…

  • West Texas Historical Association · 0.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Abilene, the heart of West Texas. Right here, in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="m-d-y">4-19-1924</say-as>, a group of lawyers and academics met in the Taylor County Courthouse. Their mission?…

  • Mexican-American / Americanization School · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Abilene's "Americanization" school, which opened in 1920. It moved to this location in 1936 and served Mexican American children until 1948. For decades, facilities for these students…

  • James Harrison Parramore · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the former site of a major cattle empire. James Harrison Parramore, a Confederate veteran and early settler here, partnered with others to form the San Simon Cattle and Canal Company in 1883. For…

  • Macedonia Baptist Church · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Macedonia Baptist Church, organized in 1898 by Rev. J. H. Herron. The church's sanctuary hosted Abilene's first commencement exercises for African American students around 1923. Later,…

  • Weather Bereau Building, Old · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Old Weather Bureau Building in Abilene, a structure completed way back in 1909. This wasn't just any office; it housed living quarters and an observatory for the administrator. The first official…

  • "Miss Clara" Bussell · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Abilene marker for Miss Clara Bussell, who lived from 1902 to 1966. She joined the West Texas Chamber of Commerce in 1920 and served as office manager for forty years, working unselfishly right…

  • Sacred Heart Catholic Church · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Abilene, a building with a story that stretches back to the 1880s. It started as a mission, with priests traveling by train from Weatherford to hold services in homes…

  • Claiborne Walker Merchant · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Claiborne Walker Merchant. (August 31, 1836 - March 9, 1926) Claiborne W. Merchant and his twin, John, were born in Nacogdoches. "Clabe" married Frances Bell in 1856. He served in the Confederate…

  • Childers Classical Institute · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the original site of Abilene Christian University. It started in 1906 as the Childers Classical Institute, founded by educator Allen Booker Barret and five trustees who bought this land. The school…

  • Morgan Jones · 0.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Abilene home of Morgan Jones, a Welsh immigrant who became a railroad legend. By the time he moved to Abilene in 1908, Jones had laid over a thousand miles of track across Texas and the West. He…

  • Texas HS Baseball Leaders 2026: Texas Leadership Charter Academy (Abilene) · 0.9 mi

    Texas Leadership Charter Academy (Abilene, TX) placed on the 2A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Tyler Johnston (0.512 avg).

  • Abilene Negro High School · 0.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Abilene's first public school for African Americans, established way back in 1890. It started as a single room on Plum Street with just 22 students and one teacher. Over the decades, this…

  • Hunt, James Winford · 0.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of McMurry College in Abilene, a school that owes its existence to James Winford Hunt. Hunt started as a newspaper publisher before becoming a Methodist minister in 1903. While serving in…

  • Sayles, Hattie and Henry, Sr., House · 0.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the former home of Henry and Hattie Sayles, a striking example of late Victorian architecture right here in Abilene. Henry Sayles, a lawyer and son of a noted legal scholar, moved to Abilene in 1886.…

  • McGee House · 0.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Abilene, and you might be passing one of the city's earliest fine homes. Built in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1903</say-as>, the McGee House was constructed in the Colonial Revival…

  • Abilene Municipal Cemetery · 0.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Abilene Municipal Cemetery, a burial ground that's actually five different cemeteries rolled into one. The oldest grave here dates back to 1881, Florence Phillips. You'll also find notables like Mary…

  • Willis, Thomas Middlebrook · 0.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the heart of early Abilene, Texas, where Thomas Middlebrook Willis made his mark. He first scouted this area in 1878, returning in 1883 after law school to set up his practice. Willis served as City…

  • Mount Zion Baptist Church · 0.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Abilene, and right here is the site of Mount Zion Baptist Church, the oldest African American church in the city. It was organized in 1885 by Reverend James Curry. The congregation met in a small…

  • Eugenia Pickard · 1.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Abilene, past a remarkable woman who made a huge difference. Eugenia Pickard, born in Georgia around 1877, moved to Abilene in the early 1900s. She owned properties and let poor families with kids…

  • Parramore Post #57, American Legion · 1.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the American Legion's Parramore Post 57 in Abilene. Organized in 1919 for World War I veterans, this chapter was named for one of Abilene's founders and a Civil War veteran. The post…

  • McMurry College · 1.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the birthplace of McMurry College in Abilene! Back in 1920, the Methodist church was looking to build a new college in West Texas. Reverend James Winford Hunt, a former newspaper man and circuit…

  • Company I, 7th Texas Infantry · 1.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the West Texas Fair Grounds in Abilene, where Company I of the 7th Texas Infantry was mustered into service for World War I on July 16, 1917. This unit of 139 men trained here before…

  • William G. and Shirley Swenson Home · 1.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the former home of William Gray and Shirley Swenson, a prominent Abilene couple whose influence stretched far beyond their beautiful prairie-style house. Designed by architect William P. Preston and…

  • The Hero of Dyess Air Force Base · 1.6 mi

    As you pass the signs for Dyess Air Force Base, you're near a cornerstone of America's strategic air command. But the base is also a monument to incredible heroism. It's named for Lt. Col. Ed Dyess, an Albany native. A…

  • The Storybook Capital of America · 1.6 mi

    Abilene has a title no other city can claim: the 'Storybook Capital of America.' And you can see why right on its downtown streets. As you explore, you'll find a growing collection of bronze sculptures featuring…

  • Harvesting the West Texas Wind · 1.6 mi

    As you drive across the plains toward Abilene, you can’t miss the new giants of the Texas landscape: hundreds of massive wind turbines, spinning in unison on the horizon. This is the heart of Texas's wind corridor. The…

  • The Rescued Palace of the Plains · 1.6 mi

    In the heart of downtown Abilene stands the Paramount Theatre, a stunning 1930 movie palace. When it was built, it was the height of luxury, with its Spanish-Moorish design, intricate tilework, and a ceiling painted…

  • The City of Three Universities · 1.6 mi

    For a city of its size, Abilene has a remarkable concentration of higher education. It's home to not one but three private, faith-based universities: Abilene Christian University, Hardin-Simmons University, and McMurry…

  • The Ghost City of Camp Barkeley · 1.6 mi

    If you were driving southwest of Abilene during World War II, you would have seen a staggering sight: Camp Barkeley, a city that appeared almost overnight eleven miles out of town. It covered better than seventy…

  • Hendrick Medical Center · 1.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Hendrick Medical Center. In 1915, Millard A. Jenkens (1872-1962), the new pastor of Abilene&#x2019;s First Baptist Church, saw a need for a hospital that prioritized serving all people, whether or…

  • Site of Old Headquarters of the Hashknife Ranch · 1.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving east of Cedar Creek, approaching Abilene. It's December 1880, and a big decision is being made right here on this hill. H.C. Whithers of the Texas & Pacific Railroad is meeting with local cattlemen,…

  • Abilene Christian University · 1.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Abilene Christian University, but its story started way back in 1906. <break time="400ms"/> It was founded as the Childers Classical Institute by A. B. Barret, a preacher and educator. <break…

  • Hardin-Simmons University · 2.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, a school with roots stretching back to 1891. It started as Abilene Baptist College, founded by cattlemen and preachers. It was named for James B. Simmons after…

  • Abilene State School · 2.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Abilene State School, a place that started with a very specific mission back in 1899. The Texas Legislature created it as a center to treat epilepsy. It opened its doors in 1904,…

  • Western Cattle Trail, Site of · 2.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the historic site of the Western Cattle Trail, the main highway for hundreds of thousands of Texas longhorns! Between 1876 and 1887, this route funneled cattle north to stock ranches and…

  • Abilene Woman's Club Building · 2.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the historic Abilene Woman's Club Building. Founded back in 1928, this club had a few homes before they hired architect David S. Castle to design this very clubhouse. Contractor Oscar Rose finished…

  • Twenty Eight Years on the Abilene Force · 2.9 mi

    Loop Three Twenty Two in Abilene, from US Highway Eighty Four to Interstate Twenty, is the Officer Rodney T. Holder Memorial Highway. Rodney Holder was an Abilene native. He served in the Army with the Eighty Second…

  • Lindbergh in West Texas · 4.0 mi · Historical Marker

    Four months after his record-setting trans-Atlantic solo flight, Charles Augustus Lindbergh (1902-1974) landed here for one hour and thirty-six minutes during a nationwide publicity tour. Touching down at Kingsolving…

  • The Highway Chairman's Interchange in Abilene · 4.3 mi

    The interchange in Abilene where U.S. Highways Eighty Three and Eighty Four meet Loop Three Twenty Two has a name. It is the Sam Waldrop Highway Interchange, and it honors a man who once led the state's highway…

  • Lt. Col. William E. Dyess · 4.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Abilene, Texas, home of a true World War II hero, Lt. Col. William E. Dyess. Born in Albany, Dyess commanded the 21st Pursuit Squadron in the Philippines. After Pearl Harbor, he led daring attacks…

  • Camp Barkeley, 12th Armored Division at · 4.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Camp Barkeley, a massive World War II training ground that once dwarfed the city of Abilene itself. Established in 1940, this camp became one of the nation's largest military bases. By…

  • Wylie High School, Abilene (Case Keenum) · 5.8 mi

    Wylie High School in Abilene, Texas (4502 Antilley Road) is where Case Keenum led the Bulldogs to the 2004 Class 3A Division I state championship. He went on to the University of Houston and finished as the NCAA's…

  • Texas HS Baseball Leaders 2026: Wylie (Abilene) · 6.0 mi

    Wylie (Abilene, TX) placed on the 5A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Myles McCarty (0.451 avg, 1 HR).

  • Tye, TX · 7.8 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving west of Abilene, and right here is the community of Tye. It started in 1881 as a railroad stop called Tebo, but early settlers like the Hinds family left their mark, even naming the first school for them.…

  • The Ghost City of Camp Barkeley · 7.9 mi

    Just south of Tye, hidden in plain sight on the flat prairie, lie the ghosts of a city that vanished. During World War II this was the site of Camp Barkeley, a U.S. Army training base of staggering size. From 1941 to…

  • Engineering a Pop-Up City · 7.9 mi

    Imagine the assignment: build a city on the West Texas prairie, from nothing, and have it ready for tens of thousands of soldiers before the country is even at war. That was Camp Barkeley, eleven miles southwest of…

  • Tye, TX · 7.9 mi

    The town's name, Tye, was chosen in a contest held by the T&P Railroad around 1900. It was named after John P. Tye, a Methodist minister who was the first postmaster of the town.

  • The Roar on the Interstate · 7.9 mi

    West Texas has never needed much of an excuse to race something. Just up the road from Tye, on the Abilene side, sits the eighth-mile drag strip that generations of Big Country racers grew up on — these days it runs as…

  • The Town That Waited 90 Years · 7.9 mi

    For about seventy years, from its founding in 1881 until the middle of the 1950s, Tye was not officially a city. The Texas and Pacific Railway laid the townsite out and called it Tebo; later it went by Hinds, after an…

  • Butterfield Mail & Stage Line · 8.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Tye, and you're passing right by the historic route of the Butterfield Mail and Stage Line! Authorized by Congress in 1857, this was a massive undertaking, a $2 million venture headed by John…

  • Potosi, TX · 9.4 mi

    In the 1870s, the Pollard family became the first settlers in what is now Potosi, Texas. The town's name was chosen in 1893 by R.A. Pollard, inspired by the Mexican city of San Luis Potosí. By 1896, the community had…

  • Camp Barkeley · 10.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Taylor County, and right here was the main entrance to Camp Barkeley. This wasn't just any military camp; during World War II, it was one of the nation's largest, training up to 60,000 men at its…

  • Drummond Cemetery · 10.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Drummond Cemetery, a final resting place for some of the earliest settlers in Taylor County. The story here begins in 1891 when Helen Drummond bought 100 acres, including this land. By 1895,…

  • Fort Phantom Hill Ruins · 10.4 mi · Historical Marker

    Abandoned 1850s frontier fort near Abilene that was never attacked by hostile forces but burned under mysterious circumstances after its garrison departed.

  • The Chaser and the Survey · 10.7 mi

    At six minutes past seven on the evening of May second, two thousand twenty four, a tornado touched down between Hawley and Hodges. Storm chaser Freddy McKinney was set up near one family's driveway, streaming live on…

  • Hawley, TX · 10.7 mi

    Hawley's a quiet place, but it's got stories etched into the very soil. You're standing in the Brazos River watershed, land that's seen more than its fair share of Texas weather and hard work. Look around – those…

  • The Town That Refused to Die · 10.7 mi

    For most of its life, Huxley was a farm settlement that maps kept forgetting. It got a post office in 1903 and lost it in 1905. By 1945 it was a store, a church and fifty people. Then two things happened. First, the…

  • Engineering a Lake, Creating a Town · 10.7 mi

    The very existence of modern Huxley owes something to a monumental feat of engineering: the Toledo Bend Dam and Reservoir. As you look out over the water, imagine the Sabine River as it was before the 1960s — a winding…

  • The Town the Railroad Built · 10.7 mi

    Look at a map of Hawley, and you'll see a town laid out on a grid, right next to a perfectly straight railroad line. That's no accident. In 1906 the Wichita Valley line was a machine for creating towns, and this one was…

  • Engineering a Town into Existence · 10.7 mi

    Hawley is here because a whole community picked up and walked to the tracks. People had been on this ground since 1890, when John R. Price took land twelve miles north of Abilene. A school opened in 1893. By 1904 there…

  • The 1970 Vote to Survive · 10.7 mi

    For sixty-four years, Hawley existed as an unincorporated community. It had a post office, a school and stores, but no mayor and no city council. The town itself dates to December 9, 1906, born where the Wichita Valley…

  • Living Next to Abilene's Bathtub · 10.7 mi

    Just a few miles south of Hawley lies a massive body of water that defines the entire area: Lake Fort Phantom Hill. Despite its spooky name, which comes from a nearby historic fort, the lake is a modern engineering…

  • The Wartime Highway Name That Waited Sixty Years · 11.6 mi

    The World War Two Veterans Memorial Highway is a name with an odd history. On August first, nineteen forty four, a Texas highway minute order named U S Highway Eighty the Veterans of World War Two Highway, all the way…

  • One Year After Shiner · 11.8 mi

    In December two thousand twenty one, the Hawley Bearcats took an unbeaten season to Arlington for the Class two A, Division One state final. Shiner, the defending champion, led twenty one to twelve at the half, then…

  • Taylor County · 11.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Taylor County, named for three brothers who made the ultimate sacrifice. Edward, James, and George Taylor, all in their late teens and early twenties, came to Texas in 1833. Just three years…

  • Hawley, TX (Jones County) · 11.8 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving north of Abilene on Highway 277, passing through Hawley. This town owes its existence to the railroad. Back in 1906, the Wichita Valley line was surveying a route to Abilene. A surveyor named Fletcher…

  • Hawley, TX (Matagorda County) · 11.8 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Matagorda County, past a place that was once known as Deming's Bridge. This spot on the Tres Palacios River was a community hub as early as 1850, with settlers gathering for church services. By…

  • Fletcher Ranch · 11.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through the site of the Fletcher Ranch, established in 1878 by James Robert Fletcher. He brought his family and a small herd of cattle to this spot, drawn by a spring-fed creek, ample grass, and trees.…

  • 2022 UIL 2A Division 1 Football State Champions · 12.4 mi

    Hawley High School (Hawley, TX): Most recent: 54-28 over Refugio · 2022 2A Division 1 final.

  • The Ernie Wilson Museum · 12.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Buffalo Gap, and right here is Taylor County's historic first courthouse and jail. Organized in 1878, this building wasn't finished until May 20, 1880. Construction was delayed by Indian scares and a…

  • Prew House · 12.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Prew House, a beautiful example of Victorian architecture built in 1906. Frank X. Prew, who came to Texas from Wisconsin in 1889, built this home for himself. He worked hard, farming a small plot…

  • Buffalo Gap · 12.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Buffalo Gap, a town whose name tells a story all its own. Imagine this area, back in the 1870s, as a vital pass through the Callahan Divide mountains, teeming with thousands of buffalo. These…

  • Indian Fight, Vicinity of · 12.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Taylor County, just west of Buffalo Gap. On August 29, 1863, a tense chase unfolded right here. Lt. T. C. Wright and eleven state troopers were closing in on Comanche riders heading north, driving…

  • Buffalo Gap College · 12.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising past Buffalo Gap, Texas, where in 1885, the Presbyterian Church founded Buffalo Gap College. This wasn't just a small-town school; at its peak, over 300 students, many from far away, packed its two-story…

  • The Prairie's First Rancher · 12.8 mi

    Since the name of this place comes from the buffalo, let me tell you what those animals actually did for the land you're looking at. Biologists call the American bison a keystone species, which means the whole grassland…

  • The Great Slaughter and the Big Fifty · 12.8 mi

    The buffalo that named this gap didn't just wander away. In the eighteen-seventies, right around when hunters were camping at this very passage, they were nearly wiped from the earth. Tens of millions of bison, some say…

  • The Herd Mary Ann Saved · 12.8 mi

    The buffalo that named this gap have a Texas rescue story, and it happened just up the road in the Panhandle. In the late eighteen-seventies, rancher Charles Goodnight and his wife Mary Ann settled in Palo Duro Canyon…

  • The Gap the Buffalo Made · 12.8 mi

    Here's where you are. Buffalo Gap really is named for a gap, and really is named for buffalo. Just south of Abilene runs a low ridge called the Callahan Divide. It's the quiet dividing line between two great river…

  • Big, Fast, and Faster Than You Think · 12.8 mi

    The town's named for buffalo, so let's talk about the animal itself, because it will surprise you. The American bison is the largest land mammal in North America. A big bull can push past a ton, and yet, and this is the…

  • Why the Buffalo Knew the Best Road · 12.8 mi

    Here's something worth knowing as you roll along this road. Long before surveyors and asphalt, the buffalo were the first road engineers on this continent, and they were remarkably good at it. Early explorers and…

  • A Jail Held Together by Cannonballs · 12.8 mi

    Since the buffalo brought a whole town to this gap, let me leave you with what that town became. Right here in Buffalo Gap sits the Historic Village, built around the old Taylor County courthouse and jail from eighteen…

  • Robertson, George · 12.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Taylor County, maybe not far from Buffalo Gap. Right here, in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1874</say-as>, photographer George Robertson joined a buffalo hunting expedition. While the old…

  • Buffalo Gap, TX · 12.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Buffalo Gap, a town that owes its existence to a natural landmark and a vital trail. Right here, the Callahan Divide creates a gap, a place where buffalo once gathered and hunters made camp. This…

  • The Town That Lost to a Railroad · 13.0 mi

    Imagine being the most important town for a hundred miles, the official county seat, with a brand new courthouse to prove it. That was Buffalo Gap in 1880, when the limestone courthouse and jail built the year before…

  • Buffalo Gap, TX · 13.0 mi

    Buffalo Gap. It's more than just a blink-and-you'll-miss-it town south of Abilene, nestled right where the Callahan Divide starts to roll. Sure, it's quiet now, but this little spot's seen some things. You might not…

  • The Steakhouse That Put a Town Back on the Map · 13.0 mi

    For most of the 20th century, Buffalo Gap was a town people drove through, not to. Tom Perini changed that. He started a chuckwagon catering outfit out of his family's ranch here in 1973, cooking cowboy-style meals and…

  • The Iron Horse Goes North · 13.0 mi

    The fate of Buffalo Gap was settled first by a deal and then by a ballot. When the Texas and Pacific Railway pushed west, Buffalo Gap sat nestled among the hills and creeks of the Callahan Divide — grades to climb,…

  • A Town Within a Town · 13.0 mi

    As you explore Buffalo Gap, you might notice a special collection of old buildings. This is the Buffalo Gap Historic Village, and it’s not a replica. It's an assembly of real history. Starting in 1956, a local lawyer…

  • The Texas Division and the Rapido River · 13.1 mi

    State Highway Thirty Six and U S Highway One Ninety both carry the name Thirty Sixth Division Memorial Highway. The Thirty Sixth Infantry Division was called the Texas Division, because when it entered federal service…

  • The Interstate That Remade a Railroad Town · 13.4 mi

    You’re likely driving near or on Interstate 20, the massive piece of engineering that redefined Clyde. This town was born from one transportation revolution—the railroad—and completely transformed by another. When I-20…

  • Every time, Clyde dug out and rebuilt · 13.4 mi

    Clyde has been hit more than once, and the worst of it came on the tenth of June, 1938. A tornado came into town out of the north, killed fourteen people, destroyed twenty-one homes and a string of other buildings, and…

  • Clyde, TX · 13.4 mi

    Clyde sits right on the edge of the West Texas plains, where the land starts to roll a bit. You get these beautiful long views, especially at sunset. While the oil boom early last century definitely left its mark, and…

  • Cedar Gap Community · 13.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past what used to be Cedar Gap, a community that started in the late 1800s. Originally called Coates, it grew with the arrival of families and later, the Abilene & Southern Railway in 1909. Though the…

  • Clyde, TX · 13.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Clyde, Texas, a town that owes its start to a massive railroad construction crew. Back in 1880, thousands of workers, including many Chinese laborers, gathered near Robert Clyde's camp. Settlers…

  • Briefly the county seat before Anson · 13.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Fort Phantom Hill, established way back in November of <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1851</say-as>. It was abandoned just a few years later, in April of <say-as…

  • Fort Phantom Hill · 13.7 mi · Historical Marker

    Established November 14, 1851 Abandoned April 6, 1854 Repaired and used by Southern Overland Mail, 1858-1861 Sub-post of Fort Griffin in 1871 and 1872 A thriving village which grew up in its vicinity after the Civil War…

  • Fort Phantom Hill · 13.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb

    Imagine stagecoaches rumbling past, and soldiers drilling in the hot sun – this is Fort Phantom Hill. Established in 1851, it was meant to protect pioneers heading west to California. Troops were stationed here for only…

  • German Prisoners of War · 13.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Right now, you're driving through a state that hosted more German prisoner-of-war camps than any other in the United States during World War II. Why Texas? Believe it or not, it was the climate – thought to be similar…

  • Camp Barkeley · 13.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Taylor County, and right here, not far from Abilene, was Camp Barkeley. This massive World War II training facility, named for a Medal of Honor recipient, started construction in December 1940. By…

  • Simpson, John Nicholas · 13.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through what was once the heart of a massive cattle empire. Right here, around the site of Abilene Christian University in Taylor County, John Nicholas Simpson and James R. Couts started the Hashknife…

  • Shep, TX · 13.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Shep is south of Lake Abilene and the Callahan Divide in the southwest corner of Taylor County. The first settler in the area was John Robert Crayton, who arrived in the 1870s and described it as an immense, beautiful…

  • Caps, TX · 13.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Caps is near the intersection of U.S. Highway 277 and Farm Road 707 southwest of Abilene in Taylor County. The community began in 1882 when J. Stoddard Johnston of Abilene gave Ira and Anna Rollins Borders a wedding…

  • Ovalo, TX · 13.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Ovalo is at the intersection of Farm Road 614 and U.S. Highway 83, on the Abilene and Southern Railway in southeastern Taylor County. The oval-shaped valley was an early camping place for buffalo hunters and a stop for…

  • Blair, TX · 13.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Blair is a farming community on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe line and Farm Road 126, four miles southwest of Merkel in northwestern Taylor County. The area was settled in the 1890s, and in 1897 it became the center…

  • Bradshaw, TX · 13.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Bradshaw is on U.S. Highway 83 some 1½ miles from the Runnels county line in southern Taylor County. It was founded when the Santa Fe rail line was constructed through the area in 1909. After the railroad bypassed…

  • Elmdale, TX · 13.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Elmdale was on the Missouri Pacific Railroad and Farm Road 18 in northeastern Taylor County. It began as a stop on the Texas and Pacific Railway in the early 1880s. According to some sources, early travelers saw a…

  • Guion, TX · 13.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Guion was on what is now U.S. Highway 83 twenty-five miles southwest of Abilene in south central Taylor County. Settlers were at the site in 1879, and as early as 1882 the settlement served as a stagecoach station and…

  • Hamby, TX · 13.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Hamby, on State Highway 351 five miles east of Abilene in northeastern Taylor County, touches the corners of Taylor, Jones, Callahan, and Shackelford counties. The cotton and oil community was first named Corners, for…

  • Iberis, TX · 13.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Iberis was at the intersection of two country roads a mile west of U.S. Highway 83 and seven miles south of Abilene in eastern Taylor County. The site was first settled by the Kincaid family about 1889, and a school…

  • Nubia, TX · 13.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Nubia is on Farm Road 126 ten miles south of Merkel in western Taylor County. Sheep and cattle ranchers began to settle the area in 1874; they had to haul lumber for homes from Fort Worth since the railroad did not…

  • View, TX (Taylor County) · 13.9 mi · Tsha Handbook

    View is at the intersection of U.S. Highway 277 and Farm Road 1235, thirteen miles southwest of Abilene in Taylor County. Although a Baptist church was organized at the site earlier, the town was not established until…

  • Clyde, Community of · 14.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Clyde, a town that got its start thanks to the railroad back in December 1880. Many settlers clustered around the commissary of railroad foreman Robert Clyde, who gave this place its name. The…

  • Buffalo Gap Cemetery · 14.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Buffalo Gap Cemetery, the oldest public resting place in Taylor County. Long before the first headstones were set around 1877, this ten-acre plot was already serving the early residents of Buffalo…

  • Clyde First Methodist Church · 14.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Clyde's first Methodist church. Organized in 1884, the congregation met in homes before building their first church here in 1904. That building was replaced in 1936 by the stone sanctuary…

  • Castle Peak · 14.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through West Texas, and look to your northeast. See that prominent peak? It's Castle Peak, and it served as a vital landmark for one of America's most ambitious early transportation projects. From 1858 to…

  • Indian Fight, Vicinity of · 14.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through West Texas, near Merkel, on New Year's Day, 1871. Look to the heights west of Mountain Pass. This was the scene of a fierce, all-day battle. Eighteen Texas Rangers and cowboys, led by Captain…

  • The Windmill City of Texas · 15.1 mi

    Merkel still calls itself 'The Windmill City,' and it was never just a catchy slogan; it was a statement of survival. When settlers arrived here in the early 1880s behind the Texas and Pacific Railway, the land was dry…

  • The Bull Rider Who Changed the Sport · 15.1 mi

    Merkel is home to a man who fundamentally changed a classic American sport. His name is Cody Lambert. Growing up here, Lambert was steeped in rodeo culture, becoming a champion bull rider and saddle bronc rider. But in…

  • Engineering Survival: The Water-Pumping Windmill · 15.1 mi

    The settlement of Merkel was made possible by a brilliant piece of 19th-century engineering: the self-regulating water-pumping windmill. The problem was simple: the water was hundreds of feet underground, and the wind…

  • Colt McCoy, Hometown Hero · 15.7 mi

    In Texas, high school football is practically a religion, and here in Tuscola they had a legend walk their halls. This is where Colt McCoy went to school — one of the most celebrated quarterbacks in the history of…

  • Ovalo: The Town That Moved for the Railroad · 15.7 mi

    As you drive near Tuscola, you're passing through a classic Texas drama — but not the one you'd guess. The town that moved was this one. Old Tuscola sat two or three miles west of here at a spot people called the Flat;…

  • The Forging of the Jim Ned Valley · 15.7 mi

    You might hear people around here talk about being from the 'Jim Ned Valley.' They aren't just talking about Tuscola. They're talking about an identity that got welded together over nine years and two votes. In 1948 and…

  • How Railroad Engineering Built Tuscola · 15.7 mi

    Tuscola sits where it sits because of a railroad's balance sheet as much as its transit. In 1909 word got out in Abilene that the Santa Fe was finally resuming its long-delayed northwest extension, a line running from…

  • Anglican Church Service, First in the Callahan Area · 16.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through a wild mountain area, a place that saw its very first Anglican service way back in 1878. Bishop Alexander Charles Garrett, a missionary who'd served across North America, was sent to Texas in…

  • Mims, Charles D. · 16.3 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Merkel, Texas, a town that owes its start to a man named Charles D. Mims. He moved here in 1909 and, just months later, in April of 1910, became the town's very first mayor. Mims had a varied…

  • Old Fort Phantom Hill Corn Road · 16.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Callahan County, and right here, you're crossing the path of the Old Fort Phantom Hill Corn Road. Established in 1851, this route was vital for supplying the frontier outpost of Fort Phantom Hill.…

  • Havins, Thomas Robert · 16.3 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Merkel, Texas, the birthplace of Thomas Robert Havins, a man who dedicated his life to Texas history. Born in 1890, Havins' early life was marked by his mother's death and his father's work as a…

  • Merkel, TX · 16.3 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving west of Abilene, and right here is Merkel, Texas. It all started in the early 1880s when the railroad came through, and the town was first called "Windmill Town." But in 1881, it was renamed for its very…

  • Merkel, TX · 16.4 mi

    Founded around 1870 as Windmill Town, the city was renamed Merkel in 1881 to honor the first settler, S. M. Merkel, from Germany. The town's early growth was marked by the opening of its first mercantile store in 1882…

  • Jim Ned High School (Colt McCoy) · 16.6 mi

    Jim Ned High School in tiny Tuscola, Texas is where Colt McCoy went 34-2 as a starting quarterback, coached by his father Brad McCoy, and was twice named Class 2A State Player of the Year. He threw for 9,344 career…

  • Tuscola, TX · 16.8 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Tuscola, in southern Taylor County, is nineteen miles south of Abilene on U.S. Highway 83. The original townsite, sometimes referred to as "the Flat" by area settlers, was two or three miles west of the present…

  • Tuscola, TX · 16.9 mi

    Tuscola, Texas. It's a small dot on the map, just south of Abilene in Taylor County, but it's a place that has quietly nurtured some remarkable talent. Maybe it's the wide-open spaces, the clear West Texas sky, or just…

  • The Civilian Conservation Corps at Abilene State Park · 16.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Abilene State Park, a place built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Back in 1933, President Roosevelt's New Deal program put young men and veterans to work on public lands. Here, Company 1823,…

  • Compere Cemetery · 16.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Compere Cemetery, all that remains of a farming community founded in the 1880s. The Palmer family donated two acres for this burial ground in 1904, the same year the first child was…

  • 2020 UIL 3A Division 1 Football State Champions · 17.0 mi

    Jim Ned High School (Tuscola, TX): Most recent: 29-28 (OT) over Hallettsville · 2020 3A Division 1 final.

  • Texas HS Baseball Leaders 2026: Jim Ned (Tuscola) · 17.0 mi

    Jim Ned (Tuscola, TX) placed on the 3A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Camden Lewis (0.500 avg, 2 HR); Gavin Brooks (0.457 avg, 2 HR); Jace Blair (0.448 avg, 1 HR).

  • Jim Ned Creek · 17.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Jim Ned Creek, named for a Delaware Indian chief who was a scout for the Texas militia. Around the 1840s and 50s, Chief Jim Ned led campaigns against hostile tribes right here in this area. Today,…

  • Site of Truby School · 17.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the old Truby School. Early education in this rural area began in the 1870s. This school district consolidated and moved to this site in 1916, educating children through the ninth grade…

  • The Farm Road Lined With Cold War Missile Silos · 17.4 mi

    Farm to Market Road Six Oh Four, between Shackelford and Taylor counties, carries an unusual name: the Atlas ICBM Highway. The Convair Atlas was the first operational intercontinental ballistic missile system used by…

  • Truby Cemetery · 17.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Truby Cemetery, established as a burial ground for early settlers. The Daughtrey family formally deeded these three acres for cemetery use in 1906, though the oldest marked grave here dates back to…

  • Windham, J.D., Pioneer Physician · 19.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Callahan County, heading towards Abilene. Keep an eye out for the site of Tecumseh, a community that owes much to Dr. J.D. Windham. Born in Alabama in 1816, Windham arrived in Texas in 1839. After…

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