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.
Everything Abilene is known for
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.
Showing top 20 of 145 songs
Showing top 20 of 43 artists
Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Abilene.
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.
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 survey teams walk the track on foot, block by block, reading the wreckage like a crime scene. The Enhanced Fujita Scale, operational since February 1, 2007, runs from EF0 to EF5. It hangs on 28 damage indicators, from a small barn to a shopping mall to a hardwood tree, each with 8 degrees of damage. A snapped sapling tells one story, a slab swept clean tells another. Construction quality matters too, since a flimsy roof and a bolted-down one fail at very different speeds. Surveyors add aerial and radar views, and call in engineers for the worst hits. The rating is a careful estimate, detective work, not a reading.
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 lasting less than a minute. They are small, maybe a few yards wide, but vicious. A suction vortex can pile its own spin on top of the parent storm and add more than a hundred miles an hour to the wind hitting the ground. That is why damage runs house to house out here. One home loses a few shingles while the place next door is swept clean. Meteorologist Ted Fujita first explained it in the early 1970s, after flying over hundreds of tornado paths and spotting looping, cycloidal streaks in the dirt. Those curls were the footprints of the little vortices, dancing inside the storm.
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)
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
Featured on The Daytripper — a full-episode local travel guide.
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.
John Lackey was a retired MLB pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, and Chicago Cubs.
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.
The 2017 season culminated in a UIL Class 4A State Championship for Wylie High School baseball.
174 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
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.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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>.…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
You're driving past Site of Guitar Mansion. John and Laura Hudson Guitar of Missouri moved to Abilene in 1898. John was already a wealthy businessman who owned a number of cotton gins and cotton oil mills throughout…
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.…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.'…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
You're driving through what was once Stonewall County, the birthplace of French Martel Robertson. Born in 1901, Robertson was a lawyer and a major player in Texas oil. After serving in World War II, he returned to Texas…
You're driving through Abilene, a city that owes a lot to Laura Jewel Davis Scarborough. Arriving here in 1907, she quickly became a force for good. Ever heard of Abilene's first public health nurse? Or the first…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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?…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 Leadership Charter Academy (Abilene, TX) placed on the 2A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Tyler Johnston (0.512 avg).
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
You're driving past Hendrick Medical Center. In 1915, Millard A. Jenkens (1872-1962), the new pastor of Abilene’s First Baptist Church, saw a need for a hospital that prioritized serving all people, whether or…
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,…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
Wylie (Abilene, TX) placed on the 5A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Myles McCarty (0.451 avg, 1 HR).
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.…
Tye is not a town known for famous names or celebrity residents. You won't find the birthplace of a movie star or a president here. Instead, it’s a place defined by the everyday people who have called it home. It was…
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…
Fort Phantom Hill was built in eighteen fifty-one along an eight-hundred-mile chain of Army outposts stretching across Texas. It sat on some of the harshest ground any of those soldiers had seen. The well they dug…
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…
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…
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,…
The U.S. Army built this fort in 1851 to protect settlers pushing into Comanche territory, and the soldiers hated it from the first day. There was no reliable water. The nearest timber was miles away. Rattlesnakes…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
Hawley High School (Hawley, TX): Most recent: 54-28 over Refugio · 2022 2A Division 1 final.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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. 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…
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 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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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, 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 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 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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
You're driving through Tuscola, a community that owes its existence to a generous landowner and a desire for a good school. Back in the late 1890s, John L. Graham deeded land to attract settlers, a store, a church, and…
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…
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,…
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…
Jim Ned High School (Tuscola, TX): Most recent: 29-28 (OT) over Hallettsville · 2020 3A Division 1 final.
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).
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,…
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…
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…
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…
You're driving near where Cornelia Fort, a pioneering woman pilot, met her tragic end. Born to privilege, she discovered a passion for flying, becoming an instructor and even flying under enemy fire during the Pearl…
You're driving through Mulberry Canyon, named for the trees that once grew along its creeks. This area was a crucial stop for the Military Road and the forty-niner mail route in 1849, later becoming part of the…
You're driving through Baird, where the First Baptist Church was organized in 1881 with nine members. It was the first Baptist church in town. After meeting in the schoolhouse, they completed their own building in 1889…
You're driving through Callahan County, near Baird, where Andrew Jackson "Jack" Berry spent his final years. Berry was a veteran of the Texas Revolution, fighting at the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836. He later served…
You're driving through Baird, Texas, a town that owes its existence to the rumble of the Texas and Pacific Railway back in 1880. Named for a railroad surveyor, Baird quickly became a vital division point, boasting a…