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Albany, Texas

Everything Albany is known for

1 song mention this city

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Music in Albany

Songs About Albany

charlie goodnight
dub miller
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Artists From Albany

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Rivers & Roads in Song near Albany

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

Interstate 20 13 songs Brazos River 43 songs

Musical Heritage

Fort Griffin State Historic Site and the state longhorn herd RoadyGoat

Ten feet wide, horn tip to horn tip. That's a Texas Longhorn, and the state keeps its official herd — about two hundred fifty head — out at Fort Griffin, fifteen miles north of Albany. These cattle came down from animals the Spanish turned loose centuries ago; some ran wild and bred tough out on the open range. After the Civil War they got driven north by the thousands to Midwest slaughterhouses, and then ranchers started crossing them with meatier breeds until the pure longhorn nearly disappeared — down to about forty-five hundred head today. Back in the nineteen twenties, folklorist J. Frank Dobie helped save the line. Texas made the longhorn its official large mammal in nineteen ninety-five. You can walk right up to the fence at Fort Griffin. Just keep in mind what that ten feet of horn is for.

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History of Albany

The Fort Griffin Fandangle RoadyGoat

If you're here in late June, you might feel the whole town buzzing with a special energy. It's for the Fort Griffin Fandangle, the oldest outdoor musical in Texas. This isn't some traveling show; it's the heart and soul of Albany. Since 1938, local residents have come together to tell the story of their own ancestors settling this prairie. On a massive outdoor stage at the Prairie Theater, you'll see hundreds of townspeople reenact history with live longhorns, a stagecoach, a replica train, and dozens of horses. It's a spectacle of song and dance that's part history lesson, part community reunion. The Fandangle is more than a play; it's a living tradition, passed down through generations. It’s how Albany remembers who it is, by literally performing its own history under the West Texas stars.

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The Old Jail Art Center RoadyGoat

In a town of fewer than 2,000 people, you wouldn't expect to find a world-class art museum. But that's exactly what you'll find in downtown Albany. The Old Jail Art Center, or OJAC, is housed in the county's original limestone jail, started in 1877 and finished in 1878, complete with its original cells. The building only survived because local playwright Robert E. Nail Jr. bought it for twenty-five dollars in 1940 rather than watch it be torn down. His nephew, the author and former television producer Reilly Nail, inherited it in 1968, and in 1980 he and his cousin, the artist Bill Bomar, combined their collections and opened a museum. Today the OJAC is a nationally accredited museum. You can walk from an old jail cell into a modern gallery and see works by artists like Picasso, Modigliani, Grant Wood and Henry Moore, alongside a permanent exhibition of ancient Chinese terra-cotta tomb figures. It's an unexpected cultural treasure, right here on the Texas prairie.

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Albany, TX RoadyGoat

Since 1938, Albany has been home to Texas' oldest outdoor musical, the Fort Griffin Fandangle, which is presented during the last two weekends of June in the Prairie Theater. This event commemorates the history of Fort Griffin, a military outpost established in 1867 near Albany, now a state park. The Fandangle features covered wagons, buggies, a stagecoach, a replica of the first Texas Central Railroad train, an oil derrick, and cowboys, offering a theatrical reenactment of the American West's charm and history.

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Lt. Col. William E. Dyess

1941

(August 9, 1916 – December 22, 1943) A native of Albany, and a graduate of Albany High School and John Tarleton Agricultural College, William Edwin Dyess was the son of Judge Richard T. and Hallie Graham Dyess. Trained as a pilot at Randolph Field, San Antonio, he led the 21st Pursuit Squadron of P-40s in the Phillipines, where he was when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and the U.S. entered World War II. Dyess' actions against invading Japanese forces at Subic Bay, despite few operational planes, and his later role as infantry commander earned him a reputation for bravery and resourcefulness. Dyess was among the men captured at the Fall of Bataan on April 9, 1942 and forced into the grueling Death March. He survived the malnutrition, disease and torture that resulted in the loss of thousands of his comrades. Almost a year after their capture he and 11 other men escaped and made their way to safety through hostile territory. Dyess reported to the U.S. War Department and Gen. Douglas MacArthur on enemy actions. Through his personal accounts of Japanese atrocities in the Chicago Tribune, he influences world opinion on wartime brutalities. Promoted to Lt. Colonel, Dyess returned to Albany in November 1943 after recuperation and made an appearance at the football field on his way to California. Weeks later, he died when the P-38 he piloted crashed at Burbank. His body was returned to his hometown for burial. His wife, Marajen, published The Dyess Story (1944), a book of his accounts, and Albany playwright Robert E. Nail, Jr., wrote Men of Bataan (1943), an acclaimed play based on his exploits. Dyess Air Force Base at Abilene was named in honor of Albany's much-decorated war hero in 1956. (2005)

Historical Marker →

Fort Griffin, TX

1867

The town of Fort Griffin grew up on the level bottomland between the military fort bearing the same name and the Clear Fork of the Brazos River. The fort stood on a hill, and the townsite was frequently called the Bottom or the Flat. U.S. Highway 283 runs by the site about fifteen miles north of Albany in northern Shackelford County. The town, begun in the late 1860s, grew and quickly gained the reputation of a lawless frontier outpost that attracted such women as Lottie Deno and Mollie McCabe; lawmen Patrick F. Garrett , Doc Holiday, and Wyatt Earp; outlaws such as John Wesley Hardin ; and men such as John Selman and John M. Larn , who lived on both sides of the law. By 1874 the lawlessness of the community had become so extreme that the commander of the fort placed the town under government control and forced a number of undesirable residents to leave; this situation lasted until the organization of Shackelford County later in the year. The community served as a major supply source for buffalo hunters, especially during the busy seasons from 1874 to 1876-77. The sale of hides and salted meat was brisk during this period. The Butterfield Overland Mail route passed west and north of the townsite at Clear Fork Crossing, and herds on the Western Trail after 1875 passed it en route to Kansas railheads. A newspaper, the Fort Griffin Echo , was published from 1879 to 1882, and a local academy operated for several years. At its height, Fort Griffin had a permanent population of about 1,000 and an estimated transient population of nearly twice that. With the buffalo gone, the trail drivers' needs served by Albany to the south, and the contingent of soldiers greatly reduced, the town declined. When the fort closed on May 31, 1881, and the Texas Central Railroad laid tracks through Albany instead of Fort Griffin, the end came rapidly. Although it survived into the twentieth century as a rural community with a school and country store, virtually nothing remains of this once riotous, flourishing town. By the 1940s the school consolidated with Albany's, and the post office closed. Only remnants of a couple of the original buildings remain at the town site, but several are being reconstructed on the existing foundations. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department held responsibility for preservation at the Fort Griffin State Historic Site until January 1, 2008, when the Texas Historical Commission acquired the 506 acre park and partially restored the fort ruins. The remaining fort buildings include a mess hall, barracks, administration building, powder magazine, and a restored bakery. Other remnants include a hand dug well, cistern, foundations, and a rock chimney. Recently, the Texas Historical Commission cleared mesquite trees and cactus from the site, and will expand a visitor center, as well as increase archaeological digs.

Tsha Handbook → · 3.2 mi away

Cruger, William R.

1874

William R. Cruger, frontier sheriff, the sonof Nicholas and Elizabeth (Robert) Cruger, was born on May 30, 1840, at Albany, Georgia. He moved to Shackelford County, Texas, in 1874, assisted in the county's organization, and named the county seat Albany for his birthplace. Fort Griffin was then a thriving town and had become a rendezvous for outlaws, thieves, and other desperate characters. In 1876 John M. Larn was elected sheriff and appointed Cruger deputy sheriff. Early in 1877, in an attempt to restore order in a Fort Griffin saloon, Cruger participated in a gunfight in which three men were killed and he and the county attorney were wounded. Larn resigned, and Cruger was appointed his successor on April 20, 1877. His jurisdiction over thirteen unorganized Texas counties extended to the New Mexico line. Acting on a warrant from the Albany court, Cruger arrested Larn, who on the night of his arrest, June 23, 1878, was shot and killed in an Albany jail, presumably by members of the Fort Griffin Vigilance Committee. This was the last vigilante killing in the county. Cruger was reelected sheriff and served until his resignation on July 20, 1880, when the commissioners' court passed a resolution attesting to his courage and fearlessness as a law officer and declaring that the thanks of the citizens of the western frontier were due him for ridding the frontier of lawless characters. Cruger was married to Mary R. Boynton; they had one child. On May 29, 1882, while serving as city marshal of Princeton, Tennessee, Cruger was shot and killed by a drunken prisoner whom he had failed to search. He was buried in Albany, Georgia.

Tsha Handbook →

Dyess, William Edwin

1941

William Edwin Dyess, World War II flier, was born on August 9, 1916, in Albany, Texas, the son of Judge Richard T. and Hallie (Graham) Dyess. He graduated from Albany High School and attended John Tarleton Agricultural College (now Tarleton State University) in Stephenville, where he graduated in 1936. After graduation he received pilot training at Randolph and Kelly fields in San Antonio and a second-lieutenant's commission. He was then assigned to Barksdale Field, Shreveport, Louisiana, and later promoted to first lieutenant and commander of the Twenty-first Pursuit Squadron at Hamilton Field, California. Dyess was sent to Nichols Field, Manila, Philippines, in October 1941. After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and began assaults on Bataan and Corregidor, Dyess was thrust into combat in the Asian Theater as commander of all flying squadrons on Bataan. On March 3, 1942, in Subic Bay he sank a Japanese ship and damaged shore installations. A New York Times reporter called him a "one man scourge of the Japs." As the enemy closed in, Dyess refused evacuation and remained with his men in the Philippines. On April 9, 1942, the American forces surrendered to the Japanese, and Dyess became a prisoner of war. He survived the horror of the Bataan Death March and imprisonment at camps O'Donnell and Cabanatuan and the Davao Penal Colony. At Davao, Dyess and several other prisoners escaped on April 4, 1943. They contacted Filipino guerillas who led them to the submarine Trout on July 23. After evacuation to Australia and a hero's welcome in the United States, Dyess briefed the War Department on Japanese warfare and confirmed the enemy's brutality to POWs. After staying in an army general hospital in Virginia to regain his health, Dyess was promoted to lieutenant colonel and resumed flying on December 22, 1943. He was killed that day in Burbank, California, attempting an emergency landing and was buried in Albany. Dyess, a Presbyterian, was survived by his wife, Marajen (Stevick), and his parents. During his life he received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Legion of Merit, and the Silver Star. Soon after his death he was nominated for the Medal of Honor and was posthumously awarded the Soldier's Medal. Abilene Air Force Base was renamed Dyess Air Force Base in his honor in December 1956.

Tsha Handbook →

Jacobs, H.C. House

1875

First permanent home in Albany. Built 1875 of stone from nearby deposits by Henry Carter Jacobs (1842-94), an organizer and the first sheriff of Shackelford County. A Kentuckian, Civil War veteran, and surveyor, Jacobs platted town of Albany, donated courthouse and Presbyterian church sites, led in move for a railroad here. He was a merchant, land developer and agent, published "Albany Sun", bred fine horses, and played in cornet band. He married Mary Josephine Whately; they had five children. He and his wife helped organize Presbyterian church. Their pioneer home was restored in 1973. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1974.

Historical Marker →

Ledbetter Salt Works, C.S.A.

1861

Located 8 miles southwest on Salt Prong, Hubbard Creek. Discovered 1861 by trail drives. W. H. Ledbetter began extensive development of deposits in 1862 with increased Civil War demand for salt. A large furnace was built, kettles and materials for refining were brought from East Texas by wagon. Salt in large quantities was furnished Confederate troops west of the Mississippi, State Militia, area ranches and towns. Smoking or salting were only ways to preserve meat. When South levied a meat tithe, salt was vital to cure bacon for military. Back side Ledbetter Salt Works: Salt was a must for horses and mules used by cavalry, artillery and supply wagons. Hides were preserved with salt to make shoes and harness. Rangers used it to treat rattlesnake bites and aliments. Settlers came from a 200 mile radius for salt, taking it by saddlebag and wagon. The frontier regiment Texas Cavalry guarded the works and roads from hostile Indians during the war. Indian troubles continued after the war. In 1867, nearby U.S. Fort Griffin was established, and a "six-pounder" cannon was loaned to the works for defense. Salt was produced until 1880. A Memorial to Texans Who Served the Confederacy Erected by the State of Texas, 1963

Historical Marker →

Things to Do in Albany

historical 0.2 mi away
The Poker Queen Who Beat Doc Holliday

They called her Lottie Deno and she ruled the poker tables at Fort Griffin in the 1870s like nobody else. One evening she sat down across from Doc Holliday…
historical 0.3 mi away
The Night 29 Inches of Rain Drowned Albany

In August 1978 Tropical Storm Amelia parked herself right over Albany and did not let up. Twenty-nine inches of rain fell in a single day — a record that still…
historical 0.2 mi away
Babylon on the Brazos

Down below Fort Griffin sat a lawless settlement folks called The Flat and it earned every dark story told about it. Eighteen saloons lined the muddy streets…
quirky 0.3 mi away
A Frontier Jail Reborn as a World-Class Art Museum

In 1878 Shackelford County built a solid limestone jail to hold the roughest characters on the frontier. By the 1930s it sat empty and crumbling with nobody…
historical 0.3 mi away
The Ranchers Wife Who Wrote a Frontier Classic

Sallie Reynolds Matthews lived through wagon trains and Indian encounters on the Brazos River and figured her grandchildren ought to know about it. In 1936 she…
historical 0.3 mi away
The Great Western Cattle Trail Ran Through Town

From the 1870s to 1893 millions of longhorns came through here on their way to Dodge City Kansas. Cowboys would ford the Clear Fork of the Brazos right at Fort…
historical 14.1 mi away
Texas Oldest Outdoor Musical Born From a Class Play

Picture this: its 1938 and a Princeton grad named Robert Nail walks into an Albany high school. He watches the senior class play and thinks I can do something…
quirky 0.2 mi away
Silent Movie Palace on the Prairie

When Frank Whitney opened the Aztec Theatre in 1927 he showed up in a full Spanish costume for opening night because he believed in putting on a show. An…
day trip
Day Trip to Albany: 🐄 Thundering Herds, The Fandangle, and Classic Cars! (FULL EPISODE)

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

Sports in Albany

🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 2A · Football · 2022–2023

Albany Jr-Sr — UIL 2A Football State Champions — 2 titles

Most recent: 28-10 over Mart · 2023 2A Division 2 final

Albany Jr-Sr High School, nestled in the heart of Texas, stands as a prominent figure in Class 2A football. The Albany Lions have established a strong tradition, marked by recent successes on the state stage. Their consistent performance reflects a dedicated program in a community that values high school sports.

The Lions have secured consecutive state championships, a notable achievement in Texas high school football. These victories highlight the team's competitive spirit and strategic play, bringing pride to the Albany community year after year.

State titles
2 (2022–2023)
Most recent
2023, 28-10
Class
2A
All in finals vs.
Mart
The moment

In 2023, Albany secured the 2A Division 2 state championship by defeating Mart with a score of 28-10.

Sources: UIL State Championship Archives

Everything Near Albany

101 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

  • Cruger, William R. · Tsha Handbook

    William R. Cruger, frontier sheriff, the sonof Nicholas and Elizabeth (Robert) Cruger, was born on May 30, 1840, at Albany, Georgia. He moved to Shackelford County, Texas, in 1874, assisted in the county's organization,…

  • Dyess, William Edwin · Tsha Handbook

    William Edwin Dyess, World War II flier, was born on August 9, 1916, in Albany, Texas, the son of Judge Richard T. and Hallie (Graham) Dyess. He graduated from Albany High School and attended John Tarleton Agricultural…

  • Matthews, Watkins Reynolds [Watt] · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through the heart of Texas ranch country, near Albany. Right here is the legacy of Watt Matthews, a man who embodied the spirit of the West. Born in 1899 on the family's Lambshead Ranch, Matthews…

  • Texas Iron · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Shackelford County, not far from Albany, where you might be passing near the spot where the largest meteorite ever found in Texas landed. This massive iron-nickel alloy, weighing over 1600 pounds,…

  • Blanton, Thomas Lindsay · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through West Texas, maybe not far from Albany, where Congressman Thomas Lindsay Blanton made his home. Blanton was a man who loved to fight for what he thought was right, even if it made him unpopular.…

  • Fort Griffin Fandangle · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Albany, Texas, home of the Fort Griffin Fandangle! This isn't just any old show; it's a massive outdoor musical drama that's been celebrating the history of this area since 1937. It all started…

  • Herron, Henry Nelson · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through North Texas, near Albany, the heart of cattle country. Back in the late 1800s, this was the frontier, and Henry Nelson Herron was one of its toughest peace officers. In 1877, he became a deputy…

  • Old Jail Art Center · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Albany, the county seat of Shackelford County. Right here, you're passing the Old Jail, built back in 1877. This wasn't just any jail; it was the very first permanent public building in the…

  • Reynolds Cattle Company · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through West Texas, perhaps near Fort Davis, and you might be passing over land once controlled by the mighty Reynolds Cattle Company. Right here, in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1868</say-as>,…

  • Reynolds, William D. · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through West Texas, maybe past Albany, and you're passing the legacy of William D. Reynolds. He started out in the late 1860s, a young cowboy working for legendary figures like Charles Goodnight and…

  • Shackelford County · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Shackelford County, a place that was once a wild frontier. It all started around 1852 when Jesse Stem, an Indian agent, set up a farm on the Clear Fork of the Brazos River. Soon after, Captain…

  • Albany, TX · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Albany, the county seat of Shackelford County. This town owes its start to a land donation from Henry C. Jacobs, the first sheriff, back in 1874. It was chosen to replace Fort Griffin as the…

Show all 101 nearby places
  • Matthews, John Alexander · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through what used to be wild Texas frontier country, and right here is where John Alexander Matthews made his mark. He wasn't just a cattleman; he was a pioneer who drove herds from Colorado all the way…

  • Reynolds Presbyterian College · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Albany, Texas, and right here is where Reynolds Presbyterian College once stood. Chartered in 1898 by local families, it started as an academy, named for Barber Watkins Reynolds. Classes were held…

  • Rye, Edgar · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through West Texas, maybe near Albany, and you're passing through a place that was once home to Edgar Rye. Rye wasn't just any journalist; he was a cartoonist and a booster for towns like Albany in the…

  • Performed for President Lyndon B. Johnson · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Albany, where in 1938, residents gathered for the very first Fort Griffin Fandangle. High school drama teacher Robert Nail, Jr. wrote and directed this play about local pioneer history, relying on…

  • Fort Griffin Fandangle · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    FORT GRIFFIN FANDANGLE IN JULY 1938, AREA RESIDENTS GATHERED HERE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FIRST SHOWING OF THE FORT GRIFFIN FANDANGLE. EARLIER THAT YEAR, ALBANY HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA TEACHER ROBERT NAIL, JR. WROTE AND…

  • First United Methodist Church of Albany · 0.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Albany, and you're passing the site of the First United Methodist Church. This isn't just any church; it's the oldest Methodist congregation in Northwest Texas, and the very first church of any…

  • The Poker Queen Who Beat Doc Holliday · 0.2 mi · Things to Do

    They called her Lottie Deno and she ruled the poker tables at Fort Griffin in the 1870s like nobody else. One evening she sat down across from Doc Holliday…

  • Jacobs, H.C. House · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    First permanent home in Albany. Built 1875 of stone from nearby deposits by Henry Carter Jacobs (1842-94), an organizer and the first sheriff of Shackelford County. A Kentuckian, Civil War veteran, and surveyor, Jacobs…

  • Ledbetter Salt Works, C.S.A. · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    Located 8 miles southwest on Salt Prong, Hubbard Creek. Discovered 1861 by trail drives. W. H. Ledbetter began extensive development of deposits in 1862 with increased Civil War demand for salt. A large furnace was…

  • Babylon on the Brazos · 0.2 mi · Things to Do

    Down below Fort Griffin sat a lawless settlement folks called The Flat and it earned every dark story told about it. Eighteen saloons lined the muddy streets…

  • Shackelford County's First Permanent Jail · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Shackelford County's first permanent jail, built between 1877 and 1878. Look closely at the limestone blocks – you might see masons' initials, their claims for payment. This jail later held John…

  • The Albany News · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the birthplace of the Albany News, a newspaper that began as the Frontier Echo in Jacksboro back in 1875. For years, two rival papers battled it out in print: Captain George Robson's Echo and Edgar…

  • Texas Cattle Trail · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Texas Cattle Trail. In Memory of TEXAS CATTLE TRAIL - To Dodge City, Kansas and other northern points 1875 - 1890. (1964)

  • Silent Movie Palace on the Prairie · 0.2 mi · Things to Do

    When Frank Whitney opened the Aztec Theatre in 1927 he showed up in a full Spanish costume for opening night because he believed in putting on a show. An…

  • Jackson Warehouse · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Albany, and right here is the Jackson Warehouse. Built in the late 1870s by businessman T.E. Jackson, it started as a general merchandise warehouse. For over a century, this building housed…

  • Shackelford County Courthouse · 0.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're passing the Shackelford County Courthouse, a landmark built between 1883 and 1884. Designed by J. E. Flanders, its stone walls were erected by Scottish Masons using local caliche-rich foundations. Though budgeted…

  • Lt. Col. William E. Dyess · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    (August 9, 1916 &#x2013; December 22, 1943) A native of Albany, and a graduate of Albany High School and John Tarleton Agricultural College, William Edwin Dyess was the son of Judge Richard T. and Hallie Graham Dyess.…

  • The Night 29 Inches of Rain Drowned Albany · 0.3 mi · Things to Do

    In August 1978 Tropical Storm Amelia parked herself right over Albany and did not let up. Twenty-nine inches of rain fell in a single day — a record that still…

  • UIL 2A Football State Champions — 2 titles · 0.3 mi

    Albany Jr-Sr High School (Albany, TX): Most recent: 28-10 over Mart · 2023 2A Division 2 final.

  • Albany - Fort Griffin Fandangle · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    Fort Griffin, on the Clear Fork of the Brazos north of Albany, was one of the rowdiest outposts on the Texas frontier. Established in 1867, it attracted buffalo hunters, gamblers, outlaws, and cattle drovers. The Flat,…

  • Dr. Jack Shackelford · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Shackelford County, named for Dr. Jack Shackelford, a physician and military commander. In 1835, he led nearly 70 volunteers, known as the Red Rovers, to join the Texas War for Independence.…

  • The Rev. John Brown, Clara Barton and the 1886-1887 Drought Relief · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Albany, where in 1886, Rev. John Brown launched a desperate quest to save West Texas farmers from a devastating drought. He traveled east, appealing for seed wheat, and surprisingly, even…

  • The Great Western Cattle Trail Ran Through Town · 0.3 mi · Things to Do

    From the 1870s to 1893 millions of longhorns came through here on their way to Dodge City Kansas. Cowboys would ford the Clear Fork of the Brazos right at Fort…

  • A Frontier Jail Reborn as a World-Class Art Museum · 0.3 mi · Things to Do

    In 1878 Shackelford County built a solid limestone jail to hold the roughest characters on the frontier. By the 1930s it sat empty and crumbling with nobody…

  • The Ranchers Wife Who Wrote a Frontier Classic · 0.3 mi · Things to Do

    Sallie Reynolds Matthews lived through wagon trains and Indian encounters on the Brazos River and figured her grandchildren ought to know about it. In 1936 she…

  • Old Jail Art Center · 0.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb

    Imagine trading a jail cell for a gallery showing. That's exactly what happened here! This building, completed in 1878, served as the Shackelford County Jail for over 50 years. In 1929, a new jail replaced it, and the…

  • Ledbetter Picket House · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Ledbetter Picket House, built around <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1875</say-as>! William Henry Ledbetter, who established a salt works and survived fierce Indian attacks, built this…

  • Hartfield Building · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of a grand building that started as Charley's Restaurant, bakery, and boardinghouse in Albany back in 1881. The owner, Charles Hartfield, planned an elegant rock structure, but ran out of…

  • White Elephant Saloon · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past White Elephant Saloon. (Blach Building) The land on this site, Lot 9, Block 3 of the original town plat of Albany, was purchased in 1882 by noted local restauranteur Charles Hartfield. He planned to…

  • Refuge in Civil War 'family forts' · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Shackelford County, an area first settled by nomadic tribes. Permanent Anglo settlers arrived in 1858, establishing ranches and businesses. During the Civil War, families took refuge in 'family…

  • Home of the Official Texas Longhorn Herd · 0.3 mi · Things to Do

    Out at Fort Griffin State Historic Site about 250 longhorns roam the same land their ancestors once crossed on cattle drives. Since 1948 this has been the…

  • Tin Hat Brigade and the Old Law Mob · 0.3 mi · Things to Do

    When outlaws overran 1870s Shackelford County the law could not keep up. So the citizens took matters into their own hands and formed two vigilante groups —…

  • Shackelford County · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    First inhabited by nomadic Indian tribes, Shackelford County was created in 1858 and named for Dr. John Shackelford (1790-1857). The first permanent Anglo-American settlers in this area included, J. C. Lynch…

  • Rye-Caperton House · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Rye-Caperton House, built way back in 1874. It started life as an office building, even serving time at Fort Griffin before moving here in 1879. Newspaper publisher Edgar Rye owned it first, but…

  • Albany, City of · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Albany, a town that grew up fast on the western cattle trail. Donated townsite in 1874, it got its name from Georgia and quickly became a frontier shipping point when the railroad arrived in 1881. By…

  • Lynch Building, The · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Lynch Building, The. This was Albany's first stone mercantile store. It was erected in stages, combining Greek revival and Victorian Italianate designs. In 1878, W. H.

  • First Christian Church · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Albany, the site of the First Christian Church. It was founded in December 1886 by 26 people from 19 families, initially meeting in the county courthouse. The congregation moved to this location…

  • Robert Edward Nail, Jr. · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Albany, and right here you're passing the hometown of Robert Edward Nail, Jr., a true Texas cultural force. After graduating from Albany High in '26, Bobby Nail made a name for himself in New…

  • Reynolds Presbyterian Academy, Site of · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Albany, and just ahead is the site of the Reynolds Presbyterian Academy. Founded in 1898, classes first met in a rented storehouse, but a grand Richardsonian Romanesque building was ready by 1899,…

  • Trinity Episcopal Church · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Albany, and right here is a building with a long history. This sanctuary, originally built by Methodists in 1889, has seen a lot of changes. It was moved once to Main Street, and then in 1913, the…

  • Cook Ranch Oil Field · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Shackelford County, past the historic Cook Ranch. Back in 1918, ranch owner William Ivy Cook famously predicted he could drink all the oil under his land from his hat. He was wrong! In 1925, his…

  • Shackelford County · 0.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Shackelford County, named for Dr. Jack Shackelford. He captained the 'Red Rovers,' an Alabama company that fought with Fannin's command. They were among the few spared by the Mexicans after the…

  • Lt. Col. William E. Dyess · 0.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Albany, Texas, home of Lt. Col. William E. Dyess, a true World War II hero. Born right here in 1916, Dyess was an aviation and infantry commander in the Philippines. He survived the brutal Bataan…

  • Goodnight-Loving Trail in Shackelford County · 1.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Shackelford County, a place that was mostly unsettled when cattlemen Oliver Loving and Charles Goodnight blazed their famous trail here in the late 1860s. Their route, an important part of the…

  • The Fort Griffin Fandangle · 1.5 mi

    If you're here in late June, you might feel the whole town buzzing with a special energy. It's for the Fort Griffin Fandangle, the oldest outdoor musical in Texas. This isn't some traveling show; it's the heart and soul…

  • The Old Jail Art Center · 1.5 mi

    In a town of fewer than 2,000 people, you wouldn't expect to find a world-class art museum. But that's exactly what you'll find in downtown Albany. The Old Jail Art Center, or OJAC, is housed in the county's original…

  • Albany, TX · 1.5 mi

    Since 1938, Albany has been home to Texas' oldest outdoor musical, the Fort Griffin Fandangle, which is presented during the last two weekends of June in the Prairie Theater. This event commemorates the history of Fort…

  • Fort Griffin State Historic Site and the state longhorn herd · 1.5 mi

    Ten feet wide, horn tip to horn tip. That's a Texas Longhorn, and the state keeps its official herd — about two hundred fifty head — out at Fort Griffin, fifteen miles north of Albany. These cattle came down from…

  • The Vigilantes of Fort Griffin · 1.5 mi

    The courthouse square you see today stands on ground with a violent past. In the 1870s this was the lawless frontier, and a network of cattle rustlers and horse thieves worked it freely. In response, ranchers and…

  • The Ghost of Fort Griffin · 1.5 mi

    Fifteen miles north of here, straight up U.S. 283, lies the ghost of Fort Griffin. From 1867 to 1881 it was a U.S. Army post, protecting settlers and sitting beside the Western Trail that pushed herds north to the…

  • The Science of the Texas Steer · 1.5 mi

    As you look out at the cattle grazing on the plains around Albany, you're seeing the result of a major scientific experiment. The town calls itself the 'Home of the Hereford,' and there's a story of agricultural science…

  • The Storm That Got Stuck · 1.5 mi

    In late July of 1978, a tropical storm named Amelia came ashore near Corpus Christi and did what dying tropical systems usually do — it weakened into a soggy low-pressure system and drifted inland. Over most of Texas…

  • The Legendary Lambshead Ranch · 1.5 mi

    As you drive the rolling country around Albany, you're passing through the domain of some of Texas's most historic ranches. Chief among them is Lambshead, run by the Matthews family for a century and a half. This isn't…

  • Fort Griffin, TX · 3.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    The town of Fort Griffin grew up on the level bottomland between the military fort bearing the same name and the Clear Fork of the Brazos River. The fort stood on a hill, and the townsite was frequently called the…

  • Conrad, Frank Eben · 3.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through what was once the wild Texas frontier, and right here, in Fort Griffin, you're passing the heart of Frank Eben Conrad's incredible business empire. Arriving in 1871, Conrad wasn't just a merchant;…

  • Ledbetter Salt Works · 3.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Shackelford County, and right here, about eight miles southwest of Albany, was once the vital Ledbetter Salt Works. Founded in 1862 by William Henry Ledbetter, this was the westernmost white…

  • Thurmond, Charlotte Tompkins [Lottie Deno] · 3.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through what used to be Fort Griffin, a rough-and-tumble place on the Texas frontier. <break time="400ms"/> And right here, a woman named Charlotte Tompkins, better known as Lottie Deno, made her name.…

  • Fort Griffin · 3.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Shackelford County, and right here, in 1867, the U.S. Army established Fort Griffin. It was a crucial link in the chain of forts defending Texas settlers from both Native American tribes and…

  • Whipple, Amiel Weeks · 3.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through the Texas Panhandle, perhaps near modern-day Sanford, and you're following the path of Amiel Weeks Whipple. In 1853, this Union Army officer led a major expedition to survey a possible…

  • Davidson, John Wynn · 3.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    John Wynn Davidson, army officer and Indian fighter, the eldest of the four sons of William B. and Elizabeth Davidson, was born on August 14, 1825, in Fairfax County, Virginia. Davidson graduated from West Point in 1845…

  • Ibex, TX · 3.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Ibex is on Farm Road 601 more than twenty miles east of Albany in eastern Shackelford County. It was founded in 1921 after oil was discovered in the Caddo lime formation. The town was named for the Ibex Oil Company of…

  • Ibex · 10.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through what used to be Ibex, a Texas boomtown that sprung up almost overnight! In <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1919</say-as>, the Ibex Oil Co. struck black gold, transforming these cattle…

  • Smith's Station · 12.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Shackelford County, right where a vital link to the American West once stood. From 1858 to 1861, this was Smith's Station, a key stop on the famous Butterfield Overland Mail Route. Imagine stages…

  • Bud Matthews Switch of the Texas Central Railway · 12.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through what used to be the heart of the cattle shipping business in Shackelford County. In 1900, the Texas Central Railway pushed a line through this area, right across the Rose Ella Matthews Conrad…

  • Civilian Conservation Corps at Fort Griffin · 14.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the historic Fort Griffin, but did you know this frontier post also hosted a Civilian Conservation Corps camp? Between 1939 and 1941, around 200 young men worked here, not just preserving the fort's…

  • When Moran Exploded with Oil · 14.1 mi

    Imagine the quiet downtown you see today suddenly packed with 10,000 people. That was Moran in the 1920s. After oil was discovered in the surrounding fields, this small ranching town became a chaotic, overflowing…

  • Moran, TX · 14.1 mi

    In November 1910, the Cottle No. 1 natural gas well discovery opened the nearby Moran Field, the first commercial gas well completed in this vast west Texas area. By 1913, the Moran Field won recognition as one of the…

  • The Town That Moved a Mile · 14.1 mi

    The town you're driving through has had three names in ten years. It started in 1882, when the Texas Central Railroad was built across this corner of Shackelford County. A pioneer couple from Virginia, George Washington…

  • The Rocks That Made a Boomtown · 14.1 mi

    The story of Moran's oil is really a story of petroleum geology. Deep beneath the rolling plains you see today lie rock formations from the Pennsylvanian Period, over 300 million years old. Back then, this area was a…

  • Texas Oldest Outdoor Musical Born From a Class Play · 14.1 mi · Things to Do

    Picture this: its 1938 and a Princeton grad named Robert Nail walks into an Albany high school. He watches the senior class play and thinks I can do something…

  • The Woman Who Started It All · 14.1 mi

    Long before the oilmen and the railroad money arrived, Moran began with a Virginia couple. In 1883 George Washington 'Swope' Hull and his wife Mary Maria Hull came down from Highland County, Virginia with their children…

  • Cottle No. 1 First Gas Well in Shackelford County · 14.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Moran, and if you look around, you might just feel the echo of a Texas boomtown. Back in 1909, the Texas Company – that's Texaco – started drilling on the Jim Cottle Ranch. It was a tough job,…

  • Moran · 14.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Moran, a town with roots stretching back to the 1860s. During the Civil War, settlers here built a temporary fortress called Mugginsville, right on Deep Creek. Imagine that – a hidden settlement…

  • Fort Griffin · 14.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb

    Imagine life on the edge of civilization. Right here, at Fort Griffin, the US Army tried to hold the line between settlers and the Comanche and Kiowa tribes. Established on July 31 1867, the fort was first called Camp…

  • Family Forts, C.S.A. · 14.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through North Texas, a land that saw desperate measures during the Civil War. With most men off fighting for the Confederacy, families left behind on the frontier had to protect themselves. They practiced…

  • The Wildest Post in Texas · 14.5 mi

    Fort Griffin, established in eighteen sixty-seven on the Clear Fork of the Brazos, had a reputation as one of the rougher frontier posts in Texas — but the real story was the civilian town below the bluff, a settlement…

  • Muse, Vance · 14.5 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Moran, Texas, birthplace of Vance Muse, a powerful conservative lobbyist who shaped Texas and national politics for decades. Born in 1890, Muse dedicated his life to fighting what he saw as…

  • Frontier Town of Fort Griffin · 14.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Fort Griffin, a vital frontier outpost that boomed in the late 1800s. Established in 1867, this fort and its accompanying settlement, known as "The Flat," became a wild melting pot.…

  • Fort Griffin, TX · 14.7 mi

    Established on July 31, 1867, Fort Griffin was a US Cavalry fort in North Texas, designed to protect settlers from Comanche and Kiowa raids. Initially named Camp Wilson, it was later renamed for Civil War Union General…

  • Western Cattle Trail Crossings at Fort Griffin, The · 14.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through a historic cattle corridor! Long before the Chisholm Trail got all the fame, Texas cattlemen were blazing new paths north. Back in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1868</say-as>, the Barber…

  • Fort Griffin Civil Jail · 14.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the Fort Griffin Civil Jail, a tough stone building that held the rowdiest characters of the Texas frontier. Built in 1878, this jail was right in the thick of the action near the U.S.…

  • Black Cemetery · 14.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Albany, where the Black Cemetery holds the stories of African Americans who stayed near Fort Griffin after it disbanded. Look for the markers of Elijah Earls, a barber who died in 1880, and Marriah…

  • Granville E. Waters · 15.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Moran, Texas, a place that owes a lot to a man named Granville Eades Waters. Born in Ohio in 1852, Waters arrived in Texas in 1871 and soon settled in Shackelford County. He became known as…

  • Moran Cemetery · 15.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Moran Cemetery, a resting place founded right here in 1896. Before this public burial ground was laid out, folks in Hulltown, later Moran, had to travel to nearby cemeteries. Three local businessmen,…

  • Big Country Baptist Assembly · 18.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Big Country Baptist Assembly, a place with roots stretching back to 1898. It started as a youth camp on the Brazos River, organized by the West Texas Union. Today, it's a modern campground with a…

  • Lueders Cemetery · 18.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Lueders, a town born from German immigrants and Texas railroads. But this cemetery tells a unique story about the very ground it sits on. Around 1902, early burials happened in a pasture, but thick…

  • Site of the_Comanche Indian Reserve · 19.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Throckmorton County, near the site of the Comanche Indian Reserve, established way back in 1854. Just two years later, in April of 1856, a significant peace parley took place right here. It was…

  • Site of Camp Cooper · 19.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Camp Cooper, established in 1856 by Major W. J. Hardee. Its mission was to defend the Texas frontier against Comanche raids. This fort was also home to a young General Robert E. Lee for…

  • Lueders, TX · 19.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Lueders, a town named for Frederick Lueders, a Texas Revolution soldier. His land grant actually included this very spot. Development really kicked off in 1899 with a sponsored colony, but farmers…

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