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Lueders, Texas

Everything Lueders is known for

1 song mention this city

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Music in Lueders

Songs About Lueders

mama, I'm alright
miranda lambert
21%

Artists From Lueders

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Rivers & Roads in Song near Lueders

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

Interstate 20 13 songs Brazos River 43 songs

Musical Heritage

Elvis at the Roundup Hall RoadyGoat

You're at the Texas Cowboy Reunion grounds in Stamford, home to Roundup Hall. This building has hosted country dances for generations, and in 1955 it hosted Elvis Presley — twice. He played Stamford that April, with a show at the high school followed by one at Roundup Hall the same night, then came back in June for another round at Roundup Hall. The Texas Cowboy Reunion itself started in 1930, when local ranchers and businessmen put together a celebration of West Texas cowboy heritage during the hardest years of the Depression. Nearly a century later, the Reunion still fills these grounds every July with rodeo events, fiddling contests, and dances. Roundup Hall stands right where you're passing, part of the same grounds that have kept the tradition going since the beginning.

RoadyGoat → · 14.7 mi away

Harper Valley Came From Here RoadyGoat

1945

In nineteen sixty eight, a song about a widow who stands up to the gossips on her town's PTA shot to number one. It was called Harper Valley PTA, and the woman singing it was born right here in Anson, on October nineteenth, nineteen forty five. Her name then was Jeanne Carolyn Stephenson. The world knew her as Jeannie C. Riley. The record went to the top of both the Billboard pop chart and the country chart, and she was the first woman ever to top both with the same song. It won her a Grammy, it was named single of the year by the Country Music Association, and it sold more than five and a half million copies. A newspaper writer in nineteen eighty seven could not resist pointing out the irony. The singer who made a hit out of small town hypocrisy grew up in Anson, a town that at the time still would not let people dance.

RoadyGoat → · 16.1 mi away

History of Lueders

The Stone That Built Texas Tech RoadyGoat

The stone that made Lueders famous is all around you, and it has a distinct style. If you've ever visited the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, you've seen Lueders limestone. Tech's Spanish Renaissance buildings are wrapped in ornately carved limestone, and the university has kept coming back to these quarries — as have SMU, TCU and the University of Texas. The stone's warm, earthy tones and its durability are the draw. Architects also love how it works: it cuts and carves in more than one direction, which is what makes those columns and pilasters and all that fine detail possible. Quarried out of the ground just outside this small Jones County town, Lueders stone has gone into projects nationwide, from government buildings to private mansions. Lueders isn't just a place; it's a brand, a mark of quality in the world of architecture, shipped from these very quarries to the rest of the country.

RoadyGoat → · 3.9 mi away

From Ancient Seafloor to Modern Building RoadyGoat

The limestone around Lueders is a 270-million-year-old resource, but getting it out of the ground is a marvel of modern engineering. It’s not done with simple dynamite. First, geologists identify the most valuable ledges, or layers, of stone. Then, operators use massive, six-foot-long chainsaws to cut deep channels into the rock bed, isolating a section. The real magic is the diamond-wire saw. This is a cable embedded with industrial diamonds, running on a pulley system. It can slice through the base of a stone section that's 40 feet deep and 100 feet long, cutting a slab weighing millions of pounds. Hydraulic wedges are then used to pop the giant block, called a 'loaf,' free from the quarry floor. From there, massive loaders lift smaller, 20-ton blocks to be cut into slabs. It's a precise process, using geology, physics, and powerful technology to turn an ancient seafloor into modern architecture.

RoadyGoat → · 3.9 mi away

Lueders, TX RoadyGoat

Lueders is a place shaped by stone and circumstance. The land itself, perched at a slightly higher elevation than the surrounding plains, offers a small reprieve from the Texas heat, a subtle advantage that made settlement a little more bearable. But it was the discovery of Lueders limestone that truly set the town apart. That distinctive stone, durable and beautiful, became the backbone of buildings far beyond this corner of the state, creating an industry that defined the town for generations. The quarries provided jobs, attracted families, and gave Lueders a purpose distinct from its agricultural neighbors. Of course, life wasn't always easy. The Great Depression hit hard, as it did everywhere, leaving scars that linger even today. But the spirit of the place, that quiet resilience born of working the land and quarrying the stone, endured. Now, folks come to Lueders seeking a taste of that simpler time, a respite from the relentless pace of modern life. But if you ask a local why people stay, they'll tell you it's the sense of community, the shared history etched in the very stones of the town, and the feeling that you're part of something real and enduring.

3.9 mi away

Fort Phantom Hill

1851

Established November 14, 1851 by the United States Army as a protection of the settlers against the Indians. Abandoned and burned April 6, 1854. Repaired and used by Southern Overland Mail, 1858-1861, sub-post of Fort Griffin, 1871-1872, temporary county seat of Jones County in 1881.

Historical Marker → · 3.8 mi away

Big Country Baptist Assembly

1898

Modern Christian camping records go back to the late 1700s, but the focus on camping for youth started in west Texas in 1898 on the clear fork of the Brazos River. The Baptist Young People’s Union of Haskell, Albany, Anson and Abilene met here for a season of physical and spiritual refreshment in the summer of 1898 and voted to create a permanent organization under the name the West Texas Union. In 1933, the name changed to Lueders Baptist Encampment and, in 1973, the group was renamed the Big Country Baptist Assembly. In 1923, 31.6 acres were purchased from S. Webb and L.H. Hill who were land developers of the town of Lueders. On July 14-23, 1925, some 10,000 campers pitched tents there for a time of Christian fellowship. Many believe that the Big Country Baptist Assembly is an original type of Christian camp now known as “Christian Youth Camp.” Five associations made up of 168 churches of the Southern Baptist Convention presently own the Big Country Baptist Assembly. The site celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 1998. The campgrounds have changed drastically since the late 1800s as rope swings, swimming in the river and sack races have been replaced by a pool, zip line and many other activities. Tents and cots have been replaced by three bunkhouses, motel-type facilities and a dining hall. Many past campers, pastors and managers reminisce about their time at the camp and the lasting impact that it had on their lives. The longevity of Big Country Baptist assembly represents Texas religious heritage and still promotes evangelism, missions, Christian education, wholesome recreation and Christian fellowship while continuing their strong heritage. (2014)

Historical Marker →

Lueders Cemetery

1902

The town of Lueders lies along the Clear Fork of the Brazos River, on land given by the State of Texas to heirs of Frederick Luders, a German immigrant who fought at the Battle of San Jacinto. Early area settlers included U.S. Indian Agent Jess Stem, who homesteaded a few miles south of here in 1852. Ranching was the dominant activity in the latter 19th century. In 1900, the Webb and Hill Land and Cattle Company bought the Goethe & Fuchs Ranch on the Clear Fork and developed the town of Lueders. In the same year, limestone rock quarries opened and the Texas Central Railroad extended their tracks here from Albany. The new community soon had a school, post office, cotton gins and businesses. A graveyard in a pasture near Rhomberg Street served Lueders citizens from about 1902-06. Hand digging graves at that site became impractical because of thick layers of limestone. In 1907, John M. Roberts, Clark Henry King and Mrs. E.V. Risley donated land for a new Lueders Cemetery, also later known as Clear Fork Cemetery. The site abutted the railroad tracks of the Texas Central (later the MKT). For many years, pallbearers carried caskets up the railroad embankment and down the other side to the burial plots. An open-sided tabernacle on the north side of the cemetery was used for memorial services in the early years. The earliest burial is the unnamed infant daughter of George and Cate Risley. Hundreds of pioneer settlers, area residents and veterans of conflicts dating from the Civil War are buried here. Cemetery features include granite, marble, concrete, and wooden gravestones, with Lueders limestone grave markers also prominent. Lueders Cemetery remains a chronicle of the past and an important part of the community. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2010

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 → · 16.5 mi away

Hamblen, Carl Stuart

1926

Carl Stuart Hamblen, country and gospel singer, songwriter, bandleader, and radio-movie personality, was born in Kellyville, Texas, on October 20, 1908. He was the son of James Henry Hamblen, an itinerant Methodist preacher, and his wife Ernestine. Much of his childhood was spent traveling throughout the state as his father's ministerial work decreed, but in West Texas, where his father preached at the Methodist church in Hamlin, in Jones County, young Stuart was exposed to the lore and folk music of both the black field hands and cowboys working on area farms and ranches. Thus steeped in the"cowboy tradition," he learned to ride and rope and enjoyed some success during his teens as an amateur singer while working the rodeos. In 1925 he enrolled at McMurry College (now McMurry University) in Abilene to study for the teaching field. But country music quickly became his passion. In 1926 Hamblen reportedly became radio broadcasting's first real "singing cowboy" after landing a spot on KFYO in Abilene. In 1929, after winning the fifty-dollar prize at a talent contest in Dallas, he journeyed to Camden, New Jersey, where he auditioned for the Victor (later RCA Victor) Recording Company. The Victor Studios recorded and released four of Hamblen's early compositions––"The Boy in Blue," "Drifting Back to Dixie," "When the Moon Shines Down on the Mountain," and "The Big Rock Candy Mountain #2"––in June of that year. Shortly afterward Hamblen headed west for California, where he appeared on Los Angeles radio station KFI as "Cowboy Joe," possibly the earliest cowboy act to air in Los Angeles. In 1930 Hamblen briefly joined the Beverly Hillbillies, an early radio country-and-western singing group then broadcasting over KMPC in Los Angeles. He made a couple of recordings with them, although not as a lead vocalist. The following year he formed his own band, a group that included singing cowgirl Patsy Montana, and launched his highly successful broadcasting career over KFWB in Los Angeles. Under various names and titles such as Stuart Hamblen and His Lucky Stars , King Cowboy's Woolly West Revue , and The Covered Wagon Jubilee , his radio program remained immensely popular for the next two decades. In 1933 he met and married Suzanne (Suzy) Obee; they subsequently had two daughters. In 1934 Hamblen was the first West Coast artist to sign with Decca Records, where he recorded with his own band for the first time. His initial disc, "Texas Plains"/"Poor Unlucky Cowboy," became only the second record issued by that fledgling company. A prolific composer, Hamblen was said to be able to turn out a tune within a matter of minutes. The catalogue of songs that he either wrote or co-wrote beginning in the 1930s included such hits as "My Mary," "Texas Plains," "Walking My Fortune," "Ridin' Ole Paint," and "Golden River." Subsequent recording sessions with Decca in 1934 and 1935 further enhanced Hamblen as a true pioneer in the country genre. Although he concentrated almost solely on his radio program over the next ten years, his recording career began anew in the mid-1940s with the West Coast-based ARA label. This subsequently led to lengthier contracts with Columbia, RCA, and Coral Records. In the 1930s and 1940s Hamblen appeared in several B-Western movies, usually cast as a villain alongside such stars as Gene Autry , John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Wild Bill Elliott, and Bob Steele. During World War II his patriotism was clearly reflected in songs and recitations such as "Oklahoma Bill" and "They're Gonna Kill You." In addition, Hamblen enjoyed hunting in the wilds with his prize hounds and also began breeding thoroughbred racehorses; in 1945 he became the first person to have a horse flown to a race when he transported his prize racer, El Lobo, from Los Angeles to Bay Meadows in San Mateo, California, on Flying Tiger Airlines. El Lobo won the Burlingame Handicap and was flown back home the same day. As the pressures of his public career mounted Hamblen began

Tsha Handbook → · 15.1 mi away

Things to Do in Lueders

historical 19.7 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 19.7 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 19.6 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 19.7 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…
historical 19.7 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…
quirky 19.8 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 24.6 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…
historical 19.6 mi away
Tin Hat Brigade and the Old Law Mob

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 —…

Everything Near Lueders

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

  • Lueders, TX · 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…

  • Big Country Baptist Assembly · 1.1 mi · Historical Marker

    Modern Christian camping records go back to the late 1700s, but the focus on camping for youth started in west Texas in 1898 on the clear fork of the Brazos River. The Baptist Young People’s Union of Haskell,…

  • Lueders Cemetery · 2.1 mi · Historical Marker

    The town of Lueders lies along the Clear Fork of the Brazos River, on land given by the State of Texas to heirs of Frederick Luders, a German immigrant who fought at the Battle of San Jacinto. Early area settlers…

  • Fort Phantom Hill · 3.8 mi · Historical Marker

    Established November 14, 1851 by the United States Army as a protection of the settlers against the Indians. Abandoned and burned April 6, 1854. Repaired and used by Southern Overland Mail, 1858-1861, sub-post of Fort…

  • The Stone That Built Texas Tech · 3.9 mi

    The stone that made Lueders famous is all around you, and it has a distinct style. If you've ever visited the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, you've seen Lueders limestone. Tech's Spanish Renaissance…

  • From Ancient Seafloor to Modern Building · 3.9 mi

    The limestone around Lueders is a 270-million-year-old resource, but getting it out of the ground is a marvel of modern engineering. It’s not done with simple dynamite. First, geologists identify the most valuable…

  • Lueders, TX · 3.9 mi

    Lueders is a place shaped by stone and circumstance. The land itself, perched at a slightly higher elevation than the surrounding plains, offers a small reprieve from the Texas heat, a subtle advantage that made…

  • Bethel Lutheran Church · 6.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Bethel Lutheran Church, a community hub for Swedish immigrants in Jones County. It all started in 1905 when visiting pastors held the first service in a private home. The congregation…

  • Avoca Methodist Church · 7.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Avoca Methodist Church. It started way back in 1887 as a simple brush arbor camp meeting, led by a traveling Methodist circuit rider named J. H. Wiseman. The congregation eventually moved…

  • Bud Matthews Switch of the Texas Central Railway · 7.5 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…

  • Spring Creek Cemetery · 8.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Spring Creek Cemetery, a final resting place that's been serving this community since 1891. It started with just two acres donated by the local Methodist church. The first person laid to rest here…

  • Smith's Station · 8.7 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…

Show all 149 nearby places
  • Arledge Field · 10.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Arledge Field, a crucial training ground for pilots during World War II. Back in 1940, as the U.S. prepared for war, General Hap Arnold needed more pilots. The City of Stamford stepped…

  • Fort Phantom Hill · 11.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb

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

  • Hope Cemetery · 11.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Hope Cemetery, established in 1899. It began with five graves on William Bean's farmland, including his great-uncle who died between 1883 and 1890. The cemetery has since grown to three acres.

  • Briefly the county seat before Anson · 11.4 mi · Historical Marker

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

  • Fort Phantom Hill · 11.4 mi · Historical Marker

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

  • The Cowboy Capital of the World · 13.8 mi

    If you're in Stamford in early July, you'll feel a change in the air. This town is home to the Texas Cowboy Reunion, and it's not your typical rodeo. Started in 1930 by a group of local ranchers, the idea was to create…

  • Stamford, TX · 13.8 mi

    The Texas Cowboy Reunion, held annually in Stamford since 1930, is a notable event that celebrates the city's cowboy heritage and contributes to its cultural identity. Established by the Swensons as a tribute to Texas…

  • The Ranch That Built a Town · 13.8 mi

    You can't talk about Stamford without talking about the SMS Ranches. The story starts with Svante Magnus Swenson, a Swedish immigrant who reached Texas in 1838 and built a fortune. His sons, Eric and Swen Albin, put…

  • Engineering a Water Supply · 13.8 mi

    In West Texas, water is everything. For its first fifty years, Stamford relied on wells and the unpredictable flow of local creeks. But for the town to survive and grow, it needed something more reliable. The answer was…

  • Traps That Smell Like a Female Weevil · 13.8 mi

    These cotton fields around Stamford used to lose a steady cut of every crop to a beetle the size of a grain of rice. Male boll weevils release a scent that pulls females in — and it turns out it pulls in other males…

  • The Grand Dame of Swenson Avenue · 13.8 mi

    If you drive through downtown Stamford, you can't miss the glowing marquee of the Grand Theatre on East Hamilton Street. This building is more than a pretty landmark; it's a symbol of Stamford's resilience. It opened…

  • The College on the Hill · 13.8 mi

    For about a decade, Stamford was a college town. In September 1907 the Northwest Texas Methodist Conference opened Stamford Collegiate Institute here, and the town put real money behind it — sixty-seven thousand dollars…

  • Texas HS Baseball Leaders 2026: Stamford (Stamford) · 13.9 mi

    Stamford (Stamford, TX) placed on the 3A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Hayden Wyatt (2 HR); Jaxon Brewer (2 HR).

  • Swenson Ranch Commissary · 14.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Swenson Ranch Commissary, built around 1900. This utilitarian building, made of Lueders stone right by the railroad tracks, was the main supply hub for four massive Swenson ranches across West…

  • Stamford · 14.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Stamford. Swedish native Swante Magnus Swenson and his two sons, Eric Pierson and Swen Albin Swenson, came to Texas in 1882 to establish the SMS ranches. In 1899, Eric P. and Swen A. Swenson donated…

  • St. John's Methodist Church · 14.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of what was once the tallest church between Dallas and El Paso! This is St. John's Methodist Church, built in 1910. Its congregation started way back in 1900, serving students from the…

  • Swenson Land & Cattle Company Headquarters · 14.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Stamford, a town deeply connected to one of the most expansive ranching empires in Texas history. It all started with Swen Magnus Swenson, the first Swedish settler in Texas, who began buying up huge…

  • Elvis at the Roundup Hall · 14.7 mi

    You're at the Texas Cowboy Reunion grounds in Stamford, home to Roundup Hall. This building has hosted country dances for generations, and in 1955 it hosted Elvis Presley — twice. He played Stamford that April, with a…

  • Fort Phantom Hill Ruins · 14.8 mi · Historical Marker

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

  • Texas Cowboy Reunion Oldtimers' Association · 15.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Stamford, home of the Texas Cowboy Reunion Oldtimers' Association, founded way back in 1930. This group was formed to preserve the traditions of those early cattle people who battled drought,…

  • Chittenden, Larry -"The Poet Ranchman" · 15.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the area where Larry Chittenden, known as 'The Poet Ranchman,' developed his family's land. Born in New Jersey, Chittenden first came to Texas as a sales agent. He visited this area in 1884 and by…

  • Hamblen, Carl Stuart · 15.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Carl Stuart Hamblen, country and gospel singer, songwriter, bandleader, and radio-movie personality, was born in Kellyville, Texas, on October 20, 1908. He was the son of James Henry Hamblen, an itinerant Methodist…

  • Fort Phantom Hill · 15.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through what used to be Comanche territory, and right here, you're passing the site of Fort Phantom Hill. Established in 1851, it was part of a line of forts meant to protect settlers moving west,…

  • Scarborough, George Washington · 15.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    George Washington Scarborough, pioneer Southern Baptist minister, son of Irwin and Frances (Cannon) Scarborough, was born in Lawrence County, Mississippi, on April 13, 1831. He received only the rudimentary schooling…

  • Centerline, TX · 15.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Centerline, also known as Lystra, was a ranching and farming community in southeastern Jones County about twelve miles northeast of Abilene. Its name referred to its location near the center of the southern Jones county…

  • Horn, TX · 15.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Horn is fifteen miles north of Merkel in Jones County. Edgar Boaz, one of the first landowners in the area, was joined by R. R. Horn, D. C. Herring, and John Womack on December 6, 1890. The first school was taught in…

  • Noodle, TX · 15.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Noodle is on Farm Road 1812 ten miles north of Merkel in southwest Jones County. It took its name from Noodle Creek; according to folk tradition the name meant "nothing," signifying a dry creek bed. Settlement in the…

  • Nugent, TX · 15.1 mi · Tsha Handbook

    Nugent, on Farm Road 600 eighteen miles north of Abilene in southeastern Jones County, was built on land that around 1900 belonged to John A. Roberts, one of the first settlers of the county. In 1879 Roberts and his…

  • Anson, TX · 16.1 mi

    Originally named 'Jones City', the town was renamed 'Anson' in 1882 in honor of Anson Jones, the last president of the Republic of Texas. Anson has a rich history, with the first Texas Cowboys' Christmas Ball held in…

  • No Dancin' in Anson · 16.1 mi

    In nineteen thirty three, Anson passed an ordinance that made public dancing against the law. Break it, and the fine was fifteen dollars. The town was so serious that in nineteen forty, officials noticed the ban…

  • Cowboys' Christmas Ball · 16.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Anson, home of the famous Cowboys' Christmas Ball. Back in 1885, a local dance inspired a traveling salesman and writer named Larry Chittenden. He composed a poem, "The Cowboys' Christmas Ball,"…

  • The Man This Town Is Named For · 16.1 mi

    This town is named for Anson Jones, the last president of the Republic of Texas. He was the man in charge when Texas gave up being its own country and joined the United States. Jones hoped to be rewarded with a seat in…

  • Hollywood Came to Anson · 16.1 mi

    Anson has played other towns on the big screen. In nineteen eighty three, a drama called Independence Day was set in a little place called Mercury, New Mexico. But it was actually filmed right here in Anson, with…

  • Harper Valley Came From Here · 16.1 mi

    In nineteen sixty eight, a song about a widow who stands up to the gossips on her town's PTA shot to number one. It was called Harper Valley PTA, and the woman singing it was born right here in Anson, on October…

  • The Stovepipe Bomb · 16.1 mi

    Here is a story the old timers in Anson passed down, so take it as a story. Sometime in the early nineteen hundreds, the hardware store on the corner of the courthouse square was heated by a big pot bellied stove, with…

  • First United Methodist Church of Anson · 16.1 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the First United Methodist Church of Anson. This congregation was organized in 1882 by the Rev. J. C. Strickland. The current Romanesque Revival building was constructed in 1908 by Thomas…

  • The Cowboys' Christmas Ball · 16.2 mi

    The most famous story in Anson happens every year just before Christmas. It's the Texas Cowboys' Christmas Ball, a tradition that dates all the way back to 1885. The story begins at the Star Hotel, where a traveling…

  • Anson Opera House · 16.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Anson, and right here is the site of the Anson Opera House, built back in 1907. This wasn't just for opera, though! Imagine a stock company performing 'The Klansman,' even borrowing the local…

  • Fort Phantom Hill, C.S.A. · 16.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Jones County, heading towards the site of Fort Phantom Hill. This wasn't just any fort; during the Civil War, it became a crucial outpost for the Confederacy. After Texas seceded, a company of the…

  • Jones County · 16.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Jones County, a place that's seen some serious Texas history unfold. This land was once a vital emigrant trail and a frontier military road, protected by Fort Phantom Hill, founded way back in…

  • Anson, TX · 16.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Anson, Texas, a town that owes its existence to a railway that never came! <break time="400ms"/> Originally called Jones City, it was established in 1881 when a speculator, John Merchant, gambled…

  • Jones County Courthouse · 16.2 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Jones County Courthouse in Anson. Completed in 1910, this building is a fantastic example of Beaux Arts architecture, with touches of the Arts and Crafts movement. Look for the statue of Lady…

  • Davis, Morgan J. · 16.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Anson, Texas, the birthplace of Morgan J. Davis, a man who helped shape the modern oil industry. Born in 1898, Davis earned his geology degree from the University of Texas and quickly joined…

  • Fort Griffin, TX · 16.5 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 · 16.5 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 · 16.5 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] · 16.5 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 · 16.5 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 · 16.5 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 · 16.5 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 · 16.5 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…

  • First Presbyterian Church Building · 16.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of the First Presbyterian Church of Anson. Organized in 1882, this building, their third sanctuary, was constructed in 1929. The congregation dissolved in 1984, and the building now serves…

  • Sadler, Harley Herman · 17.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through West Texas, a region where Harley Herman Sadler once brought laughter and wonder. Born in Arkansas in 1892, Sadler found his calling not in farming, but in show business. He left home young,…

  • SMS Ranches · 17.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through West Texas, the heart of a ranching empire built by Swante M. Swenson. This Swedish immigrant arrived in the 1830s and made his fortune through shrewd investments, even introducing the Colt…

  • Swedes · 17.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through West Texas, and right here near Stamford, you're passing through land that was shaped by Swedish immigrants. It all started back in 1848 when Swante M. Swenson, encouraged by Sam Houston himself,…

  • Swenson, Axel Magnus Godfrey · 17.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Jones County, near Stamford, the heart of the SMS Ranches. Right here, Axel Swenson, known as 'Swede,' was building a legacy. He wasn't just a rancher; he was a University of Texas football star,…

  • Yerwood, Joyce · 17.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Stamford, Connecticut, a city that owes a lot to Dr. Joyce Yerwood. In 1939, she founded the Little Negro Theater, a performing arts group for African American youth. She raised money to buy a…

  • Stamford, TX · 17.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Stamford, a town that owes its existence to a railroad president's hometown pride and some savvy local ranchers. In 1900, H. McHarg of the Texas Central Railroad named this spot after his native…

  • Stamford College · 17.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Stamford, a town that once had its own college! Back in 1907, the Stamford Collegiate Institute opened its doors, thanks to a generous donation from the town itself. It grew quickly, becoming…

  • Swenson, Andrew John · 17.0 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through West Texas, and right here near Stamford is the heart of the SMS Ranches. Andrew John Swenson, a Swedish immigrant, arrived in Texas at eighteen and eventually took over as superintendent of these…

  • One Year After Shiner · 17.2 mi

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

  • Hawley, TX (Jones County) · 17.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

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

  • Hawley, TX (Matagorda County) · 17.2 mi · Tsha Handbook

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

  • 2022 UIL 2A Division 1 Football State Champions · 17.3 mi

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

  • The Chaser and the Survey · 17.4 mi

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

  • Hawley, TX · 17.4 mi

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

  • The Town That Refused to Die · 17.4 mi

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

  • Engineering a Lake, Creating a Town · 17.4 mi

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

  • The Town the Railroad Built · 17.4 mi

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

  • Engineering a Town into Existence · 17.4 mi

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

  • The 1970 Vote to Survive · 17.4 mi

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

  • Living Next to Abilene's Bathtub · 17.4 mi

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

  • The Fort Griffin Fandangle · 18.5 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 · 18.5 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…

  • Fort Griffin State Historic Site and the state longhorn herd · 18.5 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 · 18.5 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 · 18.5 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 · 18.5 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 · 18.5 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…

  • Albany, TX · 18.5 mi

    Albany, Texas, has a rich history that dates back to 1873 when it was established and named by county clerk William Cruger after his former home of Albany, Georgia. The city has been home to notable figures such as…

  • The Legendary Lambshead Ranch · 18.5 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…

  • Jacobs, H.C. House · 19.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Albany, and right here is the first permanent home built in town! It went up in 1875, constructed from local stone by Henry Carter Jacobs. Jacobs wasn't just a resident; he was the first sheriff…

  • Shackelford County · 19.5 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…

  • Ledbetter Picket House · 19.5 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…

  • Reynolds Presbyterian Academy, Site of · 19.5 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 · 19.5 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…

  • Albany, City of · 19.5 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…

  • UIL 2A Football State Champions — 2 titles · 19.6 mi

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

  • Albany - Fort Griffin Fandangle · 19.6 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,…

  • Cook Ranch Oil Field · 19.6 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…

  • Ledbetter Salt Works, C.S.A. · 19.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Shackelford County, where salt was once a critical war material. Discovered in 1861, the Ledbetter Salt Works became a vital Confederate resource during the Civil War, producing salt for troops,…

  • The Ranchers Wife Who Wrote a Frontier Classic · 19.6 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…

  • Tin Hat Brigade and the Old Law Mob · 19.6 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 —…

  • Silent Movie Palace on the Prairie · 19.6 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…

  • First United Methodist Church of Albany · 19.6 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…

  • Jackson Warehouse · 19.6 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…

  • Lt. Col. William E. Dyess · 19.7 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the hometown of Lt. Col. William E. Dyess, a decorated World War II hero. He led fighter squadrons in the Philippines, survived the brutal Bataan Death March, and escaped to tell the world about…

  • The Poker Queen Who Beat Doc Holliday · 19.7 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…

  • The Night 29 Inches of Rain Drowned Albany · 19.7 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…

  • Cruger, William R. · 19.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Shackelford County, and right here is Albany, a town with a wild frontier past. It was 1874 when William R. Cruger arrived, helping organize this county and naming its seat after his Georgia…

  • Dyess, William Edwin · 19.7 mi · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through West Texas, not far from Albany, the hometown of William Edwin Dyess. He was a World War II pilot who became a legend in the Philippines. Dyess commanded all flying squadrons on Bataan, even…

  • Matthews, Watkins Reynolds [Watt] · 19.7 mi · 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 · 19.7 mi · 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,…

  • Dr. Jack Shackelford · 19.7 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 · 19.7 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…

  • Babylon on the Brazos · 19.7 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…

  • The Great Western Cattle Trail Ran Through Town · 19.7 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…

  • Blanton, Thomas Lindsay · 19.7 mi · 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 · 19.7 mi · 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 · 19.7 mi · 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 · 19.7 mi · 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 · 19.7 mi · 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. · 19.7 mi · 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 · 19.7 mi · 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…

  • Robert Edward Nail, Jr. · 19.7 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…

  • Hartfield Building · 19.7 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…

  • The Albany News · 19.7 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 · 19.7 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)

  • White Elephant Saloon · 19.7 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…

  • Albany, TX · 19.7 mi · 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…

  • Performed for President Lyndon B. Johnson · 19.7 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…

  • Refuge in Civil War 'family forts' · 19.7 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 · 19.7 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…

  • Fort Griffin Fandangle · 19.7 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…

  • Shackelford County · 19.7 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…

  • Matthews, John Alexander · 19.7 mi · 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 · 19.7 mi · 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 · 19.7 mi · 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…

  • Shackelford County Courthouse · 19.7 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…

  • Lynch Building, The · 19.7 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.

  • Lt. Col. William E. Dyess · 19.8 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…

  • A Frontier Jail Reborn as a World-Class Art Museum · 19.8 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…

  • Old Jail Art Center · 19.8 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…

  • Shackelford County's First Permanent Jail · 19.8 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…

  • Goodnight-Loving Trail in Shackelford County · 19.8 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…

  • Rye-Caperton House · 19.8 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…

  • First Christian Church · 19.8 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…

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