Abilene

Abilene, Texas

Abilene, Texas

Abilene, Texas, Skyline. Photo by Atownbman on Wikimedia Commons
Product photo
Promotion: Nearby Taylor County

Abilene is in the northeast corner of Taylor County. It is situated 1,708 feet above sea level on generally flat terrain. The city is connected east-west by Interstate Highway 20 and north-south by U.S. highways 83, 84, and 277. Reflecting its beginning as a railroad townsite, Abilene is bisected by the Texas and Pacific tracks, which run east-west.

Abilene owes its genesis to the Texas and Pacific and a group of ranchers and land speculators. Before the coming of the railroad, the Abilene area had been sporadically inhabited by nomadic Indians and United States military personnel and later by buffalo hunters and ranchers. By the 1870s the Indians had been driven out, and cattlemen began to graze their herds in the area. Taylor County was organized in 1878, and Buffalo Gap was designated the county seat. When the Texas and Pacific Railway began to push westward in 1880, several ranchers and businessmen—Claiborne W. Merchant, John Merchant, John N. Simpson, John T. Berry, and S. L. Chalk—met with H. C. Whithers, the Texas and Pacific track and townsite locator, and arranged to have the railroad bypass Buffalo Gap. They agreed that the route would traverse the northern part of the county and consequently their own land, and that a new town would be established between Cedar and Big Elm creeks east of Catclaw Creek. C. W. Merchant apparently suggested the name Abilene, after the Kansas cattle town.

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Handbook of Texas Logo

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.

Great Texas Land Rush logo
Adoption Status:
This place has been adopted and will not be available until May 20, 2024
Adopted by:
Tasha Rose Williams
Dedication Message:
In Honor Of The Great State Of Texas; I, Tasha Rose Williams, Adopt The Town Of Abilene

Belongs to

Abilene is part of or belongs to the following places:

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Abilene is classified as a Town

Associated Names

  • (Elm Creek)

Location

Latitude: 32.45521530
Longitude: -99.73851000

Has Post Office

Yes

Is Incorporated

Yes

Population Count, 2021 View more »

125,070

Place Type Population (Year/Source) Currently Exists
College or University Yes
College or University Yes
College or University Yes
College or University Yes
College or University Yes

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