Earlier biographers of Abilene, the present author included, laid
heavy emphasis on "the people," the human element in the
establishment and continuing life of the city. But the geographical
character of "the place" is also important in its creation, its history,
and its future. The intertwining of these two themes dictated much of
the story of the town called Abilene, Texas.
The Texas and Pacific Railroad gave birth to Abilene in 1881.
Among several dozen sister communities established along the T&P,
the company designated the one at Milepost 407 to be "the future
great city of West Texas." The original settlers of the town, alone
among all the other railroad towns, received the right to pick their
own name, and they chose "Abilene" after the raucous trailhead town
in Kansas. Abilene, Texas, like its namesake, was a frontier town,
less than a decade removed from Indian raids, buffalo hunts, and the
open range. But on the day of the first sale of town lots, the
population already stood at over 3,000—instant community!
In its first century, the city grew by fits and starts, alternating
decades of rapid growth with decades of relative stability. Its
economy was based originally on trade in sheep, cattle, and buffalo
bones. Over the years, farming became important, then commerce,
finance, education, the military, medicine, and light industry.
A People, A Place: The Story of Abilene is a tale of industrious,
ambitious people trying to prosper in a place with a challenging
climate and terrain.
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ROBERT W. SLEDGE is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of
History, McMurry University, and Historian-in-Residence for the
Grady McWhiney Research Foundation. He has written several
pieces on the history of Abilene, a place he has called home for the
past forty-seven years.
Other Books About the Abilene Area
