Abilene ( ) is a city in Taylor and Jones Counties in
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...
of Taylor County.
Dyess Air Force Base
Dyess Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located about southwest of downtown Abilene, Texas, and west of Fort Worth, Texas.
The host unit at Dyess is the 7th Bomb Wing assigned to the Global Strike Command E ...
is located on the west side of the city.
Abilene is located off
Interstate 20
Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with I-95 in Florence, South Carolina. Betwe ...
, between exits 279 on its western edge and 292 on the east. It is west of
Fort Worth
Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. Accord ...
. The city is looped by I-20 to the north, US 83/84 on the west, and Loop 322 to the east. A railroad divides the city down the center into north and south. The historic downtown area is on the north side of the railroad.
History
Established by cattlemen as a stock shipping point on the
Texas and Pacific Railway
The Texas and Pacific Railway Company (known as the T&P) was created by federal charter in 1871 with the purpose of building a southern transcontinental railroad between Marshall, Texas, and San Diego, California.
History
Under the influence of ...
in 1881, the city was named after
Abilene, Kansas
Abilene (pronounced ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Dickinson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 6,460. It is home of The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum and the ...
, the original endpoint for the
Chisholm Trail
The Chisholm Trail was a trail used in the post-Civil War era to drive cattle overland from ranches in Texas to Kansas railheads. The trail was established by Black Beaver, a Lenape guide and rancher, and his friend Jesse Chisholm, a Cher ...
. The T&P had bypassed the town of Buffalo Gap, the county seat at the time. Eventually, a landowner north of Buffalo Gap, Clabe Merchant, known as the father of Abilene, chose the name for the new town. According to a
Dallas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
newspaper, about 800 people had already begun camping at the townsite before the lots were sold. The town was laid out by Colonel J. Stoddard Johnson, and the auction of lots began early on March 15, 1881. By the end of the first day, 139 lots were sold for a total of $23,810, and another 178 lots were sold the next day for $27,550.
Abilene was incorporated soon after being founded in 1881, and residents began to set their sights on bringing the county seat to Abilene. In a three-to-one vote, they won the county election to do so. In 1888, the Progressive Committee was formed to attract businesses to the area, and in 1890 renamed itself as the Board of Trade. By 1900, 3,411 people lived in Abilene. In that decade, the Board of Trade changed its name to the 25,000 Club, in the hope of reaching a population of 25,000 by the next census. By 1910, though, the population had increased only to 9,204. Another group was formed, the Young Men's Booster Club, which became the Abilene Chamber of Commerce in 1914.
The cornerstone was laid in 1891 for Simmons College, the first of three universities in Abilene. It later developed as
Hardin–Simmons University
Hardin–Simmons University (HSU) is a private Baptist university in Abilene, Texas. It is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas (Southern Baptist Convention).
History
Hardin–Simmons University was founded as Abilene Baptist ...
. Childers Classical Institute was founded in 1906, and developed as
Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University (ACU) is a private Christian university in Abilene, Texas. It was founded in 1906 as ''Childers Classical Institute''. ACU is one of the largest private universities in the Southwestern United States and has one of th ...
, the largest of the three. In 1923, McMurry College was founded; it later expanded its offerings as
McMurry University
McMurry University is a private Methodist university in Abilene, Texas. It was founded in 1923 and named after William Fletcher McMurry. The university offers forty-five majors in the fields of fine arts, humanities, social and natural science ...
.
In the late 20th century, Abilene succeeded in gaining branches of Texas State Technical College and Cisco College. Headquarters of the latter institution are located in the city.
In 1940, Abilene raised the money to purchase land to attract establishment of a U.S. Army base, southwest of town. It was named
Camp Barkeley
Camp Barkeley was a large United States Army training installation during World War II. The base was located southwest of Abilene, Texas near what is now Dyess Air Force Base. The base was named after David B. Barkley, a Medal of Honor recipient ...
. When fully operational, it was twice the size of Abilene, with 60,000 men. When the base closed after World War II, many worried that Abilene could become a
ghost town
Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to:
* Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned
Film and television
* ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser
* ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by All ...
, but as the national economy boomed, many veterans returned to start businesses in Abilene.
In the early-1950s, to advocate for an Air Force base, residents raised to purchase of land. The Southern block of Congressmen gained approval for such a base here. For decades,
Dyess Air Force Base
Dyess Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located about southwest of downtown Abilene, Texas, and west of Fort Worth, Texas.
The host unit at Dyess is the 7th Bomb Wing assigned to the Global Strike Command E ...
has been the city's largest employer, with 6076 employees in 2007.
From 1950 to 1960, Abilene's population nearly doubled, from 45,570 to 90,638. In 1960, a second high school was added to the city's school system, Cooper High School.
In 1966, the Abilene Zoo was established near Abilene Regional Airport. The following year, one of the most important bond elections in the city's history passed for the funding of the construction of the Abilene Civic Center and the Taylor County Coliseum, as well as major improvements to Abilene Regional Airport. In 1969, the Woodson elementary and high school for black students closed as the city integrated its school system, more than 10 years after the US Supreme Court's ruling in ''
Brown v. Board of Education
''Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka'', 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segrega ...
'' (1954) that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional.
In 1982, Abilene became the first city in Texas to create a downtown reinvestment zone.
Texas State Technical College
Texas State Technical College (TSTC) is a public community college with 10 campuses throughout Texas. TSTC is the State of Texas's only public multicampus technical college, offering associate degrees and certificates in technical skills and trade ...
opened an Abilene branch three years later. The 2,250-bed French Robertson Prison Unit was built in 1989. A half-cent sales tax earmarked for economic development was created after the decline in the
petroleum
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
business in the 1980s. A branch of
Cisco College
Cisco College is a community college in Cisco, Texas located in Eastland County between Fort Worth and Abilene, where Highways 183, 206, and 6 intersect Interstate 20. The main campus is outside of Cisco, and the Abilene Educational Center i ...
was located in the city in 1990.
Several major projects of restoration and new construction: The Grace Museum and Paramount Theatre, and development of Artwalk in 1992, sparked a decade of downtown revitalization. In 2004, Frontier Texas!, a multimedia museum highlighting the history of the area from 1780 to 1880, was constructed. That year an $8 million, Cisco Junior College campus was built at Loop 322 and Industrial Boulevard. Simultaneously, subdivisions and businesses started locating along the freeway, on the same side as the CC campus. This area attracted Abilene growth on the Loop.
Abilene has become the commercial, retail, medical, and transportation hub of a 19-county area more commonly known as "The Big Country", but also known as the "Texas Midwest". It is part of the Central Great Plains ecoregion. By the end of 2005, commercial and residential development had reached record levels in and around the city.
Timeline
* 1881
** Settlement established.
** Texas & Pacific Railroad begins operating.
** '' Abilene Reporter'' newspaper begins publication.
* 1883
** Town of Abilene incorporated.
** D. B. Corley becomes mayor.
** Abilene becomes seat of Taylor County.
* 1890 – Population: 3,194.
* 1891 –
Simmons College
Institutions of learning called Simmons College or Simmons University include:
* Simmons University, a women's liberal arts college in Boston, Massachusetts
* Simmons College of Kentucky, a historically black college in Louisville, Kentucky
* Ha ...
Abilene Zoological Gardens
The Abilene Zoo is a zoo located in Abilene, Texas. The zoo has over 800 animals representing over 175 species. Attendance for 2021 was 255,000.
Abilene zoo has been an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 198 ...
established. (Chronological list)
* 1923 – McMurry College established.
* 1924 – First Presbyterian Church built.
* 1925 – Majestic Theater, a major movie theater, opened.
* 1930
** Paramount Theatre in business.
** Population: 23,175.
* 1936 – KRBC
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmi ...
begins broadcasting.
* 1937
** ''
Abilene Reporter-News
''Abilene Reporter-News'' is a daily newspaper based in Abilene, Texas, United States. The newspaper started publishing as the weekly ''Abilene Reporter'', helmed by Charles Edwin Gilbert on June 17, 1881, just three months after Abilene was f ...
'' in publication.
** Regional "West Texas Chamber of Commerce" relocated to Abilene.
* 1942 – Temple Mizpah (synagogue) built.
* 1945 – Eisenhower Returns celebration.
* 1946 –
Abilene Blue Sox
The Abilene Blue Sox were a minor league baseball team that operated in the West Texas–New Mexico League from 1946 to 1955 and the Big State League from 1956 to 1957. They were an affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers (1946–48) and the Kansas City ...
baseball team formed.
* 1947 – Office of city manager established.
* 1949 – Park Drive-In cinema in business.
* 1950 – Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra active.
* 1953 – KRBC-TV (
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
) begins broadcasting.
* 1956
** U.S. military
Abilene Air Force Base
Dyess Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located about southwest of downtown Abilene, Texas, and west of Fort Worth, Texas.
The host unit at Dyess is the 7th Bomb Wing assigned to the Global Strike Command E ...
begins operating.
** KPAR-TV (
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
Alcohol prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic be ...
ends in Abilene.
* 1979 –
Charles Stenholm
Charles Walter Stenholm (born October 26, 1938) is an American businessman and Democratic Party politician from a rural district of the State of Texas. After establishing himself as owner/operator of a large cotton farm, he entered politics and ...
was elected as the Democratic
U.S. representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for
Texas's 17th congressional district
Texas's 17th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives includes a strip of Central Texas and Deep East Texas stretching from Nacogdoches to Waco and Round Rock, including former President George W. Bush's McLennan Cou ...
. He was re-elected for 13 terms.
* 2000 – City website online (approximate date).
* 2001 – World War II-related "12th Armored Division Memorial Museum" opens.
* 2005 – Republican Randy Neugebauer was elected as
U.S. representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
19th congressional district
19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number.
Mathematics
19 is the eighth prime number, and forms a sexy prime with 13, a twin prime with 17, and a cousin prime with 23. It is the third full r ...
Jodey Arrington
Jodey Cook Arrington (born March 9, 1972) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for . The district includes a large slice of West Texas, centered around Lubbock and Abilene. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Arrin ...
becomes U.S. representative for Texas's 19th congressional district.
*2019 – revamping the downtown area of North Abilene. As of October 2019 a couple of buildings were torn down and Hilton developed a new Double Tree hotel.
Geography
Abilene is located in northeastern Taylor County. The city limits extend north into Jones County. Interstate 20 leads east to Fort Worth and west to Midland. Three
U.S. highways
The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these h ...
pass through the city.
US 83
U.S. Route 83 (US 83) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that extends in the central United States. Only four other north–south routes are longer: US 1, US 41, US 59, and US 87, while ...
runs west of the city center, leading north to
Anson Anson may refer to:
People
* Anson (name), a give name and surname
** Anson family, a British aristocratic family with the surname
Place names
;United States
* Anson, Indiana
* Anson, Kansas
* Anson, Maine
** Anson (CDP), Maine
* Anson, Missour ...
US 84
U.S. Route 84 (US 84) is an east–west U.S. Highway that started as a short Georgia–Alabama route in the original 1926 scheme. Later, in 1941, it had been extended all the way to Colorado. The highway's eastern terminus is a short dist ...
runs with US 83 through the southwest part of the city but leads southeast to Coleman and west with I-20 to Sweetwater. US 277 follows US 83 around the northwest side of the city and north to Anson, but heads southwest from Abilene to
San Angelo
San Angelo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green County, Texas, United States. Its location is in the Concho Valley, a region of West Texas between the Permian Basin to the northwest, Chihuahuan Desert to the southwest, Osage Pl ...
.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, Abilene has a total area of , of which are land and are covered by water (4.82%). The water area is mainly from three reservoirs in the city: Lytle Lake southeast of downtown on the western edge of
Abilene Regional Airport
Abilene Regional Airport is a public airport 3 miles (5 km) southeast of Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. It is within the Abilene city limits and owned and operated by the city.
Most operations at the airport are general aviation and m ...
,
Kirby Lake
Kirby Lake is a 740-acre man-made reservoir located on the south side of Abilene, Texas with a population of 125,000, just east of Highway 83, in the northeastern portion of Taylor County. Kirby Lake is within the Brazos River Basin, meaning tha ...
on the southeast corner of the US 83/84 and Loop 322 interchange, and Lake Fort Phantom Hill in Jones County in northern Abilene. Clear Creek runs through the city just east of downtown, flowing north to Elm Creek and ultimately part of the Brazos River watershed.
The fastest-growing sections of the city are in the southwest, along Southwest Drive, the Winters Freeway, and the Buffalo Gap Road corridor; the southeast, along Loop 322, Oldham Lane, Industrial Drive, and Maple Street; and in the northeast near the intersection of SH 351 and I-20. Many developments have begun in these three areas within the last few years with a citywide focus on the reinvigoration of downtown Abilene.
Climate
According to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
semiarid
A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi- ...
.
Notable architecture
Notable and historical buildings in Abilene include:
* Hotel Wooten (1930) at 302 Cypress Street downtown, built by grocery entrepreneur H. O. Wooten, at 16 stories tall, is designed after the Drake Hotel in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
. It was restored in 2004 as a high-end apartment building.
*First Baptist Church (1954) at 1442 North Second Street has a spire 140 feet from the ground. Pastor Dr. Jesse Northcutt oversaw the planning of this building of 325 tons of steel.
*The Church of the Heavenly Rest, Episcopal, at 602 Meander Street, reflects surprising Gothic architecture on the West Texas Plains. Its plaque reads: "No man entering a house ignores him who dwells in it. This is the house of God and He is here."
*The 20-story Enterprise Tower at 500 Chestnut Street, the highest structure in Abilene, rises to 283 feet above the Plains. It is the tallest building in west-central Texas and one of the five highest in the western two-thirds of the state.
*The Taylor County Courthouse at 300 Oak Street, with its international architectural style of concrete and pink granite, resembles few other courthouses.
* Paramount Theatre at 352 Cypress Street opened in 1930 and restored in 1986 had an original marquee 90 feet tall, with 1,400 lights.
*Lincoln Junior High School, 1699 South First Street. In 2012, the Abilene Independent School District deeded the property to the City of Abilene. This property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 2012. Built in 1923, the architecture is Gothic Revival and includes two large gargoyles at the entrance and has Gothic and art deco motifs. It opened as Abilene High School in 1924, became Lincoln Junior High in 1955, and Lincoln Middle School in 1985. The campus closed in 2007. As of 2019, the Abilene Heritage Square was renovating the school into "a multipurpose center for learning, making, discovery, building community and innovating and encouraging our city's future businesses." The Abilene Public Library will also use the restored building as the new main branch.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, 115,930 people, 41,570 households, and 28,101 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,102.7 people per square mile (425.8/km2). The 45,618 housing units averaged 433.9 per square mile (167.5/km2). As of the 2010 census, Abilene had a population of 117,063. In 2020, its population was 125,182, with 43,607 households and 28,118 families residing in the city.
In 2000, the
racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 78.07% white, 8.81% African American, 0.55% Native American, 1.33% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 8.73% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 19.45% of the population. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population in 2010 was 62.4% non-Hispanic White, 9.6% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 3.3% of two or more races, and 24.5% Hispanic or Latino. By 2020, its racial and ethnic composition was 56.23% non-Hispanic white, 9.78% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.14% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.31% some other race, 4.16% multiracial, and 26.87% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
At the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the city was $33,007, and for a family was $40,028. Males had a median income of $28,078 versus $20,918 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $16,577. About 10.9% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over. At the 2020 American Community Survey, the median household income in the city was $52,518. The mean household income was $70,807.
Economy
The economy in Abilene was originally based on the livestock and agricultural sectors, but is now based strongly on government, education, healthcare, and manufacturing. The petroleum industry is prevalent in the surrounding area, also. The city has established incentives to bring new businesses to the area, including job training grants, relocation grants, and more.
Top employers
The top 15 employers in Abilene, as of December 2019, were:
Government and infrastructure
The
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is a department of the government of the U.S. state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails ...
(TDCJ) operates the Abilene District Parole Office in the city. The
Robertson Unit
The French M. Robertson Unit is a maximum-security state prison located on Farm to Market Road 3522 in Abilene, Texas, United States, northeast of Downtown Abilene in Jones County.Middleton Unit transfer unit are in Abilene and in Jones County.
The
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...
operates the Abilene Post Office and the Abilene Southern Hills Post Office.
On June 17, 2017, Abilene elected its first
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
mayor, Anthony Williams.
* D. B. Corley, 1883–1885
* G. A. Kirkland, 1885–1886
* D. W. Wristen, 1886–1891
* H. A. Porter, 1891–1893
* D. W. Wristen, 1893–1897
* A. M. Robertson, 1897–1899
* John Bowyers, 1899–1901
* F. C. Digby Roberts, 1901–1904
* R. W. Ellis, 1904–1905
* Morgan Weaver, 1905–1907
* E. N. Kirby, 1906–1919
* Dallas Scarborough, 1919–1923
* Charles E. Coombes, 1923–1927
* Thomas E. Hayden, 1927–1931
* Lee R. York, 1931–1933
* C. L. Johnson, 1933–1937
* Will Hair, 1937–1947
* B. R. Blankenship, 1947–1949
* Hudson Smart, 1949–1951
* Ernest Grissom, 1951–1953
* C. E. Gatlin, 1953–1957
* Jess F. (T-Bone) Winters, 1957–1959
* George L Minter, 1959–1961
* C. R. Kinard, 1961–1963
* W. L. Byrd, 1963–1966
* Ralph N. Hooks, 1966–1969
* J. C. Hunter, Jr., 1969–1975
* Fred Lee Hughes, 1975–1978
* Oliver Howard, 1978–1981
* Elbert E. Hall, 1981–1984
* David Stubbeman, 1984–1987
* Dale E. Ferguson, 1987–1990
*
Gary D. McCaleb
Gary may refer to:
*Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
*Gary, Indiana, the largest city named Gary
Places
;Iran
* Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province
;Uni ...
Abilene has two school districts within the city limits:
Abilene Independent School District
Abilene Independent School District is a public school district based in Abilene, Texas ( USA).
The district serves the cities of Abilene and Impact in northeastern Taylor County as well as the portion of Abilene that lies in southeastern Jo ...
Abilene is home to six colleges, three of which are religiously affiliated. Hardin–Simmons University is the oldest, founded in 1891. Abilene Christian University is the largest with 2012 undergraduate enrollment at 4,371.
Health care
Hendrick Medical Center includes two large hospital campuses on the north and south sides of Abilene, and is one of the city's largest employers. It is one of seven healthcare institutions affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.
The Presbyterian Medical Care Mission was founded in 1983 as a medical and dental clinic. Its services are focused to low-income individuals and families without insurance.
Culture
The cultural aspects of Abilene revolve around a mix of the local college and university campuses, the agriculture community of the surrounding area, and a growing nightlife scene in the downtown area. Abilene is also home to the restored Paramount Theatre, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, the Grace Museum, the Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, The Abilene Zoo, Frontier Texas!, the 12th Armored Division Museum, the Taylor County Expo Center, the Abilene Convention Center, six libraries (three private, three public), 26 public parks, six television stations, a daily newspaper, and several radio stations, including one
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
station (89.5 KACU).
Media
Newspapers
The ''
Abilene Reporter-News
''Abilene Reporter-News'' is a daily newspaper based in Abilene, Texas, United States. The newspaper started publishing as the weekly ''Abilene Reporter'', helmed by Charles Edwin Gilbert on June 17, 1881, just three months after Abilene was f ...
'' is the primary daily newspaper of the city of Abilene and the surrounding Big Country area.
Television
*
KRBC-TV
KRBC-TV (channel 9) is a television station in Abilene, Texas, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Mission Broadcasting, which maintains joint sales and shared services agreements (JSA/SSA) with Nexstar Media Group, owner of dual ...
(NBC)
*
KTES-LD
KTES-LD (channel 40) is a low-power television station in Abilene, Texas, United States, airing programming from the digital multicast network TBD. It is owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside Sweetwater-licensed dual ABC/ CW+ ...
(Me-TV)
*
KTXS-TV
KTXS-TV (channel 12) is a television station licensed to Sweetwater, Texas, United States, serving the Abilene area as an affiliate of ABC and The CW Plus. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside low-power TBD owned-and-operated sta ...
(ABC)
*
KTAB-TV
KTAB-TV (channel 32) is a television station in Abilene, Texas, United States, affiliated with CBS and Telemundo. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which provides certain services to NBC affiliate KRBC-TV (channel 9) under joint sales and s ...
KACU
KACU is an FM Public radio station that serves the Abilene, Texas, area. The station is owned by Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University (ACU) is a private Christian university in Abilene, Texas. It was founded in 1906 as '' ...
(Public Radio)
*90.5 FM KAGT (Christian contemporary)
*91.3 FM KAQD (Religious)
*91.7 FM KQOS (Religious)
*92.5 FM
KMWX
KMWX (92.5 FM) is a commercial radio station located in Abilene, Texas. KMWX airs a red dirt country music format branded as "92.5 The Ranch".
History
KULL aired an oldies
Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and r ...
(Adult contemporary)
*93.3 FM KBGT (Tejano)
*94.1 FM KVVO (Inspirational Country)
*95.1 FM KABW (Country)
*96.1 FM KORQ (Farm, Country)
*98.1 FM
KTLT
KTLT (98.1 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Anson, Texas, broadcasting to the Abilene, Texas area. KTLT airs an active rock format branded as "98.1 The Phantom". Studios are located along U.S. Highway 84 in southwest Abilene, and the ...
KULL Kull may refer to:
Arts
* Kull of Atlantis, a fictional character created by Robert E. Howard
** ''Kull the Conqueror'', a 1997 fantasy action film based on Howard's character and starring Kevin Sorbo
* King Kull (DC Comics), a Fawcett Comics and D ...
(Classic hits)
*102.7 FM
KHXS
KHXS (102.7 FM, "102 The Bear") is an FM radio station playing classic rock music. It serves the area of Abilene, Texas, United States. The station is under ownership of Cumulus Media.
History
On April 3, 1978, the Federal Communications Commis ...
(Classic Rock)
*103.7 FM KCDD (Top 40)
*105.1 FM KEAN (Country)
*106.3 FM
KKHR
KKHR (106.3 FM) is a Spanish contemporary radio station serving the Abilene, Texas, area.
History
On February 18, 1988, a construction permit was granted to SURE Broadcasting, owned by Susan Lundborg, for a new 3,000-watt radio station on 106 ...
(Regional Mexican)
*106.9 FM KLGD (Country)
*107.9 FM KEYJ (Active Rock)
*1280 AM KSLI (Country)
*1340 AM
KWKC
KWKC (1340 AM) is a sports radio station in Abilene, Texas, United States. The station is owned by WesTex Telco, LLC, and originates from studios in northeast Abilene and a transmitter on the city's south side.
KWKC is the second-oldest radio s ...
(News Talk)
*1470 AM
KYYW
KYYW (1470 AM) is a news/talk radio station that serves the Abilene, Texas, area. The station is under ownership of Townsquare Media.
History
The station went on air in 1938 on a local channel. Its former callsign KRBC was made up of the first l ...
(News Talk)
*1560 AM
KZQQ
KZQQ (1560 AM) is a radio station with a news/talk format licensed to and serving the area around Abilene, Texas. On March 29, 2010, KZQQ dropped the sports format for classic rock. The format flip brought in Dave Andrews for mornings, and Ben ...
(Sports talk)
Transportation
Major highways
*
Interstate 20
Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with I-95 in Florence, South Carolina. Betwe ...
US 80
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
(former)
*
US 83
U.S. Route 83 (US 83) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that extends in the central United States. Only four other north–south routes are longer: US 1, US 41, US 59, and US 87, while ...
*
US 84
U.S. Route 84 (US 84) is an east–west U.S. Highway that started as a short Georgia–Alabama route in the original 1926 scheme. Later, in 1941, it had been extended all the way to Colorado. The highway's eastern terminus is a short dist ...
Abilene Regional Airport
Abilene Regional Airport is a public airport 3 miles (5 km) southeast of Abilene, in Taylor County, Texas. It is within the Abilene city limits and owned and operated by the city.
Most operations at the airport are general aviation and m ...
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abo ...
Doyle Brunson
Doyle F. Brunson (born August 10, 1933) is a retired American poker player who played professionally for over 50 years. He is a two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of several ...
, two-time
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a series of poker tournaments held annually in Paradise, Nevada and, since 2004, sponsored by Caesars Entertainment. It dates its origins to 1970, when Benny Binion invited seven of the best-known poker p ...
champion, attended and played basketball at Hardin–Simmons College before injuring his knee.
*
Randall "Tex" Cobb
Randall Craig "Tex" Cobb (born May 7, 1950) is an American actor, martial artist, and former professional boxer who competed in the heavyweight division. Widely considered to possess one of the greatest chins of all time, Cobb was a brawler who ...
, heavyweight boxer and actor
*
Charles Coody
Billy Charles Coody (born July 13, 1937) is an American professional golfer, best known for winning the 1971 Masters Tournament.
Coody was born in Stamford, Texas and raised in Abilene, Texas. He attended Abilene Christian University before tran ...
Carole Cook
Mildred Frances Cook (born January 14, 1924), professionally known as Carole Cook is an American actress. known for appearances on ''The Lucy Show'' and ''Here's Lucy''
Life and career
She was born Mildred Frances Cook on January 14, 1924, in ...
, an actress, was born January 14, 1924 in Abilene as Mildred Frances Cook. She was a close friend of Lucille Ball's.
*
Roy Crane
Royston Campbell Crane (November 22, 1901 – July 7, 1977), who signed his work Roy Crane, was an American cartoonist who created the comic strip characters Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy and Buz Sawyer. He pioneered the adventure comic strip, establi ...
, nationally syndicated cartoonist (''
Wash Tubbs
''Wash Tubbs'' is an American daily comic strip created by Roy Crane that ran from April 14, 1924 to 1949, when it merged into Crane's related Sunday page, ''Captain Easy''. Crane left both strips in 1943 to begin ''Buz Sawyer'', but a series of ...
'', ''
Captain Easy
'' Captain Easy, Soldier of Fortune '' is an American action/adventure comic strip created by Roy Crane that was syndicated by Newspaper Enterprise Association beginning on Sunday, July 30, 1933. The strip ran for more than five decades until it ...
'', ''
Buz Sawyer
''Buz Sawyer'' is a comic strip created by Roy Crane.Ron Goulart, ''The Funnies : 100 Years of American Comic Strips''. Holbrook, Mass. : Adams Pub, 1995. (pp. 149-50) Distributed by King Features Syndicate, it had a run from November 1, 1943 to ...
'')
* Dorian, hip-hop recording artist, was born in Abilene.
*
Bob Estes
Bob Alan Estes (born February 2, 1966) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He was previously a member of the PGA Tour, where he was a four-time champion.
Early life and amateur career
Estes was born in Graham ...
, professional golfer
* W. C. Friley, first president of Hardin–Simmons University, 1892–1894
*
Billy Gillispie
Billy Clyde Gillispie ( ; born November 7, 1959), also known by his initials BCG and Billy Clyde, is an American college basketball and current men's basketball coach at Tarleton State. Gillispie had previously been head coach at UTEP, Texas A ...
Ryan Guzman
Ryan Anthony Guzman (born September 21, 1987) is an American actor and former model, known for his lead roles as Sean Asa in ''Step Up Revolution'' and '' Step Up: All In'', part of the ''Step Up'' film series, as Noah Sandborn in the erotic p ...
, actor
* Homer Hailey (1903–2000), Church of Christ clergyman and professor at Abilene Christian University
* David W. Harper (born 1961), actor, played James Robert Walton on
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
''
The Waltons
''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr., based on his 1961 book '' Spencer's Mountain'' and the 1963 fil ...
'', 1972–1981
*
Kristy Hawkins
Kristy Michelle Hawkins (born August 28, 1980) is an American powerlifter and chemical engineer, and former professional female bodybuilder.
Early life and education
Kristy Hawkins was born and raised in Longview, Texas in 1980. In 1994, she ...
(born 1980), IFBB professional bodybuilder
* Jerry Herron (born 1949), dean of
Wayne State University
Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...
United States congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
Gregory Hoblit
Gregory King Hoblit (born November 27, 1944) is an American film director, television director and television producer. He is best known for directing the films '' Primal Fear'', ''Fallen'', ''Frequency'', ''Hart's War'', '' Fracture'', and ''U ...
, film director
*
Robert Dean Hunter
Robert Dean Hunter (June 25, 1928 – February 11, 2023) was an American politician and academic administrator. He served as vice president at Church of Christ-affiliated Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, and as a Republican Party ...
, member of
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abo ...
from Abilene, 1986–2007; vice president emeritus of Abilene Christian University
* Bill Jones, former NFL player for the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The ...
Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...
playmate
A Playmate is a female model featured in the centerfold/gatefold of ''Playboy'' magazine as Playmate of the Month (PMOTM). The PMOTM's pictorial includes nude photographs and a centerfold poster, along with a pictorial biography and the "Playm ...
(Miss December 2011)
*
Ashley Kavanaugh
Ashley Estes Kavanaugh is an American public official and former political aide. Since 2004, she has been the wife of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Brett Kavanaugh.
Early life and education
Kavanaugh was born in ...
, public official and former political aide; wife of Supreme Court Justice
Brett Kavanaugh
Brett Michael Kavanaugh ( ; born February 12, 1965) is an American lawyer and jurist serving as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President Donald Trump on July 9, 2018, and has served since ...
John Lackey
John Derran Lackey (born October 23, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 2002 through 2017 for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and ...
, former starting
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
Bobby Morrow
Bobby Joe Morrow (October 15, 1935May 30, 2020) was an American sprinter who won three gold medals at the 1956 Olympics. He has been called "the dominant sprinter of the 1950s" and "the most relaxed sprinter of all time, even more so than his ...
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, named Sportsman of the Year in 1956 by ''Sports Illustrated''
*
Scott Nagy
Scott Michael Nagy (; born June 7, 1966) is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach for Wright State Raiders men's basketball. He had previously served as head coach at South Dakota State Jackrabbits men's basketball, Sout ...
, head coach of the Wright State University men's basketball team, and former head coach for
South Dakota State University
South Dakota State University is a public land-grant research university in Brookings, South Dakota. Founded in 1881, it is the state's largest and most comprehensive university and the oldest continually-operating university in South Dakota. The ...
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...
, for the U.S. team that boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics); held several world records, including first indoor pole vault — vaulted for AHS and ACUTed Dunnam "Coaching by Hood vaulted ACU over top," ''Abilene Reporter-News'', June 25, 2000.All-Time U.S. Rankings — Men's Pole Vault , ranked #1 in the world for 1982.Frank Litsky ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', February 22, 1982, page C6, column 1 (late city final edition).
*
Ty O'Neal
Ty O'Neal McClary (born August 2, 1978) is an American actor.
Career
He is best known for playing the ice-skating cowboy Dwayne Robertson in '' D2: The Mighty Ducks'' and '' D3: The Mighty Ducks''. McClary became close with Kenan Thompson while ...
, rodeo cowboy and film actor
* Terry Orr, tight end for the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
— played for CHS
*
Fess Parker
Fess Elisha Parker Jr. (born F. E. Parker Jr.;Weaver, Tom.Sci-Fi Swarm and Horror Horde: Interviews with 62 Filmmakers p. 148 (McFarland 2012). August 16, 1924 – March 18, 2010),(March 18, 2010Daniel Boone Actor Fess Parker Dies at 85" ''CBS ...
(1924–2010), actor and hotel and winery owner, attended Hardin–Simmons University, played football at HSU before transferring to
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...
''
*
Lee Roy Parnell
Lee Roy Parnell (born December 21, 1956) is an American country music and blues artist, singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Active since 1990, he has recorded eight studio albums, and has charted more than twenty singles on the '' Billboard'' Hot ...
, country musician
*
Vinnie Paul
Vincent Paul Abbott (March 11, 1964 – June 22, 2018) was an American musician best known for being the drummer and co-founder of the heavy metal band Pantera. He also co-founded Damageplan in 2003 with his younger brother, 'Dimebag' Darrell ...
(1964–2018), born in Abilene; musician, co-founder, and drummer of heavy metal band Pantera and
Damageplan
Damageplan was an American heavy metal band from Dallas, Texas, formed in 2003. Following the demise of their previous group Pantera, brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott wanted to start a new band. The pair recruited former Diesel ...
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate ( es, Senado de Texas) is the upper house of the Texas State Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing single-member districts across the U.S. state of Texas, with populations of approximately 806,000 per co ...
from
Lubbock
Lubbock ( )
is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...
, was born in Abilene in 1962.
*
Dominic Rhodes
Dominic Dondrell Rhodes (born January 17, 1979) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Midwestern State and was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001.
Rhodes was also a member ...
McMurry University
McMurry University is a private Methodist university in Abilene, Texas. It was founded in 1923 and named after William Fletcher McMurry. The university offers forty-five majors in the fields of fine arts, humanities, social and natural science ...
Sarah Weddington
Sarah Catherine Ragle Weddington (February 5, 1945 – December 26, 2021) was an American attorney, law professor, advocate for women's rights and reproductive health, and member of the Texas House of Representatives. She was best known for rep ...
, lawyer, represented "Jane Roe" in case of
Roe v. Wade
''Roe v. Wade'', 410 U.S. 113 (1973),. was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States conferred the right to have an abortion. The decision struck down many federal and s ...
*
Ann Wedgeworth
Elizabeth Ann Wedgeworth (January 21, 1934 – November 16, 2017) was an American character actress, known for her roles as Lana Shields in '' Three's Company'', Hilda Hensley in '' Sweet Dreams'', and Merleen Elldridge in ''Evening Shade''. She ...
, actress
*
Mason Williams
Mason Douglas Williams (born August 24, 1938) is an American classical guitarist, composer, singer, writer, comedian, and poet, best known for his 1968 instrumental "Classical Gas" and for his work as a comedy writer on ''The Smothers Brothers ...
, musician, best known for his guitar instrumental "
Classical Gas
"Classical Gas" is an instrumental musical piece composed and originally performed by American guitarist Mason Williams with instrumental backing by members of the Wrecking Crew. Originally released in 1968 on the album ''The Mason Williams Ph ...
Zabaykalsky Krai
Zabaykalsky Krai ( rus, Забайкальский край, r=Zabaikal'skii krai, p=zəbɐjˈkalʲskʲɪj kraj, lit. " Transbaikal krai"; bua, Yбэр Байгалай хизаар, Uber Baigalai Xizaar) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai ...
, Russia
In popular culture
* The John Cale song ''Buffalo Ballet'', taken from his 1974 album ''
Fear
Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...
''.
See also
*
List of museums in West Texas
This article was split from List of museums in Texas
The list of museums in West Texas encompasses museums defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and ...
Abilene paradox
In the Abilene paradox, a group of people collectively decide on a course of action that is counter to the preferences of many or all of the individuals in the group. It involves a common breakdown of group communication in which each member mistak ...
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
* Abilene...On Catclaw Creek: A Profile of a West Texas Town (Abilene, Texas: Reporter Publishing, 1969)
* Katharyn Duff and Betty Kay Seibt. Catclaw Country: An Informal History of Abilene in West Texas (Burnet, Texas: Eakin Press, 1980)
* Fane Downs, ed. The Future Great City of West Texas: Abilene, 1881–1981 (Abilene: Richardson, 1981).
* Paul D. Lack et al. The History of Abilene (Abilene, Texas: McMurry College, 1981)
* Juanita Daniel Zachry. Abilene (Northridge, California: Windsor, 1986).
*
*
*
*
*
*
* ''Lost Abilene: Images of America'', Charleston, South Carolina:
Arcadia Publishing
Arcadia Publishing is an American publisher of neighborhood, local, and regional history of the United States in pictorial form.(analysis of the successful ''Images of America'' series). Arcadia Publishing also runs the History Press, which publ ...
. 2013.
*
* (List of U.S. Congressional representatives for Abilene, 1883–2016)
Digital Public Library of America
The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is a US project aimed at providing public access to digital holdings in order to create a large-scale public digital library. It officially launched on April 18, 2013, after two and a half years of dev ...