Established by cattlemen as a stock shipping point on the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1881, the city was named after Abilene, Kansas,^[4] the original endpoint for the Chisholm Trail. 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 newspaper, about eight hundred 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.

In 1882, the town was incorporated, and Abilenians began to set their sights on bringing the county seat to Abilene and, in a three-to-one vote, won the election. In 1888, the Progressive Committee was formed to attract businesses to the area, which later became the Board of Trade in 1890. By 1900, 3,411 people lived in Abilene, and in that decade, the Board of Trade changed its name to the 25,000 Club in the hope of reaching 25,000 people by the next census. However this committee failed when the population only hit 9,204 in 1910. Replacing it was the Young Men's Booster Club, which became the Abilene Chamber of Commerce in 1914.

The cornerstone was laid for the first of three future universities in Abilene, called Simmons College, in 1891, which later became Hardin-Simmons University. Childers Classical Institute followed in 1906, currently Abilene Christian University, Abilene's largest of the three. In 1923, McMurry College was founded and later became McMurry University. Much more recently, Abilene succeeded in bringing Cisco Junior College and Texas State Technical College branches to Abilene, with the Cisco Junior College headquarters being located in Abilene.

In 1940, Abilene raised the money to purchase land for a U.S. Army base, southwest of town, named Camp Barkeley, which was at the time, twice the size of Abilene with 60,000 men. When the base closed, many worried that Abilene could become a ghost town, but in the post-World War II boom, many servicemen returned to start businesses in Abilene. In the early-1950s, residents raised $893,261 to purchase 3,400 acres (14 km²) of land for an Air Force base. Today, Dyess Air Force Base is the city's largest employer, with 6,076 employees.^[5][6] By 1960, Abilene's population nearly doubled in 10 years from 45,570 in 1950 to 90,638. In the same year, a second high school was added, Cooper High School. In 1966, the Abilene Zoo was created 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 schools are integrated.

Abilene, the county seat of Taylor County was founded in 1881 when Buffalo hunters first settled here.  Abilene grew as a shipping point for cattle ranches and has become the financial, commercial, and educationsl center of a large part of W. Texas.  

For additional information about Abilene and the surrounding area, go to:  
http://www.answers.com/topic/abilene-texas

Please visit our Helpful Links page which includes information about lodging, restaurants, healthcare, hospitals, historic sites, the Chamber of Commerce, maps, and recreation Abilene offers to its many visitors and residents. 

Location of TriWest, Realtors, Abilene, Texas

1500 W. Industrial Blvd, Suite 302
Abilene, Texas
Office: 325.692.6000
Cell:  325.669.5770
Fax: 325.669.6007
triwest3@sbcglobal.net

Come see us here at TriWest today and pick up your free complimentary city map of Abilene, Texas - our way of saying WELCOME! to Abilene, Texas.  We hope that you will find that our many years of experience and expertise in all developments in Abilene will make TriWest, Realtors your choice for all of your Real Estate needs whether now or in the future.  Always available 24/7, give us a call and we'll make your dreams come true.

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