Morgan Jones
Abilene, Taylor County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Welsh-born Morgan Jones arrived in the U.S. in 1866. As a contractor for numerous railroad lines, he became a railroad legend by laying tracks spanning more than 1,000 miles across Texas and the West. He was president of the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway Company by 1884, and in 1906 began to construct the Abilene and Northern Railway. In 1908 Jones moved to Abilene, continuing railroad expansion by completing the Abilene and Southern Railway. He made extensive investments throughout Texas and contributed to Abilene's growth until his death. (1998)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Welsh-born Morgan Jones reached the United States in 1866 and became a legendary railroad contractor, laying more than 1,000 miles of track across Texas and the West. By 1884 he headed the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway, and after 1906 he built the Abilene and Northern and completed the Abilene and Southern railways. Moving to Abilene in 1908, he poured extensive investments into the region and fueled the city's growth until his death.
Why it matters
Jones represents the immigrant builders whose railroads knit West Texas towns like Abilene into the national economy during the great age of American rail expansion.
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Related people
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Themes & tags
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