Site of Old Headquarters of the Hashknife Ranch
Abilene, Taylor County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(on hill east of Cedar Creek) In December 1880, H.C. Whithers of the Texas & Pacific Railroad met local men here to decide on a site for a cattle shipping center. Bypassing the county seat of Buffalo Gap, the railroad platted a new town named Abilene for the famous cattle town in Kansas. Cattlemen meeting with Whithers were Dallas banker and Hashknife Ranch co-owner John N. Simpson, and Confederate Colonels Claiborne W. (Clabe) and J.D. Merchant, twin brothers and ranchers who moved to Callahan County six years earlier. Brisk bidding ensued at a sale of city lots in March 1881. Abilene grew quickly and became a significant regional city of west Texas. (1968, 2007)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In December 1880, a Texas & Pacific Railroad official met local cattlemen near this spot — the old headquarters of the Hashknife Ranch — to choose a site for a cattle-shipping center. Bypassing the county seat of Buffalo Gap, they platted a brand-new town and named it Abilene after the famous Kansas cattle town. A lively sale of city lots followed in March 1881, and Abilene grew swiftly into a major regional city of West Texas.
Why it matters
Abilene's deliberate creation by railroad men and ranchers shows how the rail network, not older settlements, dictated which towns would thrive in the cattle-driven West.
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Related people
- · John N. Simpson
- · Claiborne W. Merchant
- · J.D. Merchant
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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