|
History of Taylor County
Comanches of
the Penateka band led the advance into the region in the
eighteenth century. In 1858 the Texas legislature
established Taylor County, named for Alamo defenders
Edward, James, and George Taylor, from lands formerly
assigned to Bexar and Travis counties. Taylor County was
attached to Travis and Bexar counties for judicial and
administrative purposes until 1873, when these
responsibilities were assigned to Eastland County. Partly
due to the presence of Indians, the area remained largely
unsettled. The Penatekas maintained their independence
until the 1870s, when, after much bloodshed, they were
defeated by the United States Army. The earliest group of
European settlers in Taylor County were buffalo hunters
and bone gatherers, who arrived during the 1870s. Sam
Gholson, William C. Dunn, and William E. Cureton were
among the early settlers. As more people moved into the
area, the county was organized in 1878, and Buffalo Gap, a
small settlement near the center of the county, became the
seat of government. By 1880 there were 917 people living
in the area, and ranching completely dominated the local
economy. The agricultural census for that year counted 107
farms and ranches, encompassing 30,213 acres, but only
3,099 acres were described as "improved." Over 30,000
cattle and almost 6,000 sheep were reported, but only 157
acres were planted in wheat, the county's most important
crop at that time; another 73 acres were planted in corn.
Settlement accelerated when the Texas and Pacific Railway
built through the area in the early 1880s. Buffalo Gap was
bypassed by the railroad, which was routed instead to pass
through the northern part of the county to the site of a
new town, to be called Abilene. In 1881 the railroad
connected the area to national markets and encouraged
immigration. While Abilene began to develop into a
shipping center, Buffalo Gap declined in population, and,
after an election held in 1883, Abilene became the county
seat. Attempts by the people of Buffalo Gap to challenge
the election results by force of arms were quickly
suppressed.
From the Texas State Historical
Association's Handbook
of Texas, Online
1997-2023 Copyright TXGenWeb
Project Permission is given to copy small
portions of this website for personal use
only. This entire file and/or website may
not be copied or duplicated. Commercial use
is prohibited without expressed written
permission. That includes, but is not
limited to, all photographs. |
|
|
|