Taylor County, Texas

Taylor County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 126,555. It is included in the Abilene, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its county seat is Abilene, Texas^[1]. Taylor is named for Edward Taylor, George Taylor, and James Taylor, three brothers who died at the Battle of the Alamo.

History Timeline

• Among first inhabitants were the Penteka. ^[2]

• 1519-1685 Hernando Cortez and Alonso Álvarez de Pineda claim Texas for Spain.

• 1541 Spanish explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado traverses the general region.

• 1685-1690 France plants its flag on Texas soil, but departs after only five years. ^[3].

• 1821 Mexico claims its independence from Spain. Anglos from the north settle in Texas and claim Mexican citizenship.

• 1829, September 15 - Mexican President Vicente Ramon Guerrero, himself an ex-slave of Spanish, African and Native American descent, emancipates all slaves within the Republic of Mexico: ^{[4] [5]}

1st - Slavery is abolished in the republic.

2nd - Consequently, those who have been until now considered slaves are free.

3rd - When the circumstances of the treasury may permit, the owners of the slaves will be indemnified in the mode that the laws may provide. And in order that every part of this decree may be fully complied with, let it be printed, published, and circulated.

Given at the Federal Palace of Mexico, the 15th of September, 1829.

Vicente Guerrero To José María Bocanegra

• 1836

March 2 - Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico establishes the Republic of Texas.

March 6 - The Alamo falls.

April 21-22 - Battle of San Jacinto, Antonio López de Santa Anna captured.

May 14 - Santa Anna signs the Treaties of Velasco.

• 1845, December 29 -Texas Annexation by the United States

• 1846, May 13 - The United States Congress officially declares war on Mexico.

• 1848, February 2 - Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo officially ends the Mexican-American War.

• 1849 Capt. Randolph Marcy, U. S. Army engineer passes through scouting out West Texas to California routes. ^[6]

• 1858

The Texas legislature establishes Taylor County from Bexar and Travis counties. The county is named for Alamo defenders Edward, James, and George Taylor.

Butterfield Overland Mail establishes the Mountain Pass Station at Merkel, in continual use until 1861. ^{[7] [8]}

• 1861

February 1 - Texas secedes from the Union

March 2 - Texas joins the Confederate States of America

• 1863, January 1 • The Emancipation Proclamation. ^[9]

• 1865

April 9 • Robert E. Lee formally surrenders to Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Court House.

April 15 • President Abraham Lincoln dies of a head wound inflicted by assassin John Wilkes Booth.

June 19 • Major General Gordon Granger arrives in Galveston to enforce the emancipation of all slaves. It is the first time African Americans in Texas know of the Emancipation. The date becomes celebrated annually in Texas as Juneteenth, and later as an official state holiday known as Emancipation Day. ^[10]

December 6 • The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits slavery.

• 1870, March 30 - The United States Congress readmits Texas into the Union.

• 1872 First cattlemen venture into present Taylor County.

• 1878 Taylor County is organized. Buffalo Gap is named county seat. ^[11]

• 1880 Texas & Pacific Railroad signs an agreement to run tracks through the future city of Abilene. ^[12]

• 1881 Abilene is established and named after Abilene, Kansas.

• 1883

Abilene becomes the county seat. ^[13]

Wagon train of ten Baptist families arrives in the county. ^[14]

• 1890

Abilene Board of Trade is organized.

There are 587 farms and ranches in the county.

• 1891 Hardin-Simmons University is established as Abilene Baptist College in 1891 by the Sweetwater Baptist Association.

• 1897 Lytle Lake is created. ^[15]

• 1904 State Epleptic Colony opens in Abilene. ^[16]

• 1906 Abilene Christian University opens its doors as Childers Classical Institute. ^[17]

• 1924

Hendricks Medical Center opens in Abilene as West Texas Baptist Sanitarium. ^[18]

West Texas Historical Association is chartered in Abilene.

• 1926 The first senior class of McMurry University graduates. ^{[19] [20]}

• 1929 Oil is discovered in the county.

• 1933 Abilene donates land for use by the Civilian Conservation Corps. ^[21]

• 1942 Dyess Air Force Base is established as Abilene AFB. It is named in honor of Texas native and Bataan Death March survivor Lieutenant Colonel William Dyess.

• 1950 The Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra is created, with Jay Dietzer as the first conductor. ^[22]

• 1953 KRBC-TV begins broadcasting operations ^[23].

• 1956 Buffalo Gap Historic Village opens. ^[24]

• 1985 The Western Heritage Classic rodeo is established in the county. ^[25]

• 1998 The Ranch Horse Association of America is formed in Abilene. ^[26]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 919 square miles (2,381 km²), of which, 916 square miles (2,371 km²) of it is land and 4 square miles (9 km²) of it (0.39%) is water.

Major highways

• Interstate 20
• U.S. Highway 83
• U.S. Highway 84
• U.S. Highway 277
• State Highway 36

Adjacent counties

• Jones County (north)
• Callahan County (east)
• Coleman County (southeast)
• Runnels County (south)
• Nolan County (west)

Demographics

As of the census^[27] of 2000, there were 126,555 people, 47,274 households, and 32,524 families residing in the county. The population density was 138 people per square mile (53/km²). There were 52,056 housing units at an average density of 57 per square mile (22/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 80.61% White, 6.73% Black or African American, 0.58% Native American, 1.25% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 8.35% from other races, and 2.42% from two or more races. 17.64% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 47,274 households out of which 34.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.80% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the county, the population was spread out with 26.60% under the age of 18, 13.80% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 19.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 94.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,035, and the median income for a family was $40,859. Males had a median income of $28,964 versus $21,021 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,176. About 10.40% of families and 14.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.60% of those under age 18 and 9.20% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

• Abilene
• Buffalo Gap
• Caps
• Impact
• Lawn
• Merkel
• Ovalo
• Potosi
• Trent
• Tuscola
• Tye
• View
• Wylie

Miscellaneous topics

• Abilene State Park, recreational facility
• Gary D. McCaleb, former mayor of Abilene
• Charles Perry, incoming 2011 member of the Texas House of Representatives from Lubbock, was born in Taylor County in 1962.
• Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center, the world's largest wind farm

References

1. ^ . National Association of Counties. . Retrieved 2008-01-31.
2. ^ Handbook of Texas, Taylor County [1]
3. ^ The Six National Flags of Texas [2]
4. ^ The Magnificent Life of Vicente Ramon Guerrero [3]
5. ^ TAMU Chieftans of Mexican Independence [4]
6. ^ TexGenWeb Taylor County Timeline [5]
7. ^ Texas Historical Markers, Mountain Pass Station [6]
8. ^ Texas Escapes, Merkel [7]
9. ^ Government documents, Emancipation Proclamation [8]
10. ^ Cinnamon Hearts Juneteenth [9]
11. ^ Texas Escapes, Buffalo Gap [10]
12. ^ TexGenWeb Taylor County Railroads [11]
13. ^ Texas Escapes, Abilene [12]
14. ^ TexGenWeb Taylor County [13]
15. ^ Handbook of Texas, Lytle Lake [14]
16. ^ Abilene State School [15]
17. ^ ACU [16]
18. ^ Handbook of Texas, Hendricks Medical Center [17]
19. ^ Handbook of Texas, McMurry Univerity McMurry College [18]
20. ^ McMurry University [19]
21. ^ Texas Historical Monument, Abilene CCC [20]
22. ^ Abilene Phil [21]
23. ^ Big Country [22]
24. ^ Buffalo Gap Historic Village [23]
25. ^ WHC [24]
26. ^ RHAA [25]
27. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links

• Taylor County Official Site
• Central Appraisal District of Taylor County
• Taylor County from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Taylor at the Open Directory Project

Coordinates: 32°19′N 99°53′W / 32.31°N 99.88°W

Categories: Texas counties | Taylor County, Texas | Abilene metropolitan area