Abilene State School

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Back in 1899, the Texas Legislature looked out at the wide open possibilities of this state and decided to do something that, for its time, was genuinely forward-thinking. They provided for the establishment of an institution right here in Taylor County, a center dedicated to the treatment of epilepsy.

Now, that decision sat on the books for a few years, the way big ideas sometimes do, and it wasn't until 1904 that the doors finally opened. The man steering the ship from the start was Dr. John Preton, and what he built wasn't just a medical facility.

It was something close to a world unto itself. The surrounding land was put to work raising crops and livestock, making the place largely self-sufficient. Out here in West Texas, you learn early that you provide for yourself or you do without.

Then came a man who would leave a mark on this institution that outlasted nearly anyone else. Dr. T.

B. Bass took on the role of superintendent in 1909, and he held that post until 1943. That is a long stretch of time to be steering anything, and Dr.

Bass used it well. Significant research on epilepsy was conducted here under his watch, the kind of work that didn't just serve the people inside these walls but reached outward into the wider world of medicine. Now, institutions evolve, and this one was no different.

By 1957, the Abilene State School had become a residential facility, and with that shift came a new calling. The school developed what the marker describes as a leading program of quality care for the mentally retarded, built on innovative ideas and, just as importantly, on widespread community support. That last part matters.

It's one thing to have good ideas. It's another thing entirely to have a whole community decide those ideas are worth standing behind. That combination, the innovation and the neighbors who showed up for it, is what the marker wants you to take with you down the road.

What the marker says

The Texas Legislature provided for the establishment of this institution in 1899 as a center for the treatment of epilepsy. Opened in 1904 under the direction of Dr. John Preton, it was largely self-sufficient, with surrounding land used for raising crops and livestock. Significant research on epilepsy was conducted here by Dr. T. B. Bass, superintendent from 1909 to 1943. A residential facility since 1957, the Abilene State School has developed a leading program of quality care for the mentally retarded based on innovative ideas and widespread community support.