Taylor County

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Now, Taylor County has a name with a story behind it — and that story cuts deep. Back in 1833, three young men made the journey from Tennessee down into Texas.

Their names were Edward, James, and George Taylor — brothers, near enough in age you could practically hear them arguing the whole ride down. Edward was eighteen. James was twenty.

George was twenty-two. They came to a land still finding itself, still deciding what it wanted to be. They would help decide that question, as it turned out.

On March 6, 1836, all three of them died at the Alamo. That's who this county is named for. Three Tennessee boys who came to Texas young and gave everything they had to it.

When the county was created, in 1858, somebody made sure those names would stick to this stretch of West Texas land for as long as there's a map. The county itself got organized in 1878, and in those early days the seat was Buffalo Gap — a place that earned its keep. The Fort Concho to Fort Belknap stagecoach rolled right through it, kicking up dust.

And the longhorns came through too, moving up the western trail toward Kansas in those great slow rivers of cattle that seem almost impossible to picture now. Then in 1883, the county seat picked up and moved to Abilene. That's how it goes sometimes — the trail shifts, and the towns shift with it.

But here's where this marker gets to doing something I find genuinely remarkable. It steps back and takes the long view — all 254 Texas counties laid out like cards on a table — and it starts sorting them. Forty-two of those counties carry Indian, French, or Spanish names.

Ten honor colonizers like Stephen F. Austin, the man the marker calls the Father of Texas. Twelve were named for Washington, Clay, and other American patriots.

Twenty-three carry the names of frontiersmen and pioneers. Eleven honor American statesmen who worked for the annexation of Texas. Ten recognize leaders in Texas since statehood — jurists, ministers, educators, historians, statesmen.

Thirty-six bear the names of men prominent in the Confederacy during the Civil War. El Paso and eight others have geographical names. San Jacinto and Val Verde were named for battles.

Live Oak and Orange — well, those are named for trees, which I appreciate for its honesty. And Mason was named for a fort. And then there's the largest group of all — ninety-six counties named for men like the Taylors.

Men who fought in the Texas War for Independence, signed the Declaration of Independence, or served as statesmen in the Republic of Texas. Fifteen of those ninety-six died at the Alamo. Fifteen counties.

Fifteen men. And three of those counties' worth of sacrifice belongs to Edward, James, and George Taylor — eighteen, twenty, and twenty-two years old, a long way from Tennessee. Every time you cross into Taylor County, that's who you're driving over.

And now you know it.

What the marker says

Created 1858. Named for Edward, James and George Taylor, 18, 20, and 22, Tennesseans who came to Texas in 1833 and died at the Alamo, March 6, 1836. Organized 1878, with county seat at Buffalo Gap, through which went the Fort Concho to Fort Belknap stagecoach and longhorns on western trail up to Kansas. County seat was moved to Abilene in 1883. Of the 254 Texas counties, 42 bear Indian, French or Spanish names. 10 honor such colonizers as Stephen F. Austin, "Father of Texas". 12 were named for Washington, Clay and other American patriots. 96 were named for men like the Taylors who fought in the Texas War for Independence (15 dying at the Alamo), signed the Declaration of Independence, or served as statesmen in the Republic of Texas. 23 have the names of frontiersmen and pioneers. 11 honor American statesmen who worked for the annexation of Texas; 10, leaders in Texas since statehood, including jurists, ministers, educators, historians, statesmen; and 36, men prominent in the Confederacy during the Civil War. El Paso and 8 others have geographical names, San Jacinto and Val Verde were named for battles; Live Oak and Orange, for trees; and Mason for a fort. (1964)