DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Now, some railroads just move people and freight. But the Texas and Pacific Railway — well, it moved an entire civilization across some of the most unforgiving country on the continent, and it did it fast enough to make your head swim.
The U.S. Congress chartered the Texas and Pacific Railway Company on March 3, 1871, with a mandate as bold as Texas itself: build a railroad all the way to the Pacific coast. The man holding the reins was Colonel Thomas A.
Scott, president of the company. And when it came time to actually push iron and timber across West Texas, Scott turned to a man who knew something about laying track through hard country — General Grenville M. Dodge, civil engineer and builder of the Union Pacific, who took charge of construction.
Construction across West Texas began in 1880, and these men did not dawdle. The first train reached the Abilene area in early January of 1881. Now think about that.
Just weeks after those wheels first rolled into the area, on February 28, 1881, a station opened for business — its office sitting in a boxcar, right at what is now the Pine Street Overpass. A boxcar. That was the whole operation.
Humble beginning for what was coming next. You see, the Texas and Pacific had a policy during its era of construction: promote settlement of West Texas. Encouraged by local ranchers, agents of the railway held an auction on March 15, 1881 — the first auction of lots in the Abilene townsite.
One day. One hundred and seventy-eight lots sold for twenty-seven thousand, five hundred and fifty dollars. The wisdom of those purchasers, the marker says, has since been well confirmed.
Because today Abilene stands as the business, agricultural, transportation, medical, educational, and cultural center for central West Texas. Started in a boxcar. Ended up a whole civilization.
That's West Texas for you.
What the marker says
Chartered March 3, 1871, by act of U.S. Congress, to build a railroad to the Pacific coast, the Texas & Pacific Railway Company, under leadership of Colonel Thomas A. Scott, president, began construction across West Texas in 1880. General Grenville M. Dodge, civil engineer and builder of the Union Pacific, was in charge. The first train reached the Abilene area in early January 1881 and a station opened for business here on February 28, 1881. The office was in a boxcar at the present Pine Street Overpass. As a policy during its era of construction, the Texas & Pacific promoted the settlement of west Texas. Encouraged by local ranchers, agents of the railway held on March 15, 1881, the first auction of lots in Abilene townsite. On that day 178 lots were sold for $27,550.00. The wisdom of the purchasers has since been well confirmed, for Abilene is now the business, agricultural, transportation, medical, educational and cultural center for central west Texas. (1968)