The Texas & Pacific Railway: First Railroad Across West Texas

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)

The Texas & Pacific Railway: First Railroad Across West Texas is a historical marker in Abilene, Taylor County, dedicated in 1968. It is one of 49 historical markers documented in Taylor County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 129 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.4515, -99.7340 near Abilene. The nearest cataloged historic site is Abilene Reporter-News (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Hotel Wooten, Paramount Theater, and Federal Building.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5441005242. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.