Life in Taylor County Texas from 1850 to 1950

Taylor County, Texas from 1900 to 1950 as pictured in archived government photographs, vintage postcards, old school yearbooks and newspapers from Abilene, Buffalo Gap, Lawn, Merkel, Ovalo, Trent,
 Tuscola and Tye.

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The Queen Theater in Abilene Texas in the 1960s was showing Wonders of Aladdin starring Donald O'Conner but they misspelled his name in the marquee.

In 1936 G. H. McDonald of Abilene Texas was manager of the Herring - McDonald Cotton Gins Co. testified in a national ad for Plymouth cars when you could own one for $510 . . . tap to view full size and read the full-page article

Sometime in the late 1800s to early 1900s a crowd gathered in front of Sam's General Store in Abilene Texas including the town band

Beautiful photo of the Municipal Building in Abilene Texas in the 1940s with vintage cars parked on the street and in the parking lot.

In 1938 an attractive cowgirl posed with her horse in Abilene Texas for a postcard

Nice photo of the Abilene Medical & Surgical Clinic in Abilene Texas in 1930

Interesting photo from the 1930s of the White Owl Cafe in Abilene Texas with cook and staff in front and rooms for rent 50 cents next door

With a Payne Webb Abilene Steam Laundry horse-drawn carriage mired in the mud to the axles the Reo Motor Sales of Abilene drove their Winther 4 wheel drive truck through the muddy street in 1918.

Wallys was a happening place in 1950s Abilene Texas

In 1939 Walter Johnson of Ovalo Texas wrote about the huge difference switching from steel tires to Goodyear Sure-Grip rubber tires made for his farm operation and they used it in this ad

Base Exchange Service Station serving Gulf Gas in Abilene Texas in 1960

Cars lined up in front of the Banner Ice Cream plant in Abilene Texas in 1950

Great photo of Pine Street in Abilene Texas in 1890 showing horses, carriages, buggies, stores and saloon

In 1959 The Majestic Theater in Abilene Texas was showing The Amazing Colossal Man and The Cat Girl was coming up next week.

In this rare photo of downtown Abilene Texas at night after a light snow in 1913 by W.C. Crosby the town is quiet and peaceful.

In this hand-colored photo of the Hilton Hotel in Abilene Texas in the 1930s is shown with period cars lining the street.

Remember when you could get a hamburger for 35 cents, a coke for 15 cents, a malt for 30 cents and a root beer for 10 cents? This was Abilene Texas in the 1950s

Teddy Roosevelt in Abilene

Sometime between 1901 and 1909 Teddy Roosevelt appeared on the back of his train carriage in Abilene Texas

In 1939 Abilene Texas was at the forefront of polo matches. It was a sport that came naturally to the cowboys in the region.

Sometime in the 1950s an Atlas ICBM was put on display in in downtown Abilene Texas

Taylor County Courthouse in Abilene Texas in 1883

Very nice photo of the Presbyterian Church in Merkel Texas in 1910

In 1910 a man in Merkel Texas relaxes on his porch and reads the Evening News and  Woman's Home Companion magazine

1930s cars at the Abilene Texas Post office and federal courthouse

Busy day in 1954 in Abilene Texas in front of the Post Office and Hotel Windsor

Very nice old photo of the Hendrick Memorial Hospital in Abilene Texas in 1940s

In 1941 while Columbia Pictures was filming in Abilene for the movie Texas a photographer captured the actors and camera crew in action

Taylor County Courthouse as it appeared in 1949 in Abilene Texas

In the 1930s the Hardin-Simmons University Cowboy Band  played for the White House

Sometime in the early 1900s a horseless carriage pulled to the curb in Abilene Texas for this wonderful old photo

Wagons, horses and a trolley car on the rough dirt streets at First and Chestnut in Abilene Texas in the 1800s

On a country road near Abilene Texas in the 1950s a policeman posed with his police cruiser.

In the 1930s delivery trucks lined the street in front of the J. M. Radford Grocery Company in Abilene Texas

On main street in 1920 a parade of beautiful horses marched past admiring people watching  from both sides of the street in Abilene Texas in this huge incredibly detailed photo

In 1926, drivers for the Coca-Cola bottling company in Abilene Texas posed with seven of their trucks in front of the plant.

Sometime in the early 1900s the proprietor, clerk, and customers posed inside a paint store in Abilene Texas

In 1911 an unknown photographer stood in the middle of Pine Street near Citizens National Bank in Abilene Texas as a street car and a man approach him. Horses, carriages and pedestrians can be seen lining both sides of the street

The 1923 Abilene High School yearbook featured this on the page dedicated to the football team

In 1939 a cowboy threw his right leg over his saddle horn to watch a Polo match in Abilene Texas

Carhops wait on customers in their cars at the Dixie Sandwich Pig Shop in Abilene Texas in the 1940s

Traffic came to a stop in downtown Abilene when Hardin Simmons athletes were selling balloons to drivers in 1950

Nice clear photo of the Nickel Store in Abilene Texas with clerks and owner waiting to serve in 1909

In 1909 several of Abilene's wealthier citizens parked their cars in front of the Alexander Sanitarium for this photo . . .

Sometime in the 1930s two uniformed women left Stinson Drug #2, bypassed the coin operated weight machines when - just as one takes a lick off her ice cream cone they were captured on film

Abilene Texas Volunteer Firemen J. D. Hailey, Chief Clinton, Bob Lane, Lee Lane, Joe Perry and Albert Lane are pictured in this highly detailed photo

Abilene Candy Company in 1939

Salesmen for the Abilene Candy Company proudly line up beside their company cars in 1939.

Eleven players on the Abilene High School football team in 1923.

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1923 Abilene High School Football Team on the Way to Fort Worth

Abilene High School Boys Glee Club 1923

Kelso, Smith, Coombes, Harvey, Gray, West, Freeman, Gavin, Bryan, Robbins, Coffman, Kelso, heath, and Howell made up the Abilene Boys High School Glee Club in 1923 . . . look closer

Four Abilene High School students pose beside period car in 1948

Horse-drawn ice wagon from the Abilene Ice Company parked on a residential dirt street in 1910 while driver delivers a block of ice to resident's ice box.

In 1940 B. F. Cox and Wayne Thornton were changing a flat tire on the Cox Typewriter Exchange truck in Abilene Texas when an unknown photographer captured this photo . . . See it full size

At a Polo Match in 1939 Abilene Texas a boy sells Coca-Cola  from metal cooler. In the 1930s West Texans from Taylor County enjoyed polo and horse and auto racing at Fair Park in Abilene . . .

Travelers wait for train at the Buffalo Gap train station in 1920.

Children look out window as older sister or mother drives hoping to escape the drought.

After he was freed, former slave Green Cumby settled in Abilene Texas

Horse-drawn sprinkler wagon helps keep the dust down on the dirt streets of Abilene Texas in 1900. This one also serves as a moving billboard for the Campbell's Store.

McMurray College Coach R M Medley with players Taylor, Osborn Park, Isaacs, Bowers, Tharp, Miller, Newton, Asst. Coach Pratt, Corbin, Roberts, Edwards, Brown, H V Hodges, Patterson, Mitchell, Hunt, Wharton, Hale and Pool in 1927.

McMurry College Football Coach R. M. Medley with players Campbell, Hale, W. Hill, Fitzgerald, Farmer, Hunt, Bigby, Bowers, West, Young, McCandless, Brown, Donaldson, Peeples, Wood, Self, Newton, D. Hill, Ledbetter, Harkrider, Murphy, and Meader in 1924

In 1920, cars and pedestrians lined Pine Street in Abilene Texas to watch the parade. Tap the image to see full size.

In the 1930s Jes Sides Posed with his customized Bakery and Ice Cream Truck in Abilene

Green Gate Tourist Camp set up a soda pop stand from the back of a pickup truck at this 1939 polo match in Abilene Texas. Polo player garners attention from boys and men as he walks away.

Large crowd gathers in front of Thornton Drug Store in Abilene Texas in 1920. Men climbed on top of trucks and rooftops to get a glimpse of something.

Train Arrives at Station in Trent Texas 1940