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ABBOTT, TEXAS
Hill County, North
Central Texas
Just E of I-35
10 miles S of Hillsboro
Population:
300 (2000)
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What
little is left of downtown Abbott, Texas
TE photo, February 2001 |
History in
a Pecan Shell
The town was named after Joseph Abbott, lawyer, teacher, judge, and
U. S. congressman for District Twenty (Ellis, Hill, Kaufman, and Navarro
counties).
The Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad arrived in 1881 and a post
office was opened the following year.
In the 1890s Abbott had two cotton gins, and a gristmill as well as
the essential businesses every small town needed. The town had a series
of fires (1897, 1903 and 1904) but rebuilt each time. An interurban
railway connecting Forth Worth and Waco was established in 1913 -
the same year Abott was electrified.
In 1920 a paved highway was built and things looked promising. But
after the Great Depression arrived, the town became a flagstop on
the railroad. School enrollment was 240 in 1930 but with consolidations
of other schools - this increased to over 500.
From only 156 people in 1890, Abbott reached it's peak in 1914 with
713 citizens. By the start of WWII there were only 264 people - not
far from what it is today.
It is against the law in Texas to mention Abbott without declaring
that Willie Nelson is from Abbott. Old-timers still remember Willie
carrying his guitar to school and one person we talked to reported
that he thought that Willie's sister played guitar better than he
did. |
Abbott Texas
Forum
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© John
Troesser |
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