My little corner of West Texas - Abilene, TX

jtk1519 · #1 Posted **Jan 1, 2007, 5:29 AM**

Greeting all. Forgive me for just barging in here like this. I've been a long time reader of this forum and I decided it's time I register and share some of the photos I have. I've been living in Abilene, TX off and on for some time so these are the pics I have for now.

For those that don't know, Abilene is a city of about 120,000 or so that sits about 150 miles West of the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. The downtown area is of special interest to me because it was so close to disappearing. The downtown area is full of beautiful pre-WWII buildings typical of Western architecture at the time. Problem was that by the 80s most of the buildings were old, falling apart and in danger of the wrecking ball. Fortunatley, the Abilene Preservation League fought to protect those old buildings and as a result, most of the buildings downtown are now registered historical landmarks. Furthermore, the 90s saw those buildings restored to their previous glory and now they are full of restraunts, museums, shops, apartments, art galleries, etc. It's still a work in progress, but it's not the same part of town that it was 20 years ago.

Most of these pics were taken on a Sunday morning this past Summer, but a few were taken a few days ago around Christmas.

T&P Historic District - This is a group of buildings that once serviced the Texas & Pacific railroad. The rail line still runs and is as busy as ever, but these old train stations and warehouses have been restored turned into other things.

The Grace Museum - Built in 1909 as the Hotel Grace

The Hotel Wooten - Built in 1930, the building was completely restored and reopened as an apartment building a couple of years ago.

The Federal Building - Built in 1935, the building serves as the downtown branch of the Abilene Post Office.

Everman Park - This small park has become a gathering place for local artists and their works or art.

Windsor Hotel (Hilton Hotel) - Built in 1927, the Hotel came under the control of Conrad Hilton where he established the Hilton Hotel... the first hotel in the world to ever don famous Hilton brand name. The building was restored in the late 90s and turned into apartments.

Cyrpess Building - Built in 1890, this is the oldest commercial building in Abilene.

Matera Paper Co. Building - Long vacant, the building was sold last year and is being turned into loft apartments.

The Paramount Theater - Built in 1930, the renovation of the historic theater in the mid-80s marked the start of downtown Abilene's revitalization.

First Baptist Church

Texas Tech Graduate School of Engineering

The National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature - Built in 1935

Elks Fine Arts Building - Built in 1913

Boyd Building - Built in 1925

Frontier Texas - A modern museum opened in 2005 on the Eastern edge of downtown.

Taylor County Courthouse

Various pictures from the area

dharper6 · #2 Posted **Jan 1, 2007, 5:50 AM**

A really handsome city, and nice architectural styles. The preservation effort has really paid off!

Even though I've been in this part of the country for years, I've never had the opportunity to visit Abilene even though my Dad was raised about 20 miles from there. Having seen these photos, I'll make a special effort to visit.

Thanks!

KevinFromTexas · #3 Posted **Jan 1, 2007, 7:29 AM**

Welcome to the forum. It's good to see someone on here from Abilene.

Nice set of pictures there. I'm glad to hear that things are looking up for Downtown Abilene. I had always thought it had potential for being revived and coming back. I may actually be there in a month or so, I don't know yet, though.

1ajs · #4 Posted **Jan 1, 2007, 7:38 AM**

nice charming little city indeed passed threw it about 5 years ago
welcome to ssp its not just about skyscrapers

F18bkr · #5 Posted **Jan 1, 2007, 8:27 AM**

Kinda weird seeing you not talk about football, jtk.

Abilene is so much prettier than Lubbock, the only thing that we can brag about our downtown is that it got hit by a f5 tornado 35 years ago lol.

Im a former Midland Lee Rebel, now a Lubbock Coronado Mustang.

Texas fight !,,!

1ajs · #6 Posted **Jan 1, 2007, 8:40 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by F18bkr

Kinda weird seeing you not talk about football, jtk.

Abilene is so much prettier than Lubbock, the only thing that we can brag about our downtown is that it got hit by a f5 tornado 35 years ago lol.

Im a former Midland Lee Rebel, now a Lubbock Coronado Mustang.

Texas fight !,,!

lol i have been all over texas eatin at some of the fine BBQ shacks and such....
to hell with the freeways take the back roads!

Ex-Ithacan · #7 Posted **Jan 1, 2007, 4:11 PM**

I agree that the renovations have paid off as far as the look of the older buildings. The Hotel Wooten is a gem. Great to see Abilene has a new rep. Welcome to the madness of SSP. But be careful, it's addicting.

Thanks for the pics and info.

jtk1519 · #8 Posted **Jan 1, 2007, 5:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by F18bkr

Kinda weird seeing you not talk about football, jtk.

Abilene is so much prettier than Lubbock, the only thing that we can brag about our downtown is that it got hit by a f5 tornado 35 years ago lol.

Im a former Midland Lee Rebel, now a Lubbock Coronado Mustang.

Texas fight !,,!

Give me time... I'll bring football into this. I have some old pics of Shotwell Stadium, but they suck and most were taken during the reconstruction so they just look like big disaster areas. I will take a bunch of pics next football season. Home games at Shotwell with the hills off in the distance and the West Texas Fair looming over the back of the visitor side... it's a thing of beauty.

I actually lived in San Antonio this past Summer (sadly, I didn't have my camera because I found some spectacular corners of that beautiful city), but I'm back in Abilene, have my old crappy camera and I hope to start taking some pictures again. We have a couple of beautiful college campuses here that I would like to shoot and some really cool giant wind farms on the hills in the South and West parts of the area. I also know some great places around Lake Fort Phantom that I plan to shoot, but that will come in time.

Thanks for allowing me in.

F18bkr · #9 Posted **Jan 1, 2007, 6:05 PM**

Shotwell stadium is the absoulute best place to have a high school football game. The enviroment and astmosphere is too perfect.

Tex1899 · #10 Posted **Jan 1, 2007, 9:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by F18bkr

Shotwell stadium is the absoulute best place to have a high school football game. The enviroment and astmosphere is too perfect.

You think Shotwell's better than Ratliff? Sadly I haven't been to Ratliff since the '89 season (Permian vs. Marshall...actually I may have attended Permain-Abilene or Cooper, too...it's been a while).

I hear the new stadium in Midland's pretty good.

Rose Bowl's fixin to start. Thanks for posting the Abilene pics.

Major AWACS · #11 Posted **Jan 1, 2007, 9:57 PM**

Welcome. I finished high school in San Angelo, many moons ago in 94 and have made many a trip to Abilene and all over west Texas. I know it well and it is nice to see some folks joining to discussions.
DOn't forget the Texas subforum

Nice photos!

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,
Capt-AWACS, Life is not a Parker Posey movie

Robert Pence · #12 Posted **Jan 1, 2007, 10:35 PM**

Excellent photos and beautiful buildings. It would have been tragic if they had been demolished.

F18bkr · #13 Posted **Jan 1, 2007, 11:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tex1899

You think Shotwell's better than Ratliff? Sadly I haven't been to Ratliff since the '89 season (Permian vs. Marshall...actually I may have attended Permain-Abilene or Cooper, too...it's been a while).

I hear the new stadium in Midland's pretty good.

Rose Bowl's fixin to start. Thanks for posting the Abilene pics.

Im not saying is dislike Ratliff, Ive been there several times. Just because it the places of a dynasty dosent mean its the best place to have a game. Im just Saying Id prefer shotwell.

GrandeCom in Midland is argueably the nicest high school football stadium in Texas, with that new stadium Cypress Fair Isd Built.

shurik · #14 Posted **Jan 2, 2007, 12:48 AM**

i miss Abilene!

xzmattzx · #15 Posted **Jan 2, 2007, 3:53 AM**

Nice pictures. I like how you categorized everything by building; I've never seen anyone else show their pictures that way.

Try not to use thumbnails though, clickng on each picture can get annoying after a while.

jtk1519 · #16 Posted **Jan 2, 2007, 4:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Nice pictures. I like how you categorized everything by building; I've never seen anyone else show their pictures that way.

Try not to use thumbnails though, clickng on each picture can get annoying after a while.

I'll keep that in mind. I wasn't going to use thumbnails until I realized that I had something like 110 pictures on my hands... and I had already cut that down from 200+. I figured it was either use thumbnails or spread the pics out over multiple threads. Next time I'll probably just do that.

Diddle E Squat · #17 Posted **Jan 2, 2007, 4:43 AM**

Excellent job of using thumbnails. Much easier to scan through instead of scrolling forever through 100 full-size pictures. I hope that you set the trend for photo threads around here.

KevinFromTexas · #18 Posted **Jan 2, 2007, 3:47 PM**

Abilene, Abilene
Prettiest town I ever seen.
Folks down there don't treat you mean
In Abilene, my Abilene.

I sit alone most every night
Watch them trains roll out of sight
Wish that they were carryin' me
To Abilene, my Abilene.

Crowded city, ain't nothin' free
Nothin' in this town for me
Wish to God that I could be
In Abilene, my Abilene.

How I wish that train would come
Take me back where I come from.
Take me where I want to be
In Abilene, my Abilene.

Rotgut whiskey numbs the brain
If I stay here I'll go insane.
Think I need a change of scene
To Abilene, my Abilene.

Outside my window cold rain falls,
Sit here starin' at the walls;
If I was home, I'd be serene
In Abilene, my Abilene

J Church · #19 Posted **Jan 2, 2007, 5:49 PM**

Welcome, jtk.

I actually grew up (to the age of 16) not far away, in Eastland, and years later paid a visit to a friend of mine at ACU, but it's been so long now I can only remember bits and pieces of Abilene--but a big part of what I remember is a visit in the third grade, I think it was, to the Abilene Reporter News offices in one of those great old buildings downtown. Thanks for taking me back.

An aside, wasn't the first Hilton in Cisco?

jtk1519 · #20 Posted **Jan 3, 2007, 12:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J Church

Welcome, jtk.

I actually grew up (to the age of 16) not far away, in Eastland, and years later paid a visit to a friend of mine at ACU, but it's been so long now I can only remember bits and pieces of Abilene--but a big part of what I remember is a visit in the third grade, I think it was, to the Abilene Reporter News offices in one of those great old buildings downtown. Thanks for taking me back.

An aside, wasn't the first Hilton in Cisco?

I drive to the Dallas area a lot and always stop in Eastland for Ken's Fried Chicken. Good Lord that stuff is good.

Anyway, this is where I got that tidbit about the old Abilene Hilton...

http://www.abilenetx.com/About/hilton.htm