Early Downtown Abilene: 1880s-1910s

The city of Abilene grew around the Texas & Pacific Railway tracks, especially what we know as downtown, during the 1880s to the 1910s. New hotels, churches, shops, liveries, doctors’ offices and pharmacies, houses, and schools were all built within a thirty-year time span. By 1910, the town’s population reached 9,204 and its dynamic was rapidly changing. The introduction of modern transportation, a local power company, two telephone companies, and an additional rail line propelled Abilene into the modern age. This exhibition highlights this growth through objects from The Grace’s permanent collection of garments and textiles, business ephemera, historic photos, and various other artifacts.

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