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- A Town Begins
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- Santa Fe Railroad wanted
to follow a straight line from Plainview to Lubbock. A straight-line
survey was run and it went east of the present site of Abernathy.
This route did not please the residents of Hale Center, which
had been established since the 1890's. They influenced Santa
Fe to come southwest out of Plain view to serve them and from
there the Santa Fe followed an approximate straight line into
Lubbock.
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- The developers of the
town sites along the new railroad wanted to organize a town on
a section four miles north of the present town of Abernathy.
The owners, who lived in Wisconsin, were contacted. They thought
there might be gold on the land and refused to sell. Therefore,
the last section south in Hale County was chosen as the town
site.
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- Originally owned by John
Y. Ligon, J.C. Roberds had purchased the section that was to
become the Abernathy town site from E.S. and W.L. Stanfield.
When the South Plains Investment Company was formed by J.C. Roberds,
Dr. M.C. Overton, and Monroe Abernathy, Mr. Roberds deeded the
section to the firm and became the president of the firm. Dr.
Overton was secretary and Mr. Abernathy was treasurer.
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- On June 18, 1909, the
official survey of the town site was recognized by Gov. T.M.
Campbell. The town site was platted on July 8, 1909, and was
named for M.C. Abernathy. Mr. Monk was the resident agent for
the company and a small frame office building was built. Lots
and blocks were sold from there.
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- Since there were already
several buildings in Bartonsite and none in Abernathy, the founding
fathers here contracted with J.J. Barton to move some of the
buildings to Abernathy. In the late summer of 1909 the move began.
Buildings were placed on rollers. The latest equipment-steam
driven tractors- hooked on. The exodus began to huff and puff
toward the new town. The tractors did not move but about three
or four miles per hour, so it was a long trip. A two-story yellow
hotel, a lumberyard, blacksmith shop, and three or four residences
were some of the approximately ten buildings moved.
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- The first train came to
Abernathy in the early fall of 1909. This was not a regular train,
but some cars added to the work train. It was a great day for
all the settlers in the area.
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- The depot was constructed
in 1909. C.E. Stout was the first local agent for the Santa Fe.
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- The section where the
town of Abernathy was being developed was fenced and gates had
to be opened when entering and leaving town. The streets and
block corners were layed off with 2 x 4 stubs. These stubs denoted
streets for the next few years, until a grader finally came in
to run ditches.
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- Town residents had free
range on the section and their milk cows and horses and mules
were turned loose to graze. The stock would stray out of the
section and range cattle would come into town when someone happened
to leave the gates open. The ladies had to stand guard at their
clotheslines to keep the livestock from ruining their laundry.
When a load of feed was brought to town, the cattle and horses
had to be chased away until it was unloaded in stack lots or
barns. Trains running through the town section frequently hit
the livestock.
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- Behind most of the houses
were outhouses, barns, and windmills. Nearly every home had its
own windmill, although a few families hauled water. Generally,
gardens and cow lots were integral parts of each household.
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- Although the City of Abernathy
was founded in 1909, it was not incorporated until 1924. An election
was called for September 12, 1924. The first mayor was F.W. Struve,
and aldermen elected were R.M. Hardesty, N.C. Hix, Sam W. Smith,
T.B. Stone, and E.B. Lindsey. Many mayors have served the City
of Abernathy, some several terms: F.W. Struve, J.P. Nystel, W.H.
Brown, J.D. Norman, C.O. Anderson, Guy Thompson, Dan Ward, E.O.
Graham, Roy Jones, Larry Deering, Pete Thompson, Shane Cunningham,
Carl Johnson, Robert Burnett, O.C. Toler, and Darrell Stephens
presently serving as mayor.
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