Among first inhabitants of the area were the Penteka.[5] In 1849, Capt. Randolph Marcy, a U. S. Army engineer, passed through, scouting out West Texas-to-California routes.[6]
The Texas legislature established Taylor County in 1858 from Bexar and Travis Counties. The county is named for Alamo defenders Edward, James, and George Taylor. The Butterfield Overland Mail established the Mountain Pass Station at Merkel; it was in continual use until 1861.[5]
By 1872, the first cattlemen had ventured into present Taylor County.[5] Six years later, Taylor County was organized. Buffalo Gap was named county seat.[5][7] In 1880, the Texas & Pacific Railroad signed an agreement to run tracks through the future city of Abilene.[6]
Abilene was established in 1882, and named after Abilene, Kansas.[8] Abilene became the county seat in 1883.[8] A wagon train of 10 Baptist families arrived in the county that year.[5]
The Abilene Board of Trade was organized in 1890, when 587 farms and ranches were in the county.[5]
The next year, Hardin-Simmons University was established as Abilene Baptist College by the Sweetwater Baptist Association.[9]Lytle Lake was created in 1897.[5]
The State Epileptic Colony opened in Abilene in 1904.[10] In 1906, Abilene Christian University opened its doors as Childers Classical Institute.[11] In the 1920s, Hendricks Medical Center opened in Abilene as West Texas Baptist Sanitarium (1924) and the West Texas Historical Association was chartered in Abilene.[5]
The first senior class of McMurry University graduated (1926).[12] Oil was discovered in the county a few years later (1929).[13]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 919 sq mi (2,380 km2), of which 916 sq mi (2,370 km2) are land and 3.8 sq mi (9.8 km2) (0.4%) are covered by water.[17]
Taylor County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the census[23] of 2000, 126,555 people, 47,274 households, and 32,524 families resided in the county. The population density was 138 people per square mile (53 people/km2). The 52,056 housing units averaged 57 units per square mile (22 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 80.61% White, 6.73% Black or African American, 0.58% Native American, 1.25% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 8.35% from other races, and 2.42% from two or more races. About 17.64% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 47,274 households, 34.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.80% were married couples living together, 11.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were not families. About 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the county, the age distribution was as 26.60% under 18, 13.80% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 19.30% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,035, and for a family was $40,859. Males had a median income of $28,964 versus $21,021 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,176. About 10.40% of families and 14.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.60% of those under age 18 and 9.20% of those age 65 or over.
^ abcdefghiLeffler, John (June 15, 2010). "Taylor County, Texas". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
^ abHundell, Ken and Sharon (2005). Spirits of the Border V: The History and Mystery of the Lone Star State. Omega Press. pp. 118–119. ISBN978-0-9626087-9-7.
^"Buffalo Gap, Texas". Texas Escapes. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
^ ab"Abilene, Texas". Texas Escapes. Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
^Early Jr, Joseph E; McBeth, Harry Leon (2004). A Texas Baptist History Sourcebook: A Companion to McBeth's Texas Baptists. University of North Texas Press. p. 139. ISBN978-1-57441-176-8.
^"Epileptic Colony Open". The Journal of the American Medical Association. 41: 973. 1903.
^Foster, Douglas A; Blowers, Paul M; Dunnavant, Anthony L; Williams, D Newell (2005). The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 1. ISBN978-0-8028-3898-8.
^Downs, Fane (June 15, 2010). "McMurry University". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
^Warner, C A; Thompson, Ernest O (2007). Texas Oil & Gas Since 1543. Copano Bay Press. p. 227. ISBN978-0-9767799-5-7.
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