AbileneInterpretive Guide |
Interpretive Guide of Abilene State Park (SP) in Texas. Published by Texas Parks & Wildlife.
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INTERPRETIVE GUIDE
Prominently sited atop the park’s highest hill, the refectory’s
second-level observation tower offers a panoramic view of
the area.
WELCOME
TO
ABILENE
STATE
PARK, A PLACE STEEPED IN HISTORY
AND
NATURAL
BEAUTY.
CAMP IN THE SHADE OF THIS
WOODED OASIS IN ARID WEST
TEXAS. TAKE A QUIET PADDLE ON
LAKE ABILENE AND ENJOY A STUNNING SUNSET OVER THE LAKE.
DROP A LINE IN BUFFALO WALLOW
AND TRY FOR YOUR NEXT BIG
CATCH, OR MAYBE JUST YOUR
FIRST! COOL OFF IN THE PARK’S
ICONIC
SWIMMING
POOL.
MARVEL
AT
REMARKABLE
THE
AND
CRAFTSMANSHIP OF THE CIVILIAN
CONSERVATION CORPS WHO BUILT
THIS PARK DESPITE THE CHALLENGES THEY ENDURED.
THINGS TO DO AT ABILENE STATE PARK
• Take a hike on a nature trail or around the lake and
explore the flora and fauna of the park. Pick up a trail
guide at the park office.
• Watch the wildlife that live in the park. Morning and
evening are the best times to see white-tailed deer,
armadillos, raccoons, and skunks. Please don’t feed the
wildlife—nature’s foods are healthier.
• Go fishing for bass, crappie, catfish, and perch. No fishing license is required if fishing within the state park. Be
sure to ask park staff about our tackle loaner program.
• Get your binoculars and look for the over 200 species of
birds sighted at Abilene State Park, including herons,
raptors, songbirds, and waterfowl.
• Enjoy the grandeur of the night sky from your
campsite—no telescope needed!
• Learn to be a good steward of the park by becoming a
Junior Ranger at Abilene State Park. Ask at the park
office for the Junior Ranger journal.
• Leave no trace! Help our wildlife by disposing of garbage
and fishing line, staying on trails, and leaving natural
treasures for everyone to enjoy.
For more information about programs or volunteering, contact the park or visit our website and add us on Facebook.
Abilene State Park • 150 Park Road 32, Tuscola, TX 79562
(325) 572-3204 • www.tpwd.texas.gov/abilene/
© 2022 TPWD. PWD BR P4506-001I (7/22)
TPWD receives funds from the USFWS. TPWD prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, and gender,
pursuant to state and federal law. To request an accommodation or obtain information in an alternative format, please contact TPWD on a Text Telephone
(TTY) at (512) 389-8915 or by Relay Texas at 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2989 or by email at accessibility@tpwd.texas.gov. If you believe you have been discriminated against by TPWD, please contact TPWD, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office for Diversity and
Workforce Management, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041.
ABILENE
STATE PARK
A B I L E N E
S T A T E
P A R K
THE MAN BEHIND
THE DREAM
A NATURAL SETTING
Abilene State Park lies in a valley surrounded by the
low limestone hills of the Callahan Divide. The divide
is an area of higher country, rising 200–300 feet above
the surrounding plains that separates the watersheds of
the Brazos and Colorado rivers. The hills are sparsely
wooded with mesquites, stunted Ashe junipers, and
mixed grasses. The floodplain of Elm Creek supports
shaded woodlands of pecans, live oaks, red oaks,
willows, hackberries, and elms. These lowlands sustain
an array of plant and animal populations seldom found
in this region of Texas. Look for soaring Mississippi
kites during the spring and summer, roadrunners
dashing across a trail, and elegant white-tailed deer
grazing in the evenings.
AN ENDURING MONUMENT
By the mid-1880s, at the height of the livestock boom,
the area of present-day Abilene State Park and Lake
Abilene was occupied by families who had come to the
region in the late 1870s. They farmed the bottomlands
near Elm Creek and raised sheep and cattle on the uplands.
I
In the early 1900s, Abilene already held promise as one of
the state’s more important metropolitan areas. As the
town grew, so did its need for a reliable city water supply,
a primary concern for any settlement in semi-arid West
Texas. In 1918, citizens approved plans to build a dam on
Elm Creek, creating Lake Abilene.
In December 1933, CCC Company 1823V (“V” stood for
veterans), a mixed company of 141 white and nine Black
World War I veterans, arrived and set up camp. From 19331934, the veteran company built the foundation of the park.
Using simple hand tools, the men cleared land, built roads
and culverts, milled lumber, and quarried local stone.
But as with most man-made dams, the impoundment
greatly altered the surrounding landscape. Farmsteads
and fields were soon abandoned as the precious waters to
Elm Creek now filled Lake Abilene. Unfortunately, the
lake proved ineffective (even going dry in 1927) and was
replaced as the city’s water source in the late 1920s. The
public’s increasing interest in outdoor recreation, the
construction of a road to the area, and the commitment
of city and state officials to the idea of parks, all created
an environment that made the dedication of a park on
city land a growing possibility.
n 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to help boost the
economy and create jobs. The CCC gave young men the
opportunity to gain skills and an education while building
parks and protecting resources.
In October 1934, the company was transferred to Sweetwater,
TX to begin construction on a new park. During the transition, Co. 1823V was reorganized into Co. 1823CV (“C”
stood for “Colored”) – the only all-Black veteran company in
Texas. The newly formed company soon relocated back to
Abilene in response to growing racial tensions in Sweetwater.
Upon their return, the men completed several large projects
that stand to this day as a testament to their craftsmanship.
Using local materials, such as limestone and red Permian
sandstone, Co. 1823CV built the stunning red stone concession building (shown below) with its high arches of hand-cut
stone, tower, and swimming pool. They also built stone picnic
tables and pergolas that are still enjoyed by families today.
Despite enduring systemic racism, the men of CCC Co.
1823CV continued to serve their country and pave a path
towards equality. While segregation prevented them from
visiting the places they built, they took pride in their work.
ANNIE ELLISON, TPWD
A natural passageway, or gap, between the low hills
of the Callahan Divide was a route for great herds
of bison during their seasonal migrations. Native
Americans, such as the Tonkawa and Comanche,
also used the gap as a travel route while hunting the
bison. The richly forested lands along Elm Creek
provided an ideal campground for the hunters.
Buffalo Gap, an early frontier settlement, is a small
town a few miles northeast of the park that lies within
the “gap.” Buffalo Gap was later used by cattle drives
on the Western or Goodnight-Loving trail.
CREATING A LAKE AND A PARK