City History

Abilene was born from a railroad auction in 1881

The City of Abilene was platted and auctioned in two days in March 1881 after the Texas and Pacific Railway bypassed the original county seat of Buffalo Gap.

Taylor County History & Culture

Ranchers and businessmen arranged for the Texas and Pacific Railway to route its line through the northern part of Taylor County rather than through Buffalo Gap. On March 15, 1881, lots in the new townsite were auctioned. In two days, buyers purchased more than 300 lots. The town was named Abilene, reportedly after the Kansas cattle shipping town.

Within two years, Abilene had grown enough to challenge Buffalo Gap. An 1883 election moved the county seat to Abilene. The town incorporated on January 2, 1883. Cotton farming expanded the economy beyond cattle, and by 1910 the county had more than 26,000 residents.

Source to confirm: Handbook of Texas — Abilene, TX

More Taylor County notes

Property Tax Basics

Two offices handle property taxes here

Taylor County has both an appraisal district and a tax assessor-collector, but the county tax office does not collect property taxes — the appraisal district handles collection for most taxing units.

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Homestead Exemption

Homestead exemption cuts your school tax bill

Texas law requires every school district to exempt $140,000 of your home's value from taxation, but you must apply through the Taylor County Appraisal District to get the benefit.

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Agricultural Valuation

Farm and ranch land can be taxed on productivity, not market value

Texas allows agricultural land to be appraised on what it can produce rather than what it could sell for, which usually means a much lower tax bill.

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Tax Bill Breakdown

Multiple taxing units appear on your property tax bill

Your Taylor County property tax bill can include charges from up to 18 different taxing units — the county, a school district, and possibly a city or water district.

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