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ABILENE, TEXAS<br />

Heart of the Big Country<br />

Photography by Steve Butman<br />

Text by Loretta Fulton<br />

A publication of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Develop Abilene


Thank you for your interest in this HPN<strong>book</strong>s publication. For more information about other HPN<strong>book</strong>s publications, or<br />

information about producing your own <strong>book</strong> <strong>with</strong> us, please visit www.hpn<strong>book</strong>s.com.


ABILENE, TEXAS<br />

Heart of the Big Country<br />

Photography by Steve Butman<br />

Text by Loretta Fulton<br />

A publication of<br />

the Abilene Chamber of Commerce<br />

the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau,<br />

and Develop Abilene<br />

HPN<strong>book</strong>s<br />

A division of Lammert Incorporated<br />

San Antonio, Texas


First Edition<br />

Copyright © 2019 HPN<strong>book</strong>s<br />

All rights reserved. No part of this <strong>book</strong> may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,<br />

<strong>with</strong>out permission in writing from the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to HPN<strong>book</strong>s, 11535 Galm Road, Suite 101, San Antonio, Texas, 78254.<br />

Phone (800) 749-9790, www.hpn<strong>book</strong>s.com.<br />

ISBN: 978-1-944891-63-3<br />

Library of Congress Card Catalog Number: 2019935010<br />

Abilene, Texas: Heart of the Big Country<br />

photographer: Steve Butman<br />

writer: Loretta Fulton<br />

contributing writer for “Sharing the Heritage”: Loretta Fulton<br />

HPN<strong>book</strong>s<br />

chairman and chief executive officer: Jean-Claude Tenday<br />

publisher and chief creative officer: Bernard O’Connor<br />

president and chief revenue officer: Ron Lammert<br />

project manager: Curtis Courtney<br />

administration: Janelle Lockett, Donna M. Mata, Melissa G. Quinn,<br />

Kristin G. Williamson<br />

<strong>book</strong> sales: Joe Neely<br />

production: Colin Hart, Evelyn Hart, Tim Lippard, Craig Mitchell,<br />

Tony Quinn, Chris Sturdevant<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

2


CONTENTS<br />

Legacy Sponsors.......................4<br />

Introduction ................................5<br />

Chapter One - Heritage ..............6<br />

Chapter Two - The Economy.....28<br />

Chapter Three - Places ..............42<br />

Chapter 4 - Style.......................80<br />

Chapter 5 - The People ...........104<br />

Big Country Partners ...............126<br />

Sponsors.................................218<br />

About the Photographer.........219<br />

About the Writer.....................220<br />

CONTENTS<br />

3


Legacy Sponsors<br />

Through their generous support, these companies<br />

helped to make this project possible.<br />

Abilene Independent School District<br />

241 Pine Street<br />

Abilene, Texas 79604<br />

325-677-1444<br />

www.abileneisd.org<br />

Hardin-Simmons University<br />

2200 Hickory Street<br />

Abilene, Texas 79698<br />

325-670-1000<br />

www.hsutx.edu<br />

AbiMar Foods<br />

5425 North First Street<br />

Abilene, Texas 79603<br />

325-691-5425<br />

www.abimarfoods.com<br />

Rentech Boilers<br />

5025 East Business 20<br />

Abilene, Texas 79601<br />

325-794-5654<br />

www.rentechboilers.com<br />

EnProtec/Hibbs & Todd<br />

402 Cedar Street<br />

Abilene, Texas State Zip<br />

325-698-5560<br />

www.e-ht.com<br />

Senter Realtors<br />

3401 Curry Lane<br />

Abilene, Texas 79604<br />

325-695-8000<br />

www.senterrealtors.com<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

4


INTRODUCTION<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: Heart of the Big Country.<br />

The title of this <strong>book</strong> commissioned by the Abilene Chamber of Commerce says it all in a nutshell. Each word evokes an image, an emotion.<br />

ABILENE<br />

TEXAS<br />

HEART<br />

BIG COUNTRY<br />

What city wouldn’t covet that honor—being the heart of a historic and vibrant part of the state whose very name, Big Country, evokes images of sweeping vistas, vast blue sky, and grandeur?<br />

From its beginnings in 1881 as a tent city along a westward moving stretch of the Texas & Pacific Railroad to today’s thriving city of 120,000 people, Abilene has been the heart of<br />

this part of Texas that’s as big as all outdoors.<br />

The chapters of this <strong>book</strong> will tell the story of Abilene and the Big Country in photos and text. Along the way, you’ll discover a rich history, a thriving present, and a bright future.<br />

The <strong>book</strong>’s five chapters will explore the city and region in five categories—Heritage, Economy, Places, Style, and People.<br />

Abilene, the heart of the Big Country, is past, present, and future all in one. Experiencing Frontier Texas!, Abilene’s downtown interactive museum telling the history of this area, or<br />

watching any of Abilene historian Jay Moore’s “History in Plain Sight” DVD series provides a sense of where the city came from.<br />

Driving the loop around the perimeter of the city, glancing in all directions, gives an overview of what Abilene has become since those first tents were hastily erected. Gaze inward<br />

and see trees and landscaped greenspaces that bring color to this spot of a once colorless prairie.<br />

Look a little closer and see public and private elementary, secondary, and higher education campuses, medical centers, magnificent historic and new homes, booming businesses, and sports<br />

and recreation venues for all interests and all ages.<br />

Look outward and see highways leading in all directions to new housing and commercial additions, B-1 Bombers and C-130 cargo planes flying in and out of Dyess Air Force Base,<br />

private and commercial planes taking off and landing at Abilene Regional Airport, wind turbines methodically producing electricity for large population centers, and, in the far distance,<br />

a range of mesas that tug at the emotions and scream, “This is TEXAS.”<br />

A drive—better yet, a leisurely stroll—through downtown gives a sense of both the past and present, <strong>with</strong> restored buildings, museums, chic bars and restaurants, art galleries,<br />

thriving businesses, financial institutions, and office buildings. While on that walk, stop by the Chamber of Commerce office and get a glimpse of the future.<br />

“IMAGINE!” the large red letters command, drawing visitors’ attention to an architect’s rendition of the future. The drawing, resting on an easel, depicts a gleaming convention hotel<br />

at the heart of a bustling festival district designed to give visitors and locals an opportunity to “enjoy the sights, sounds and activities of a hip & historic urban district.”<br />

Now imagine a timeline stretching along Cypress Street from North First Street to the future. The timeline begins on March 15, 1881, at the railroad, in front of the restored T&P<br />

Depot that now houses the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council.<br />

Lying at the center of that timeline is the site of the future convention hotel and festival district, both destined to make Abilene and the Big Country an even more desirous destination.<br />

When railroad investors determined that a <strong>community</strong> would be built along the new stretch of the T&P, they gave it a name: “The Future Great City of Texas.”<br />

“IMAGINE!” that.<br />

INTRODUCTION<br />

5


CHAPTER ONE<br />

HERITAGE<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

6


“We have a can-do attitude. If it’s worth doing, we can<br />

do it.”<br />

That was how former Mayor Norm Archibald described<br />

Abilene in an Abilene Reporter-News article prior to the<br />

city’s 135th birthday celebration on March 15, 2016.<br />

Those words could well describe Abilene’s heritage. If it<br />

hadn’t been for a can-do spirit, developers wouldn’t have<br />

chosen this particular spot on the prairie for the “Future<br />

Great City of West Texas.”<br />

On the day the town lots were sold a reporter for the<br />

Galveston Daily News, who was sent out west to record the<br />

proceedings, painted a picture of what he saw. Each day, he<br />

reported, new arrivals stepped out of Texas & Pacific<br />

Railroad passenger cars to begin life in a new city.<br />

“Upon sunrise,” he wrote, “they would see nothing but<br />

vast prairies and a sea of white canvas.”<br />

If only that reporter could see Abilene now. The vast prairies<br />

remain but the sea of white canvas tents has been replaced by a<br />

sparkling city of beautiful homes, schools, medical facilities,<br />

cultural sites, an Air Force base, and businesses of every type to<br />

serve 120,000 people.<br />

Fort Phantom Hill.<br />

CHAPTER ONE<br />

7


Fort Chadbourne and its owner, Garland Richards.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

8


CHAPTER ONE<br />

9


Historic buildings at the Taylor County History Center.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

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CHAPTER ONE<br />

11


It was that can-do spirit that moved pioneers to build<br />

the city’s first reservoir, Lytle Lake, in 1897 and to bring<br />

electricity and telephone service to citizens before the new<br />

town’s fifteenth birthday. It was that can-do spirit that<br />

brought a federal building, three colleges, and a hospital to<br />

town <strong>with</strong>in its first four decades.<br />

It was that can-do spirit that drove civic leaders to<br />

raise $125,000 to purchase land for a World War II Army<br />

camp that eventually would house 60,000 soldiers,<br />

dwarfing Abilene’s population of 26,000.<br />

That same spirit pushed civic leaders to lobby for<br />

Dyess Air Force base when the Army closed Camp<br />

Barkeley in 1945. The decade of the ‘60s saw an<br />

incredible burst of can-do spirit, beginning <strong>with</strong> the<br />

opening that fall of Cooper High School and followed by<br />

an unprecedented bond election in 1967 that paved the<br />

way for construction of facilities still in use today—<br />

Taylor County Courthouse, Abilene Convention Center,<br />

and the Taylor County Coliseum.<br />

The can-do spirit is alive and well in Abilene in the<br />

21st century, just as it was in the 19th and 20th<br />

centuries. Under the leadership of Archibald, plans were<br />

started, and are moving along, for a downtown Festival<br />

District, anchored by a convention hotel at the corner of<br />

Cypress and North Sixth streets.<br />

Colonel William E. Dyess, for whom Dyess Air Force Base is named.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

12


The 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum.<br />

CHAPTER ONE<br />

13


The can-do spirit also led Abilenians to preserve their<br />

past--their heritage--while building for the future. The<br />

1980s were a boom time for preservation. In 1985, local<br />

cowboys—synonymous <strong>with</strong> the name “Abilene”—<br />

formed teams to compete in authentic ranch activities.<br />

The event drew a crowd and raised money for charity.<br />

Today, that event is known as the Western Heritage<br />

Classic and is attended by visitors each May from all over<br />

the globe who want to experience the spirit of the Old West.<br />

Or perhaps they just want to come to the city <strong>with</strong> the<br />

pretty name, “Abilene,” the name they may have heard in<br />

song. Local author and collector of Western music, Joe<br />

Specht, published a <strong>book</strong> titled, Abilene in Song: The<br />

Women There Don’t Treat You Mean, in which he tells of<br />

more than 100 songs in which Abilene, Texas, plays a<br />

role or is mentioned.<br />

How many cities have that kind of heritage—a name so<br />

beautiful that songwriters love it!<br />

Bronco-busting at the Western Heritage Classic.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

14


CHAPTER ONE<br />

15


ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

16


CHAPTER ONE<br />

17


ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

18


Jean Prescott and Jeff Gore.<br />

CHAPTER ONE<br />

19


ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

20


CHAPTER ONE<br />

21


ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

22


Frontier Texas!<br />

CHAPTER ONE<br />

23


The Western Heritage Classic is committed to<br />

preserving the heritage of Abilene and the Big Country. But<br />

the ways of the pioneers weren’t the only thing that drew<br />

the attention of preservationists in the 1980s. In 1987, a<br />

fully restored Paramount Theatre reopened to amazed<br />

guests who glimpsed the same grace and beauty that<br />

amazed the first guests who attended the opening in 1930.<br />

The seed for restoring the Paramount came In 1975<br />

when the Abilene Preservation League formed. The league<br />

immediately sought an overall plan for preserving Abilene’s<br />

historic downtown. Things didn’t go smoothly, and in<br />

1981, the league learned that the Paramount Theatre was<br />

set for demolition.<br />

The league purchased the theatre but was unable to<br />

restore it and in 1985 sold the building to Paramount<br />

Properties, Inc., a nonprofit organization underwritten by<br />

the Dodge Jones Foundation. The magnificent theater<br />

reopened two years later and today hosts local and<br />

traveling cultural events and a classic film series.<br />

Reenactors at Frontier Texas!<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

24


The restoration of the Paramount proved to be the<br />

catalyst for restoring downtown. Before long, the Drake<br />

Hotel was magically transformed into The Grace Museum.<br />

In the past 30 years, other restoration has followed<br />

until today downtown Abilene is alive <strong>with</strong> repurposed<br />

historic sites.<br />

One of the showcases is the National Center for<br />

Children’s Illustrated Literature, located in the restored<br />

Rhodes Building at North First and Cedar Streets. The<br />

center, the brainchild of another former Abilene mayor<br />

<strong>with</strong> a can-do spirit, Gary McCaleb, was incorporated in<br />

1997 and officially opened in March 2000.<br />

Its success was highlighted in 2015 when the Texas<br />

Legislature officially dubbed Abilene, the “Story<strong>book</strong><br />

Capital of Texas,” and then “Story<strong>book</strong> Capital of<br />

America” in 2018. Those designations are celebrated<br />

each June <strong>with</strong> a Children’s Arts & Literature Festival or<br />

CALF—another iconic image of the Big Country.<br />

New restoration projects are constantly cropping up<br />

downtown, but so are plans for future construction. The<br />

Community Foundation of Abilene has completed a new<br />

office at North First and Mesquite streets. And, <strong>with</strong>out<br />

a doubt, the convention hotel and Festival District that<br />

today’s Abilene movers and shakers envision will become<br />

a reality.<br />

Abilene is a city <strong>with</strong> an eye toward the future. But it<br />

hasn’t forgotten its heritage, especially the characteristic<br />

of a can-do spirit inherited from its founders.<br />

As former Mayor Archibald says, “It it’s worth doing,<br />

we can do it.”<br />

The Paramount Theatre.<br />

CHAPTER ONE<br />

25


A buck at Lake Brownood.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

26


CHAPTER ONE<br />

27


CHAPTER TWO<br />

THE ECONOMY<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

28


Close your eyes and imagine gigantic wind turbine<br />

blades methodically churning in a West Texas breeze, the<br />

arm of a pumpjack moving up and down <strong>with</strong> a<br />

mesmerizing constancy, a majestic B-1 bomber soaring in<br />

a blue sky, headed home to Dyess Air Force Base.<br />

Add to that backdrop images of Abilene’s medical,<br />

agricultural, educational, cultural, and industrial<br />

centers. Now, stir in two more images—a thriving, urban<br />

downtown <strong>with</strong> a sparkling new convention hotel and,<br />

to the east of downtown, a modern state-of-the art<br />

vocational-technical training facility.<br />

Stir all those images together and, instead of a blur,<br />

you have a clear picture of Abilene’s economy today and<br />

tomorrow. The traditional economic drivers aren’t going<br />

away. City economic leaders are actively pursuing<br />

landing the next-generation bomber at Dyess to replace<br />

the B-1 once it becomes outdated.<br />

Energy, agriculture, the military, education,<br />

healthcare—all the things that make Abilene a regional<br />

hub—are the stalwarts of the <strong>community</strong>’s economy.<br />

Ensuring a workforce to sustain them is one of the<br />

challenges of the future.<br />

A B-1 bomber over Abilene.<br />

CHAPTER TWO<br />

29


Scenes from an open house at Dyess Air Force Base.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

30


Economic leaders are on top of ideas to train and retain professionals and vocational workers to make sure Abilene and the<br />

Big Country remain vital.<br />

“We want to embrace where we’ve come from and build on it,” said Doug Peters, president and chief executive officer of the<br />

Abilene Chamber of Commerce. “We are very fortunate to be in a <strong>community</strong> that has a diverse economy.”<br />

In March 2016, TIP Strategies of Austin presented an Economic Development Strategic Plan that had been commissioned by<br />

the Development Corporation of Abilene and the city. The plan was designed to provide a comprehensive approach to Abilene’s<br />

economic development for the next five to ten years.<br />

A key finding was that Abilene’s economic future isn’t tied to attracting new industry to the city and the jobs that come <strong>with</strong><br />

it. Instead, the plan calls for “developing, retaining, and attracting the talent that can fill existing and future need.”<br />

Peters, and other stakeholders in Abilene’s economy, believe a “hip, urban environment” and the new Texas State Technical<br />

College vocational-technical training building just west of Abilene Regional Airport are two keys to making that part of the plan<br />

a reality.<br />

Texas State Technical College offers a program in aviation mechanics at<br />

Abilene Regional Airport.<br />

CHAPTER TWO<br />

31


ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

32


Opposite: The TSTC training facilities at Abilene Regional Airport.<br />

Above: Hendrick Medical Center.<br />

CHAPTER TWO<br />

33


A downtown convention hotel, long a dream of city<br />

leaders, is no longer just a dream. Once built, the hotel<br />

is expected to spark even more downtown attractions,<br />

especially ones geared to young professionals.<br />

The Chamber of Commerce is laser focused on retaining<br />

a large portion of the hundreds of college graduates<br />

that Abilene’s three universities and two <strong>community</strong> colleges<br />

produce each year. An enhanced quality of life, like<br />

a thriving downtown that is appealing to the young professional<br />

crowd, is one approach.<br />

Another is the Abilene Young Professionals, a 550-<br />

member branch of the Chamber of Commerce that targets<br />

the 22-40-year-old crowd. AYP hosts monthly networking<br />

events, <strong>community</strong> engagement projects, and a program<br />

called Campus Connect that pairs a young professional<br />

<strong>with</strong> a college student who is close to graduating.<br />

Campus Connect is so popular, Peters said, that more<br />

than 100 college juniors and seniors applied for 30<br />

available spots. Besides college students, economic<br />

leaders want to retain more men and women who are<br />

separating from the military.<br />

A new online portal developed by economic leaders<br />

allows veterans, soon-to-be veterans, and spouses to sign<br />

up for job alerts in Abilene, based on keywords they list<br />

when they sign up.<br />

Opposite: Abilene Regional Medical Center.<br />

Left: Abilene Young Professionals is part of the Abilene Chamber<br />

of Commerce outreach targeting younger members of Abilene’s<br />

business <strong>community</strong>.<br />

CHAPTER TWO<br />

35


Above: Agriculture is a stalwart of the Abilene economy.<br />

Opposite: New home construction in south Abilene.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

36


CHAPTER TWO<br />

37


A forest of wind turbines. Green energy generation is an important part of<br />

Abilene’s economy.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

38


CHAPTER TWO<br />

39


ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

40


Training and retaining a workforce is essential to the<br />

economic future of Abilene and the surrounding area. The<br />

retention part relies on a number of factors, including<br />

quality of life. A <strong>book</strong>let prepared by the Chamber of<br />

Commerce board of directors called Advantage Abilene<br />

includes a key phrase under the heading of “Opportunities.”<br />

That phrase is “Sense of Place.”<br />

No one is more keenly aware of the significance of that<br />

phrase than Peters. He likes to tell people who boast<br />

about the amenities of big city life that Abilene has a<br />

distinct advantage.<br />

“You don’t have to spend your life looking through the<br />

windshield of your car,” he reminds them.<br />

Abilene has much to offer in addition to the “10-minute<br />

rush hour.” It already boasts a vibrant downtown <strong>with</strong> bars<br />

and restaurants, shops, museums, art galleries and business<br />

and banking centers.<br />

And, it has its name—Abilene. No other city in the<br />

state has a name that evokes images of the grandeur of<br />

Texas like Abilene. It’s a name that draws people to it.<br />

They want to experience “Abilene.”<br />

The people who are working hard to secure Abilene’s<br />

economic future know that and have no intention of<br />

trying to make Abilene into something it isn’t. Why would<br />

they when we’ve already got a good thing going?<br />

“We just want to be the best Abilene we can be,”<br />

Peters said.<br />

Shoppers enjoying Cypress Street.<br />

CHAPTER TWO<br />

41


CHAPTER THREE<br />

PLACES<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

42


An old optical company turned into a chic bar and<br />

venue, a former auto mechanic shop transformed, <strong>with</strong><br />

the help of a magic wand and a little fairy dust, into a<br />

center for children’s story<strong>book</strong>s, a dilapidated hotel<br />

graced <strong>with</strong> a new appearance and identity.<br />

From the mid-1980s, downtown Abilene has been the<br />

setting for one transformation after another, starting <strong>with</strong><br />

the exquisite Paramount Theatre, which reopened in<br />

1986 after undergoing a complete restoration. The<br />

Paramount was built in 1930 by H.O. Wooten and<br />

adjoins his Hotel Wooten, also fully restored and<br />

transformed into high-end apartments.<br />

The Paramount was noted in the 1930s as the finest<br />

theater between El Paso and Fort Worth and today touts<br />

itself as “an icon for the revitalization of the city’s<br />

downtown district as well as a nostalgic glimpse into our<br />

nation’s cinematic and theatrical past.”<br />

Those downtown landmarks are just a few of the<br />

fascinating and diverse places that Abilene and the Big<br />

Country have to offer visitors and locals alike. Tour<br />

buses routinely pull alongside the Grace Museum, which<br />

houses art, history, and children’s sections, and school<br />

buses frequently unload squealing children in front of<br />

the Paramount or Frontier Texas, an interactive museum<br />

on the edge of downtown.<br />

If it’s history you’re after, or a taste of the Old West,<br />

traditional and contemporary art, fine dining or a<br />

sandwich, a live performance, a classic movie or just a<br />

hip bar or coffee house to sit back and relax in,<br />

downtown Abilene has it.<br />

CHAPTER THREE<br />

43


ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

44


A modern convention center, <strong>with</strong> an adjacent convention hotel in the works, anchors one end of the original downtown<br />

and the T&P Railroad track, lined <strong>with</strong> its remodeled and repurposed historic buildings, marks the southern end. In between,<br />

lie years of history, thriving business and banking centers, bustling bars and restaurants, the Center for Contemporary Arts, The<br />

Grace Museum, the 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum and the Abilene Public Library.<br />

The National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature on the south end of downtown and the Adamson-Spalding Story<strong>book</strong><br />

Garden next to the Abilene Convention Center on the north, pay homage to Abilene’s title of “Story<strong>book</strong> Capital of America.”<br />

Visitors could experience Abilene’s past, present, and future even if they never wandered outside of the downtown area. But<br />

if they do venture out, they will discover even more fascinating and diverse places. On the east side of town, the Taylor County<br />

Expo Center buzzes <strong>with</strong> activity year-round, hosting the West Texas Fair & Rodeo in September, the Western Heritage Classic<br />

in May, and equestrian events, concerts, and special events every month of the year.<br />

Opposite: The Wooten Hotel.<br />

Above: A mural on the side of the D&W Warehouse on South First Street.<br />

CHAPTER THREE<br />

45


Right: The old Weather Bureau Building is now home to Cape & Son.<br />

Opposite: Abilene Convention Center.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

46


CHAPTER THREE<br />

47


The Abilene Zoo.<br />

Just across Highway 36 from the Expo Center is Abilene’s<br />

top tourist attraction, the Abilene Zoo <strong>with</strong> its collection of<br />

exotic animals and local species, a tiny railroad, carousel,<br />

concession stand, walkways and waterways.<br />

The west side of Abilene is home to Dyess Air Force Base,<br />

originally the site of an Army airfield during World War II.<br />

If it’s military history you’re into, drive north out of Abilene<br />

and visit the ruins of Fort Phantom Hill, a cavalry outpost in<br />

the late 1800s. The downtown tourist attraction, Frontier<br />

Texas, was designed to evoke images of the fort.<br />

If those attractions aren’t enough, take a scenic drive<br />

southwest toward the mesas to Abilene State Park, a yearround<br />

playground <strong>with</strong> natural beauty and modern<br />

amenities. On the way home, visit the Taylor County<br />

History Center, formerly known as the Buffalo Gap<br />

Historic Village, located in Buffalo Gap, the county’s original<br />

county seat.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

48


CHAPTER THREE<br />

49


Right: Abilene Public Library<br />

Opposite: The Biblical Studies Building on the campus of Abilene<br />

Christian University.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

50


CHAPTER THREE<br />

51


ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

52


Opposite: The Halbert-Walling Research Center on the campus of Abilene<br />

Christian University.<br />

Above: The Expo Center of Taylor County.<br />

CHAPTER THREE<br />

53


ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

54


After resting a spell, try a road trip to<br />

surrounding counties that make up the Big<br />

Country. Visit quaint and friendly small towns<br />

in Callahan, Jones, Fisher, and Nolan counties,<br />

all filled <strong>with</strong> antique shops, restored buildings,<br />

cozy cafes, and museums. Take a little bit longer<br />

drive and visit the restored Fort Chadbourne in<br />

Coke County, the lakes of Runnels and Coleman<br />

counties, or the magnificent Old Jail Art Center<br />

in Albany, county seat of Shackelford County.<br />

Once you’ve come full circle, welcome back<br />

to “ABILENE, TEXAS: Heart of the Big Country.”<br />

The Old Jail Art Center.<br />

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Opposite: Abilene Regional Airport.<br />

Left: Cypress Street.<br />

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This page: Lake Kirby.<br />

Opposite: Lytle Lake.<br />

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The Abilene Eagle’s Nest stonework on the gymnasium of the former Lincoln<br />

Middle School, soon to be Abilene Heritage Square.<br />

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The facade of the B&J Furniture building on Chestnut Street.<br />

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Above: The Caldwell Fine Arts Building at Hardin-Simmons University.<br />

Opposite: The Logsdon Chapel stained glass window at Hardin-Simmons University.<br />

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The Grace Museum.<br />

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The National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature.<br />

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The largest velvet painting in the world on display at the Center for Contemporary Arts.<br />

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Opposite: Fourth of July concert by the Abilene Community Band at<br />

the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest.<br />

Left: Radford Memorial Auditorium at McMurry University.<br />

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Opposite: The Mill Wine Bar & Event Center.<br />

Left: Rose Park Adventure Cove Aquatic Center.<br />

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Right: The former Harold’s Pit Bar-B-Q. During its heyday, owner Harold<br />

Christian was voted as one of the “Top 10 Best Chefs” in the nation.<br />

Below: Hickory Street Cafe.<br />

Opposite: Everman Park.<br />

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Opposite: Veterans Cemetery.<br />

Above: First Financial Bank.<br />

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Opposite: City hall in Rising Star, Texas.<br />

Above: Courthouse Square, Anson, Texas.<br />

Left: Snyder, Texas.<br />

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Opposite: Sinclair Station in Albany<br />

Above: The Aztec Theatre in Albany.<br />

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CHAPTER FOUR<br />

STYLE<br />

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Style? Oh, yeah. We’ve got that.<br />

What kind of style are you looking for? A rough and<br />

tumble “Friday Night Lights” experience? A classy evening<br />

at the symphony? A wine summit? A beer summit? A<br />

rattlesnake roundup? A Rhinestone Roundup? A Cattle<br />

Baron’s Ball? A Cowboys’ Christmas Ball?<br />

Is it culture, historic preservation, the arts, sports,<br />

leisure, festivals, or a story<strong>book</strong> experience you’re after?<br />

Abilene and the Big Country offer every kind of style<br />

imaginable. The names “Abilene” and “Big Country” may<br />

evoke images of the Old West—and there is plenty of that<br />

style, for sure—but visitors find that the area has much<br />

more to offer.<br />

For a taste of the Old West, events and venues are available<br />

year-round. Visit the Taylor County Expo Center on just<br />

about any day of the year and you’ll find horses and riders,<br />

whether youngsters participating in the Texas State 4-H Horse<br />

Show or the Texas High School Rodeo Association state finals<br />

rodeo or grown up cowboys on their cutting horses, quarter<br />

horses or everyday ranch horses. Or stop by in May and take<br />

a deep dive into the Old West culture at the Western Heritage<br />

Classic, which features everything from “wild cow milking” to<br />

the intricacies of dutch oven cooking.<br />

Big Country Balloon Fest.<br />

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Right: A cow skull adorns a barn door at Lambshead Ranch.<br />

Opposite: Flying A Car Museum in Albany.<br />

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CarWalk on Cypress Street.<br />

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The Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra.<br />

Explore more of the true Old West experience at Frontier Texas in Abilene, the Taylor County History Center in Buffalo Gap,<br />

or any of a number of museums in the Big Country. For an authentic Texas experience, give the Sweetwater Jaycees’ “World’s<br />

Largest Rattlesnake Roundup,” a try, just like thousands of visitors from around the globe do in March every year.<br />

Or visit <strong>with</strong> oldtimers, listen to their stories and their fiddle music, or take in the rodeo at the annual Texas Cowboy Reunion,<br />

held in Stamford around the Fourth of July.<br />

And then there’s the Fandangle, a home-grown outdoor musical held in Albany each June depicting the history of the region<br />

in song and dance.<br />

Or maybe you prefer the romantic side of the cowboy life. Then, be sure to visit Anson in December each year for the historic<br />

Cowboys’ Christmas Ball, which was the basis for Larry Chittenden’s 1890 poem of the same name.<br />

Residents and visitors alike can find a cultural offerings practically every day of every year. The Abilene Convention Center,<br />

Paramount Theater, university stages, Abilene Community Theater and special venues like The Mill offer enough theatrical and<br />

musical experiences to fill anyone’s calendar.<br />

If it’s music you love, all of it is available in Abilene. Enjoy exquisite classical and pops concerts by the Abilene Philharmonic<br />

or the scoot-a-boot at the Outlaws & Legends Music Fest or swing to the rhythm at the Key City Rhythm & Blues Festival.<br />

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Right: Outlaws & Legends Music Festival at the Back Porch of Texas.<br />

Opposite: Key City Rhythm & Blues Festival.<br />

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If your lifestyle is defined by sports and leisure<br />

activities, those abound in Abilene and the Big Country,<br />

too. Four high schools in Abilene, plus smaller ones in<br />

area communities, and three universities offer spectator<br />

sports of all kinds, from football, basketball, and baseball<br />

to swimming, tennis, and track.<br />

The area is dotted <strong>with</strong> luscious green golf courses,<br />

tennis courts, aquatic centers, bowling alleys, playing<br />

fields, bicycle trails, and fishing holes and hunting<br />

grounds or those whose lifestyle is a little above the<br />

“spectator” level.<br />

No matter how you define ”style,” Abilene and the Big<br />

Country have got you covered.<br />

Opposite: Abilene Country Club.<br />

Left: Diamondback Golf Course.<br />

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A Wylie High School football game.<br />

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Right: The Taylor County Veterans Memorial by Terry Gilbreth stands<br />

outside the Taylor County Courthouse. The piece features a bronze statue of<br />

a soldier and a silver statue of an eagle.<br />

Opposite: The Swenson House decorated for the holidays.<br />

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This page: West Texas Fair & Rodeo.<br />

Opposite: Story<strong>book</strong> Sculptures sponsored by the Abilene Cultural<br />

Affairs Councill.<br />

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The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council<br />

sponsors a series of sculptures based on<br />

characters from the works of Dr. Seuss.<br />

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Opposite: September Tripod by David Deming.<br />

Right: The Herd, an outdoor sculpture by artist Wayne Amerine.<br />

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CHAPTER FIVE<br />

THE PEOPLE<br />

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Heritage, economy, style, places—all are important<br />

pieces of what make Abilene the Heart of the Big Country.<br />

But what really makes Abilene and the Big Country<br />

buzz are the people who call this part of Texas home.<br />

Educators, students, medical professionals, financial<br />

experts, media whizzes, active duty and retired military<br />

personnel, business leaders, laborers, nonprofit employees<br />

and volunteers and, of course, cowboys, all are pieces of<br />

the mosaic that blend together to create Abilene and the<br />

Big Country.<br />

Each year, the Abilene Reporter-News publishes a “20<br />

Under 40” magazine, citing current and future Abilene<br />

leaders, who will follow the notable footprints left by<br />

former and current leaders. Many of those are associated<br />

<strong>with</strong> the Abilene Young Professionals, a Chamber of<br />

Commerce organization <strong>with</strong> a mission to “attract, retain<br />

and engage young professionals in Abilene.” Many of the<br />

professionals in Abilene, both today and in the past,<br />

come from the ranks of the military. Camp Barkeley, a<br />

World War II Army camp southwest of Abilene, was<br />

home to 50,000 soldiers and officers, making the camp<br />

twice the size of Abilene in the early 1940s. Many of<br />

them returned to Abilene after the war, marrying local<br />

women and starting a business or working for one.<br />

Dancing the night away at Eller Hall.<br />

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The Buffalo Gap Wine & Food Summit.<br />

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Opposite: Abilene artist Chuck Roach.<br />

Left: Abilene residents satisfying their cravings at food trucks.<br />

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That trend continued <strong>with</strong> the establishment of Dyess<br />

Air Force Base in the 1950s. Today, Abilene is populated<br />

<strong>with</strong> Dyess personnel who saw that Abilene was a great<br />

place to live, work, and raise a family. They retired here<br />

or returned following retirement elsewhere, becoming<br />

significant pieces of the mosaic. In fact, the relationship<br />

between Dyess and the people of Abilene is so special that<br />

it was noticed by the Air Mobility Command, which<br />

awards a trophy to the city that is most supportive of the<br />

Air Force base it is home to. Abilene won it so many times<br />

that the city no longer is eligible for the honor. But that’s<br />

OK because the name on the trophy is “Abilene Trophy.”<br />

Abilene, by its size and central location, is the “Heart<br />

of the Big Country.” But it is the collective heartbeat of all<br />

the citizens of the area that give it life and vitality,<br />

making it a destination for people seeking new<br />

opportunities in a new home or simply looking for a<br />

weekend adventure. Abilene and the Big Country are<br />

filled <strong>with</strong> all kinds of folks--but there’s always room for<br />

one more.<br />

Left: The Barksdale Trophy.<br />

Right: The Abilene Trophy.<br />

Opposite: The Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup.<br />

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Opposite: Polo on the Prairie, a M. D. Anderson Hospital annual event.<br />

Left: The Children’s Art & Literacy Festival was founded by the Abilene<br />

Cultural Affairs Council in 2012.<br />

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The sights of the Children’s Art & Literacy Festival parade.<br />

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Michael Seaton at work.<br />

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The Abilene ISD Revolution Strings.<br />

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Outlaws and Legends Music Festival.<br />

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BIG COUNTRY<br />

PARTNERS<br />

Profiles of businesses, organizations, and<br />

families that have contributed to the development<br />

and economic base of Abilene<br />

Quality of Life ......................................................128<br />

SPECIAL THANKS TO<br />

Tolar Systems, Inc.<br />

1049 North Third #406<br />

Abilene, Texas 79601<br />

www.tolarsystems.com<br />

The Marketplace ..................................................152<br />

Building a Greater Abilene ..................................187<br />

Community Resource Directory .........................207<br />

BIG COUNTRY PARTNERS<br />

127


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QUALITY OF LIFE<br />

Healthcare providers, school districts, universities<br />

and other institutions that contribute to the<br />

quality of life in Abilene<br />

Love and Care Ministries.........................................................................................130<br />

Abilene Independent School District ..........................................................................134<br />

Hendrick Home for Children.....................................................................................136<br />

Dr. Norman Dozier.................................................................................................138<br />

Hardin-Simmons University .....................................................................................140<br />

Abilene Zoo ...........................................................................................................142<br />

Ballinger Memorial Hospital District .........................................................................144<br />

Hendrick Health System ..........................................................................................146<br />

City of Abilene ......................................................................................................148<br />

McMurry University ...............................................................................................150<br />

Abilene Christian University ....................................................................................151<br />

Twin Oaks southwest of Merkel, Texas.<br />

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LOVE AND CARE<br />

MINISTRIES<br />

Above: The most important aspects of Love and Care Ministries is the hope<br />

shared in Jesus Christ.<br />

Below: Larry Hulse is a graduate of the John 3:16 Discipleship program and<br />

serves his friends everyday in the food ministry.<br />

“Why can’t you do this at home?” That was the question<br />

Mark Hewitt heard God asking him while he was on a street<br />

in Moscow in June 1994, alongside fellow Christians from<br />

Abilene on a mission trip.<br />

This was the beginning of Love and Care Ministries. As<br />

Mark heard those words over and over, he wept and felt<br />

the presence of the Holy Spirit. Soon, he was hearing directions<br />

from God to start a homeless ministry and to love<br />

the unchurched.<br />

Everything began to happen in January 1995 when Mark<br />

and a friend started a street ministry simply by getting into<br />

Mark’s pickup and looking for people on the street to share<br />

twenty cups of hot soup <strong>with</strong>. Within two years, Mark<br />

walked away from his job and believed this was his calling<br />

for the rest of his life.<br />

From those humble beginnings, Love and Care has grown<br />

to an expansive campus in Abilene including two blocks and<br />

four buildings, <strong>with</strong> several employees, and single-building<br />

facilities in Clyde and Merkel. The growth has not just been<br />

in size and numbers of buildings.<br />

Originally, a feeding ministry starting on the streets, Love<br />

and Care now feeds people on-site <strong>with</strong> a commercial<br />

kitchen and dining room seating 108 people, six shower<br />

facilities, mountains of clothing, and household goods<br />

for the needy and homeless. Something else that has<br />

expanded at Love and Care is the number of working poor<br />

who are assisted. Originally, the homeless were the target of<br />

the ministry’s outreach, and they still are served in large<br />

numbers. But over the years, the number of working poor—<br />

people holding down three or four minimum wage jobs<br />

trying to make ends meet—has outpaced the number of<br />

homeless served.<br />

Love and Care is considered the city’s go-to place for serving<br />

underserved people in Abilene and the area. And, of<br />

course, “love and care” is biblically based, <strong>with</strong> the message<br />

of Jesus’ love intertwined throughout all the services offered.<br />

Mark, employees and volunteers see God literally changing<br />

people’s lives daily. “We just do what God tells us to do,”<br />

Mark said. And that is an impressive, lengthy to-do list.<br />

The Abilene campus houses the main office, “His Food<br />

Pantry,” “His Clothing,” “His Kitchen and Dining,” and “His<br />

Quiet Place.” The to-do list from God also included securing<br />

and funding facilities and finding partners in Clyde and<br />

Merkel to serve those communities. Mark’s son, Zack, is<br />

associate director of Love and Care, in charge of the Clyde<br />

and Merkel facilities.<br />

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Much of the ministering done by Love and Care takes<br />

place outside the buildings. Day and Night Strikes allow staff<br />

and volunteers to go into the streets, homeless camps, anywhere<br />

that people in need can be found, to provide food,<br />

water, blankets, socks, whatever a person living on the<br />

streets might need, most of all love. Church on the Streets<br />

takes place in parks, neighborhoods, parking lots, wherever<br />

a stage and sound system can be set up. Each fall, Love and<br />

Care holds a weeklong revival known as “tent revival,” now<br />

meeting in Abilene Convention Center. Each night provides<br />

worship, preaching, a hot meal, clothing give away, foot care,<br />

haircuts, and more.<br />

On the Friday before Thanksgiving each year, Mission:<br />

Thanksgiving takes place in the parking lot of Arrow Ford.<br />

2018 marks the twentieth year of Mission: Thanksgiving that<br />

the <strong>community</strong> of Abilene looks forward to as much as Love<br />

and Care. People drive through, donating non-perishable<br />

food, clothing, money, water and sodas, sleeping bags, blankets<br />

and more for the homeless and underserved. Each year,<br />

Mission: Thanksgiving brings awareness of the expansive<br />

ministries provided by Love and Care. With the help of<br />

1,100 volunteers, the drive raises close to $150,000, and<br />

receives more than a dozen trailer loads of goods. All that<br />

goes to providing for “the least of these,” the commandment<br />

from Jesus in Matthew 25 that lies at the heart of Love and<br />

Care. It is not unusual for the ministry, on a weekly basis, to<br />

serve 4,000 meals and distribute 230-plus boxes of food to<br />

people who are hungry.<br />

In addition to food, Love and Care has a 13,000-squarefoot<br />

clothing ministry complete <strong>with</strong> showers, clothing,<br />

hygiene items, and all sorts of small household items serving<br />

as many as 150 daily.<br />

Those at Love and Care are treated <strong>with</strong> respect and dignity,<br />

which is evident from the clean, neat appearance of the<br />

dining room, clothes closet, showers, and offices. Before diners<br />

line up for a hot meal, they gather for prayer in the spotless<br />

dining room, usually led by a chaplain.<br />

Once the chaplain says, “Amen,” the serving window may<br />

or may not open. That depends on whether Janet McGee, the<br />

Above: His Kitchen and His Dining serve hot meals at breakfast and lunch<br />

for any who come.<br />

Below: The His Clothing Ministry has free clothing, hygiene and household<br />

items, and showers available daily.<br />

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Associate Director Zack Hewitt and Founder and Executive Director<br />

Mark Hewitt.<br />

food ministry coordinator who started as a volunteer<br />

before joining the staff, is satisfied <strong>with</strong> the appearance of<br />

the kitchen. She refuses to open the window until the<br />

kitchen is spotless, so guests may feel good about the service<br />

they are receiving.<br />

Like the rest of the staff and volunteers at Love and Care,<br />

Janet does not see her service as a job but a joy and her<br />

involvement does not end once the meal is over.<br />

Each Wednesday afternoon, Janet and others load into the<br />

back of a large cargo truck for a street feed. The side of the<br />

truck says “Feeding and Reaching God’s Children on the<br />

Street.” A Bible verse, Matthew 25:35, reads, “For I was hungry<br />

and you gave me something to eat.”<br />

From the beginning, the street ministry has been at the<br />

heart of Love and Care. Nowhere is that more evident than<br />

during the Wednesday and Friday street feeds. Mark said<br />

one particular day while on the streets in south Abilene,<br />

feeding and ministering, he looked over and saw a lady<br />

standing on her front porch. He had seen her before but had<br />

never stopped. As he past her home once again, he immediately<br />

felt the Lord speak to him, saying something like,<br />

“Mark, are you not going to stop to help her? Are you going<br />

to continue to pass her by?” He quickly turned around and<br />

went back and asked, “Ma’am, how are you doing today?”<br />

She said, “Pretty good, thank you.”<br />

After visiting and offering her a meal, Mark’s heart was<br />

moved deeply, realizing she had no friends, no family<br />

or anyone. A relationship was quickly built and over the<br />

next few years, he watched God change this lady’s heart,<br />

home and lifestyle. Mark said, from this one experience God<br />

taught him that as a believer in Christ Jesus he needed to<br />

open his eyes and heart wide and see all of God’s children on<br />

the streets.<br />

From the beginning, Love and Care has existed to feed<br />

people <strong>with</strong> both physical and spiritual food. The ministry<br />

focuses on getting the homeless off the streets through a<br />

ministry called John 3:16. They disciple and house those they<br />

help, then send them into the world to serve others.<br />

“It’s been a wonderful success watching God literally<br />

change people’s lives. We can’t change anyone, but God can<br />

change everyone,” Mark said.<br />

The process is holistic, said Terry Davis, director of ministries.<br />

“You’re basically doing life <strong>with</strong> people.” People literally<br />

come off the street to seek help from Love and Care.<br />

Sometimes they stay. One is Bonez, so named for a time<br />

when he was “skin and bones” following a long recuperation<br />

from a fall from a six-story building when he was nineteen.<br />

Bonez remembers the day he met Mark and the impression<br />

he made. Someone on the street suggested Bonez go to<br />

Love and Care for a shower. Enroute, he stole a bottle of<br />

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cheap wine from a convenience store. He went to the nearest<br />

alley he could find and sat down behind a building to have<br />

a drink, only to realize shortly he was sitting at the backdoor<br />

of Mark’s office. Mark happened to step out the backdoor<br />

and saw Bonez drinking on the back steps. Bonez remembers<br />

the first words that came out of Mark’s mouth. “Sir,” he<br />

gently said, “you don’t have to live that way anymore.” Bonez<br />

was stunned. He had just been caught sitting at the man’s<br />

back door drinking from a bottle of stolen wine. He expected<br />

to hear something like, “Get out of here you bum or I’m<br />

going to call the cops.” Instead, he heard a message from<br />

Mark that was straight out of the Gospels. “I felt love from<br />

him the first day,” Bonez said.<br />

Once Bonez realized he really did not have to live that<br />

way anymore, he moved into the John 3:16 discipleship program<br />

where he cleaned up and started volunteering at Love<br />

and Care. Eventually he was hired. He arrives early each<br />

morning to make coffee and greet people. He also works in<br />

the clothing ministry where he gets to minister to his friends<br />

every day.<br />

“Those kinds of situations present themselves often at<br />

Love and Care,” Terry said. “A person shows up, receives<br />

love and care, and a relationship begins to develop. It’s<br />

through those experiences that Love and Care has grown.”<br />

It has been that way from the beginning. From the day<br />

that Mark heard God ask him why he could not do at home<br />

what he was doing in a foreign country, Mark has gone about<br />

building relationships, <strong>with</strong> the love of Jesus as the foundation.<br />

“He quit his job to serve the poor and needy,” Terry<br />

said, a testament to the strong calling that Mark felt.<br />

Mark left a steady job <strong>with</strong> West Texas Utilities to follow<br />

that calling, not knowing what lay ahead. He could not have<br />

envisioned what Love and Care Ministries has become. But<br />

he did know that no matter what the ministry grew into, the<br />

vision would not change: “Missionaries to the <strong>community</strong>,<br />

sharing the love of Jesus Christ <strong>with</strong> the homeless, poor, and<br />

to all people.”<br />

Above: Thad Gregory, aka. Bonez, visiting <strong>with</strong> one of the many friends we<br />

serve daily.<br />

Below: Food Ministry Coordinator, Janet McGee visiting <strong>with</strong> one of her close<br />

friends on the street, Bob Day.<br />

QUALITY OF LIFE<br />

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ABILENE INDEPENDENT<br />

SCHOOL DISTRICT<br />

Above: Third grade students participate in “I love America” all-school parade.<br />

Below: Abilene High and Cooper High ROTC display colors at crosstown<br />

football game.<br />

Everything in West Texas is bigger, from the wide<br />

open spaces to the expansive sky to the tall tales.<br />

So why would the goals of education leaders be any<br />

different? They are not, at least not in Abilene. Dr. David<br />

Young, superintendent of the Abilene Independent<br />

School District, does not hold back when describing the<br />

future he envisions for the district he has led since 2015.<br />

“Our goal,” he said, “is to be the premiere educational<br />

opportunity in West Texas.”<br />

If the district is not already there, it is well on its way.<br />

Just look at a few numbers:<br />

• 3,600 students enrolled in the Advanced Placement<br />

courses in grades 6-12;<br />

• 300-plus students enrolled in dual credit courses offered<br />

by six local colleges and universities;<br />

• 83.6 percent of K-12 students enrolled in the arts;<br />

• 60-plus percent of students participating in at least one<br />

athletic program;<br />

• 42 varsity teams competing in 13 sports;<br />

• 62 percent of students participating in Career &<br />

Technical Education courses in 17 career areas;<br />

• 14 elementary schools;<br />

• 4 middle schools;<br />

• 4 high schools (including health science and STEM magnet<br />

schools); and<br />

• 1 math and science magnet school for fifth-graders, located<br />

on the campus of McMurry University.<br />

All that would make an early-day leader, Superintendent<br />

F.W. Chatfield, smile. Abilene was founded in 1881, and a<br />

school held in a tent was one of the first amenities. In 1896,<br />

Chatfield described his goal for the district in an article in<br />

the Abilene Daily Reporter. His goal will sound familiar to<br />

current residents of the district.<br />

“The aim of the Abilene schools is to aid pupils to a proper<br />

appreciation of the true purposes of life,” Chatfield said,<br />

“and to fit them by culture of mind and heart to act their part<br />

<strong>with</strong> credit to themselves and <strong>with</strong> the greatest usefulness to<br />

the <strong>community</strong> in which they live.”<br />

Today, the Abilene Independent School District is fulfilling<br />

Chatfield’s goal in a number of ways.<br />

“We really are giving kids a lot of experiences,” Young said.<br />

From that original tent to today’s landscape <strong>with</strong> campuses<br />

spread across the city, the Abilene Independent School<br />

District is providing students not only <strong>with</strong> a “<strong>book</strong> education,”<br />

but <strong>with</strong> the tools to “fit them by culture of mind and<br />

heart to act their part <strong>with</strong> credit to themselves and <strong>with</strong> the<br />

greatest usefulness to the <strong>community</strong> in which they live.”<br />

The way the district is doing that is by making sure<br />

enough extra-curricular activities are provided, along <strong>with</strong><br />

first-rate academics, to ensure that every child finds a niche.<br />

That is everything from the arts to career and technology<br />

offerings to athletics to specialized courses.<br />

“Every kid needs some place to be a part of a smaller<br />

group or family,” Young said. The number of students participating<br />

in the arts, athletics, and advanced educational offerings<br />

proves that every kid who wants a niche is finding one<br />

in the Abilene schools. One aspect of today’s school life that<br />

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Superintendent Chatfield might not have envisioned in 1896<br />

is the explosion of fine arts.<br />

Fine Arts in the Abilene Independent School District covers<br />

a vast array of offerings, from marching bands to specialized<br />

choral and instrumental ensembles to orchestras to theater, to<br />

dance, painting, and every other conceivable form of art.<br />

A staggering 83.6 percent of the district’s total enrollment<br />

is involved in some kind of fine arts program. Students who<br />

love the arts can also get a head start on learning to teach the<br />

arts, if education is their career choice.<br />

The Texas Association of Future Educators, or TAFE, has<br />

a local chapter that assists students looking for a career in<br />

education. If a student wants to be a band or choral director<br />

or perform in or work in theater, teacher preparation courses<br />

are available, in addition to being in band, choir or theater.<br />

Not all students aspire to go to college after high school, and<br />

plenty of help is available for them, too. A huge variety of<br />

career and technical courses are offered for students, and sixtytwo<br />

percent of them are taking courses provided in seventeen<br />

career areas. To stay on top of what skills are needed in the<br />

workforce, formal and informal conversations are held<br />

<strong>with</strong> business and industry leaders in the <strong>community</strong>.<br />

“We have to continue to measure and assess what’s<br />

needed and desired,” Young said. Advisory boards provide<br />

input on areas such as the automotive industry,<br />

digital media, healthcare, any career field that needs a<br />

trained workforce.<br />

In addition to the formal advisory boards, Young said<br />

Abilene school leaders also are attentive to what is being<br />

said informally. A comment like, “Hey, have you ever<br />

thought about this kind of opportunity?” might just lead<br />

to a new course offering.<br />

Early-day school leaders in Abilene, like<br />

Superintendent Chatfield, set the tone for the kind of<br />

education they wanted for the children of their new city.<br />

Administrators and teachers ever since then have made sure<br />

that dream is a reality.<br />

They would be astounded at what has been achieved.<br />

They would more than approve of the current superintendent’s<br />

goal to go beyond excellence to being “the premiere<br />

educational opportunity in West Texas.”<br />

Above: Students in science lab at Holland Medical High School.<br />

Below: Cooper Cougarettes perform at a football game <strong>with</strong> marching band.<br />

QUALITY OF LIFE<br />

135


Thomas Hendrick.<br />

HENDRICK HOME<br />

FOR CHILDREN<br />

“It’s always about the children” is a modern slogan at<br />

Hendrick Home for Children, but the same sentiment was in<br />

the hearts of Thomas and Ida Nations Hendrick when they<br />

saw their dream realized in 1939.<br />

That was not a particularly good year for many<br />

Americans, <strong>with</strong> the Great Depression still in force and rumblings<br />

of war in the background. But for the first group of<br />

children who found a new life at Hendrick Home for<br />

Children, it was a banner year. This much has not changed<br />

for the thousands of children who have called Hendrick<br />

Home their home ever since. At Hendrick, it always has been<br />

and always will be about the children.<br />

From the beginning, Hendrick Home for Children has<br />

provided the best facilities and the best care for children who<br />

for whatever reason could not live <strong>with</strong> their family of origin.<br />

In 1939, that meant hiring esteemed Abilene architect David<br />

Castle to design the iconic building at South Twenty-Seventh<br />

Street and Treadaway Boulevard. Years later, that commitment<br />

to quality would mean hiring an architectural firm to<br />

design a new, modern facility <strong>with</strong> the same look and quality<br />

as the original.<br />

“When we build this back, we’re going to build it exactly<br />

the way Mr. Castle built it,” said David Miller, who has<br />

served as president of Hendrick Home for Children since<br />

January 1, 1994.<br />

“Steady” might be a good word to describe life at<br />

Hendrick, both for the children and for the operation. Since<br />

1939, only three superintendents have served the home:<br />

• Thomas E. Roberts oversaw the home from 1939<br />

through 1977.<br />

• President and Chief Executive Officer, Claude E. Hicks,<br />

1977 to December 1993.<br />

• Vice President of Development and Community Relations,<br />

David Miller, 1989 to January 1, 1994, when he became<br />

President Miller of Hendrick Home for Children.<br />

Under the leadership of these three men, the commitment<br />

to caring for children has remained the same, but always<br />

<strong>with</strong> an eye toward the future. In 1996, this meant adding a<br />

Family Care Program to the Basic Care Program. Going forward,<br />

it means enlarging the swimming pool, retrofitting the<br />

gymnasium for today’s lifestyles, and adding a rural residence,<br />

<strong>with</strong> cottages for boys. Expansion at the home<br />

will provide space for 144 children, up from the current<br />

eighty. The new building will provide housing for up to<br />

sixteen families.<br />

The way children arrive at Hendrick will remain the<br />

same. The home operates independently of government<br />

funds, thanks to proceeds from the estate of the Hendricks,<br />

which means the home can be more selective in its admissions.<br />

A typical situation, Miller said, is that the parents<br />

abdicate care to grandparents, who then realize they are<br />

unable to care for young children.<br />

“Then they give us a call,” Miller said.<br />

Referrals also come from churches and schools. Once the<br />

children make Hendrick their home, the staff tries to provide<br />

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a stable environment, so that the children get a good start on<br />

life. This good start extends beyond the time they graduate<br />

from high school. Thanks to an endowment, Hendrick is<br />

able to provide residents <strong>with</strong> a college education, all the<br />

way through a doctorate. For generations to come, children<br />

who grow up at Hendrick will flourish once they leave,<br />

much like Dr. Karin Brown, who heads the Criminal Justice<br />

Department at Hardin-Simmons University. Before joining<br />

the faculty at Hardin-Simmons, she worked in the criminal<br />

justice field. After leaving Hendrick Home for Children,<br />

Karin earned two bachelor’s degrees, a master’s degree, and a<br />

doctorate. She gives much of the credit to the people who<br />

made a home for her at Hendrick Home. Most of Karin’s<br />

early life was spent bouncing from one place to another,<br />

until she found a permanent home at Hendrick.<br />

“From the moment I arrived, I had the sense of being<br />

home,” Karin said. “I felt truly safe for the first time.”<br />

At Hendrick, Karin’s caregivers recognized her gift for<br />

learning and encouraged her academic growth. But Karin<br />

did not leave Hendrick Home for Children <strong>with</strong> a desire to<br />

continue learning just for the sake of getting college degrees.<br />

She also took <strong>with</strong> her a sense of purpose and direction that<br />

helped her grow into an adult who likes investing in the lives<br />

of others. That desire has manifested itself in many ways,<br />

from being an educator to serving as a youth pastor to facilitating<br />

groups for youths <strong>with</strong> substance abuse issues.<br />

“I believe my professional achievements are a result of the<br />

investments Hendrick Home for Children made in me,”<br />

Karin said.<br />

Somewhere, Thomas and Ida Nations Hendrick are smiling.<br />

What they started in 1939 has changed in many ways,<br />

<strong>with</strong> expansions and modernization. But now, as then, “It’s<br />

always about the children.”<br />

Above: Entrance to Hendrick Home for Children.<br />

Left: Ida Hendrick.<br />

QUALITY OF LIFE<br />

137


DR. NORMAN DOZIER<br />

PHOTOS COURTESY OF STEVE BUTMAN PHOTOGRAPHY.<br />

For many Abilenians, one of two images pops up when they<br />

hear the name Dr. Norman Dozier—a man in surgical scrubs<br />

who is preparing to relieve their chronic pain or a man dressed<br />

for a bird hunt, <strong>with</strong> a shotgun slung over his shoulder.<br />

Abilenians have long associated Dr. Dozier <strong>with</strong> both<br />

those images. Since 1985, Dr. Dozier has been providing<br />

relief to patients who thought their chronic pain could not be<br />

relieved. Since 1990, Dr. Dozier has been associated <strong>with</strong> the<br />

Big Country Celebrity Quail Hunt, which he founded as a<br />

fundraiser for Disability Resources Incorporated (DRI), a residential<br />

facility for people <strong>with</strong> developmental disabilities.<br />

Both of those associations come from a place of compassion,<br />

either for people who are suffering long-term pain or<br />

for individuals and their families afflicted <strong>with</strong> a disability.<br />

Today, Dr. Dozier’s medical practice is housed in two buildings<br />

he built, his office and the adjacent Abilene White Rock<br />

Surgery Center.<br />

The office was the first to open, in 2004, and the ambulatory<br />

surgery center was added in 2016. The surgery center<br />

is staffed by Dr. Dozier and four other surgeons: Dr.<br />

Talmadge Trammell, Dr. Steven Brown, Dr. Chris Eddleman,<br />

and Dr. Leslie Hutchins. The surgeons routinely do thirty or<br />

more procedures daily.<br />

Procedures performed at the surgery center include<br />

epidural steroid injections, spinal cord stimulator implants,<br />

carpal tunnel surgery, ulnar nerve release, anterior cervical<br />

discectomy and fusion, and minimally invasive lumbar<br />

decompression surgery. Dr. Dozier sees new patients and<br />

performs minor procedures in his office.<br />

When Dr. Dozier came to Abilene in 1985, he brought<br />

<strong>with</strong> him a state-of-the-art education in pain management.<br />

He also returned to familiar ground. Born and raised in<br />

Anson, just north of Abilene, Dr. Dozier was the Class of<br />

1974 valedictorian at Anson High School. In 1977, he graduated<br />

Summa Cum Laude <strong>with</strong> a bachelor’s degree in biology<br />

and a minor in chemistry from Texas Tech University. Next<br />

came a medical degree in 1982 from the University of Texas<br />

Medical Branch in Galveston. In medical school, he was an<br />

Alpha Omega Alpha Highest Honors Graduate.<br />

Dr. Dozier completed an internship/residency at the<br />

University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas,<br />

in 1985. He left as chief resident in anesthesiology/pain<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

138


management, having learned from the best, Dr. Kasumi<br />

Arakawa. In 1976, Arakawa was named chairman of the<br />

Department of Anesthesiology at the medical center.<br />

Arakawa formed the first pain management program in<br />

Kansas City and was widely acclaimed.<br />

Dr. Dozier brought the knowledge and skills he had<br />

learned under Arakawa to Abilene in 1985. He practiced<br />

<strong>with</strong> the Abilene Anesthesia Group until 2001 and then<br />

opened a solo practice in pain management/anesthesiology.<br />

For the past eighteen years, Dr. Dozier has been assisted by<br />

Sue Elmore, office manager, and Jenny Frazier, PA-C.<br />

Dr. Dozier has seen a number of changes during his career,<br />

among them, Medicare codes and regulations, procedures,<br />

equipment, and changes brought <strong>with</strong> the advent of the<br />

Internet. Dr. Dozier has to be recertified every ten years and<br />

for many years that was done in person. Now, the accrediting<br />

agency administers the recertification testing online.<br />

Dr. Dozier has been cited numerous times in his career by<br />

the medical <strong>community</strong>, starting in college when he was<br />

named to Alpha Epsilon Delta, the national premedical<br />

honor society. He also has numerous board certifications,<br />

including anesthesia and pain management from the<br />

American Board of Anesthesiologists. His membership list in<br />

professional organizations is lengthy, including the Texas<br />

Medical Association, American Society of Anesthesiologists<br />

and Texas Society of Anesthesiologists, Texas Pain Society<br />

and most recently, the National Advisory Board of the Laura<br />

W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health.<br />

Dr. Dozier’s interest in medicine started in junior high<br />

school when he thought he would be an orthopedic surgeon.<br />

But when he was older, his mother was diagnosed <strong>with</strong><br />

breast cancer, undergoing multiple surgeries, radiology and<br />

chemotherapy. She underwent treatment while Dozier was a<br />

student at the UT Medical Branch in Galveston. He visited<br />

often and watched his mother die a painful death.<br />

“There’s got to be a better way,” was a recurring thought,<br />

prompting him to concentrate on pain management instead<br />

of orthopedic surgery.<br />

That same compassion led to Dr. Dozier’s involvement<br />

<strong>with</strong> Abilene’s DRI. Early in his practice, Dr. Dozier had an<br />

office manager named Jud Shields, whose son was autistic.<br />

Shields and his wife, plus three other sets of parents of children<br />

<strong>with</strong> disabilities, started DRI.<br />

Through conversations <strong>with</strong> Shields, Dozier learned that<br />

the residents needed opportunities for productive work. Dr.<br />

Dozier owned a bird farm and offered to assist DRI by turning<br />

over the production of pickled quail eggs and smoked<br />

quail and pheasant to sell in gift boxes.<br />

From there, he assisted <strong>with</strong> starting the Big Country<br />

Celebrity Quail Hunt to benefit DRI. In 2002, the West Texas<br />

Dove Classic was added.<br />

Dr. Dozier has been cited numerous times for his involvement<br />

<strong>with</strong> DRI, including DRI’s Distinguished Service Award<br />

and the WTU Premier Vision Award. But perhaps the greatest<br />

honor came in 2014 when DRI gave its campus a name—<br />

the “Dr. Norman J. Dozier Campus.”<br />

PHOTOS COURTESY OF STEVE BUTMAN PHOTOGRAPHY.<br />

QUALITY OF LIFE<br />

139


HARDIN-SIMMONS<br />

UNIVERSITY<br />

Above: An aerial view of Hardin-Simmons University.<br />

Below: Hardin-Simmons’ clock tower.<br />

To sense the history of Hardin-Simmons University, walk<br />

toward the center of campus and touch the gravestones of<br />

the founder and his family.<br />

To sense the present, turn in all directions and gaze at the<br />

beauty of the landscaping and facilities, and smile in appreciation<br />

as students, faculty and staff walk by.<br />

To sense the future, glance across campus at the new<br />

Physician Assistant Program or take a short drive down Pine<br />

Street to a modern glass and steel building that the university<br />

acquired for expansion of the Physical Therapy Department.<br />

To sense what ties the past, present, and future of Hardin-<br />

Simmons University together, take a closer look at the gravesites<br />

of James B. Simmons, his wife, Mary, and their son, Robert.<br />

Read the inscription on the east side of Simmons’ tombstone:<br />

“Even Their Ashes Witness for Christian Education.”<br />

More than a century later, those ashes witness Christian<br />

education at its finest every day. Hardin-Simmons is routinely<br />

cited as among the best by prestigious publications like<br />

Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. More than<br />

2,200 students are enrolled in the university’s 60 undergraduate<br />

major and minor academic programs or its 25 specialized<br />

graduate, professional, and seminary degree programs.<br />

They enjoy college life as members of more than fifty student<br />

clubs and organizations or compete in one of eighteen<br />

NCAA men’s and women’s varsity sports.<br />

Walking through the scenic campus today, bursting <strong>with</strong><br />

energy and activity, it is hard to imagine that what began as<br />

Abilene Baptist College almost did not make it. In fact, it<br />

most likely would have failed if not for the intervention of<br />

James. B. Simmons, a New York pastor.<br />

Simmons was connected <strong>with</strong> some of the biggest names<br />

of his time, like John D. Rockefeller and Booker T.<br />

Washington. However, that is not what defined him. He was<br />

a breaker of barriers, a committed Christian, a believer in the<br />

power of Christian education.<br />

Hardin-Simmons was founded in 1891, just ten years<br />

after the city of Abilene sprang to life on the prairie. The<br />

fledgling school encountered financial troubles before the<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

140


first building, Old Main, was completed. Simmons came to<br />

the rescue <strong>with</strong> generous financial backing, and in gratitude,<br />

the school was renamed Simmons College.<br />

“We are building upon what he gave us,” said Assistant to<br />

the President for University Marketing and Global<br />

Engagement Grey Hoff.<br />

Simmons actually wanted the school to be named<br />

Christlieb College, meaning the College of Christ’s Love.<br />

Though it goes by a different name today, Hardin-Simmons<br />

University is, in fact, the College of Christ’s Love.<br />

Simmons gave HSU a proud heritage. The university aims<br />

to challenge and equip students to answer two questions<br />

that Simmons asked himself more than 125 years ago: “What<br />

is the greatest thought that has ever occupied your mind?<br />

What is your duty toward fulfilling it?”<br />

The university exists today to help students discover the<br />

answers to those essential questions.<br />

Simmons would be proud. An abolitionist, Simmons<br />

broke barriers in the 1800s when he preached against slavery.<br />

In 1858, he was threatened <strong>with</strong> a coat of tar and feathers<br />

for denouncing slavery from the pulpit of First Baptist<br />

Church in Indianapolis. After the Civil War, when Simmons<br />

served as Corresponding Secretary of the American Baptist<br />

Home Mission Society, he founded seven universities in the<br />

heart of the South to serve freed slaves.<br />

However, Simmons considered “Simmons College” his<br />

crowning achievement. He set a standard for the university that<br />

continues today, a standard of academic excellence, commitment<br />

to Christian principles, and a place where great thoughts,<br />

big ideas, and dreams can be cultivated. Simmons left a legacy<br />

as a breaker of barriers, and today Hardin-Simmons instills<br />

that same spirit and commitment in its students.<br />

Dr. Travis L. Frampton, professor of biblical studies and<br />

Associate Provost of Hardin-Simmons, is one of Simmons’<br />

biggest admirers. Frampton was so taken <strong>with</strong> Simmons’ life<br />

story that he spent part of his sabbatical leave in the summer<br />

of 2014 traveling to Simmons’ birthplace in New York and<br />

other places that were significant in Simmons’ life.<br />

In a commencement address based on Simmons’ life and<br />

in an article for the university’s alumni magazine, Range<br />

Rider, Frampton marveled at the contributions Simmons<br />

made to society and to Christian education. “James B.<br />

Simmons’ story is our story,” Frampton wrote in his Range<br />

Rider article. “It is the Hardin-Simmons University story par<br />

excellence. It is a gospel about doing—a gospel of not just<br />

knowing Christ, but being Christ to the world.”<br />

Above: Hardin-Simmons University-Gilbert and pond.<br />

Below: Hardin-Simmons University’s football games at Shelton Stadium.<br />

QUALITY OF LIFE<br />

141


ABILENE ZOO<br />

Above The Abilene Zoo is home to over 1,000 individuals from 270 species<br />

from around the globe.<br />

Below: Guests meet a rhino during a VIP tour.<br />

The Abilene Zoo, the city’s number one tourist attraction,<br />

celebrated its fiftieth anniversary at its current location in<br />

2016 in an appropriate manner, setting an all-time attendance<br />

record <strong>with</strong> more than 249,600 guests touring the<br />

thirty-two-acre complex.<br />

The zoo traces its roots to 1919 on land in the old Fair<br />

Park, now Rose Park, that the city fathers had purchased in<br />

1914. Interest in city parks grew over the decades and in<br />

1959 and 1960, the first bond elections for parks improvements<br />

including the zoo were held. The city parks board<br />

named a committee to study the zoo and in 1962 the committee<br />

recommended moving the zoo to a new location. The<br />

next major step in the zoo’s development was the formation<br />

in 1963 of the Abilene Zoological Society, a nonprofit corporation<br />

that supports the zoo. A sixty-member board of directors<br />

was named for the society, <strong>with</strong> attorney David Hooper<br />

serving as its first president. Original board member, Donald<br />

McDonald, remains on the board today, as do Joe and Gail<br />

Russey, who joined the board near the beginning. The recommended<br />

relocation came in 1966 to Grover Nelson Park.<br />

Today’s modern zoo, which is accredited by the<br />

Association of Zoos & Aquariums, features more than 1,000<br />

individuals of 270 species from around the globe including<br />

lions, monkeys, flamingos, zebras, and snakes. The animals<br />

reside in modern habitats, including the new Giraffe Safari,<br />

a recently constructed Caribbean Cove, and upgraded<br />

Wetlands of the Americas. All that is housed in the awardwinning<br />

Grover Nelson Park on Abilene’s east side. The zoo<br />

grounds also feature a kid-sized train, carousel, picnic areas,<br />

restrooms, gift shop, and plenty of shade trees and landscaped<br />

areas for guests to enjoy.<br />

Most visitors to the zoo go for the sheer enjoyment of<br />

watching Mother Nature at play, but the zoo also features several<br />

educational components. “The ultimate goal of the<br />

Abilene Zoo’s Education Department is to be the environmental<br />

resource of the Big Country,” according to the zoo’s website.<br />

To reach that goal, the zoo offers numerous educational<br />

opportunities, both on-site and as outreach programs. School<br />

groups regularly tour, and classes and camps for a range of<br />

ages are held year-round, <strong>with</strong> fun names like Awesome<br />

Armadillos, Fantastic Frogs, and Feathery Flamingos.<br />

Playing an active role in worldwide conservation through<br />

a variety of efforts, the zoo contributes funds for numerous<br />

conservation programs that actively contribute to the<br />

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Top, left: African Lions are one of several species on exhibit at the<br />

Abilene Zoo.<br />

preservation of a variety of wildlife and their habitats including<br />

rhinoceros, jaguars and the Attwater’s prairie chicken.<br />

Many of these programs include participation from the local<br />

communities who directly benefit from the preservation of<br />

their natural <strong>resources</strong>.<br />

The zoo hosts numerous events throughout the year to<br />

celebrate its relationship <strong>with</strong> the <strong>community</strong> including<br />

annual events around Halloween and Christmas. In addition,<br />

visitors can <strong>book</strong> behind the scenes tours, where they<br />

can feed the rhino or tour the giraffe barn. From individual<br />

facilities to the entire park, the zoo offers Abilene’s most<br />

unique venue for a family reunion or corporate picnic.<br />

Due to volunteer and staff leadership and strong <strong>community</strong><br />

and donor support, today’s Abilene Zoo has grown dramatically<br />

over the past fifty years. The zoo is positioned to<br />

grow, having twenty-four-acres of undeveloped land for<br />

future projects, and to continue meeting its mission: “To be<br />

a place of learning and adventure, where families make<br />

memories, share the joy of discovery and become inspired to<br />

preserve wildlife.”<br />

For more information about the Abilene Zoo please visit<br />

www.abilenezoo.org.<br />

Middle: Visitors can have a unique opportunity to feed a giraffe on Twiga<br />

Terrace.<br />

Bottom, left: The zoo prides itself on its lush landscaped grounds.<br />

Top, right: The largest resident of the zoo's reptile house is a Burmese Python.<br />

QUALITY OF LIFE<br />

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BALLINGER MEMORIAL<br />

HOSPITAL DISTRICT<br />

In an age when many rural hospitals are closing their doors<br />

or downsizing services, Ballinger Memorial Hospital is thriving.<br />

Even a damaging rainstorm in November 2016 did not<br />

deter hospital officials and supporters <strong>with</strong> carrying on the<br />

hospital’s mission and goals. The hospital was in the process<br />

of getting a new roof when the storm hit, causing damage to<br />

the interior. As a result, the entire hospital was gutted and<br />

rebuilt from <strong>with</strong>in. All patient rooms were updated and all<br />

new equipment was purchased.<br />

“This allowed the facility the opportunity to expand its<br />

services, provide state-of-the-art technology, and continue<br />

Ballinger Memorial Hospital District also is one of the<br />

larger employers in the area, <strong>with</strong> more than 100 full and<br />

part-time employees. Additionally, the district provides educational<br />

activities that encourage wellness in the <strong>community</strong>.<br />

The hospital was organized in 1962 and opened on<br />

January 1, 1963. Founding directors were Bob McCarvey,<br />

F.M. Pearce, Ralph Erwin, Earl Barr, Gene Heidenheimer,<br />

John King, J.G. Tuckey, H. Teplicek, Gene Keel, and Condra<br />

Wiley. Much has changed at the hospital since those men<br />

first sat on the board.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

144<br />

providing exceptional patient care,” said Whitney Shorb,<br />

director of human <strong>resources</strong>.<br />

Today, the twenty-five-bed critical access hospital<br />

offers traditional acute inpatient and swing bed/skilled<br />

nursing, an emergency room, Level IV Trauma Center, and<br />

EMS services for 8,500 people living in a 635 square-mile<br />

service area. Among the outpatient services are physical,<br />

speech, and respiratory therapies; sleep studies; CT, ultrasound.<br />

bone density, MRI, and Digital X-Ray testing;<br />

expanded labratory services, primary medical care/clinic<br />

services; wellness counter, and retail pharmacy <strong>with</strong> durable<br />

medical equipment.


In 1990, voters created the Ballinger Memorial Hospital<br />

District to support the hospital financially. Ballinger<br />

Memorial Hospital became a critical access hospital <strong>with</strong><br />

twenty-five beds in August 2000. The hospital is certified as<br />

a Level IV trauma emergency room.<br />

Also in 2000, Ballinger EMS became the 911 ambulance<br />

provider for approximately two-thirds of Runnels County. In<br />

the years since the formation of Ballinger EMS, it has begun<br />

providing full-time backup ambulance coverage for the<br />

remaining one-third of Runnels County in collaboration<br />

<strong>with</strong> neighboring providers.<br />

In 2005, in an effort to expand its comprehensive<br />

healthcare, the hospital district purchased Shannon<br />

Clinic of Ballinger, creating the Ballinger Hospital Clinic.<br />

Among the services provided at the clinic are primary care,<br />

treatment of minor illnesses, chronic disease management,<br />

physical examinations, well child visits, local nursing home<br />

patient visits, immunizations, allergy injections, and minor<br />

office procedures.<br />

The hospital district expanded even more in March 2012,<br />

<strong>with</strong> the purchase of Keel Drug Pharmacy, which has served<br />

the <strong>community</strong> for more than 100 years. The pharmacy is<br />

located next to the Ballinger Hospital Clinic. In addition to<br />

dispensing medications, the pharmacy also is well stocked<br />

<strong>with</strong> durable medical equipment, making it convenient for<br />

area residents to get what they need <strong>with</strong>out having to travel<br />

to a larger city. Among the items the pharmacy offers<br />

are diabetic and respiratory supplies, canes, crutches, standard<br />

walkers, four-wheel walkers, urinals and bedpans, and<br />

TED (Thrombo-Embolic-Deterrent) compression hose and<br />

anti-embolism hose.<br />

In 2011, the Ballinger Memorial Hospital Health<br />

Foundation was founded as a nonprofit corporation to provide<br />

assistance to the hospital district by establishing an<br />

avenue for tax deductible donations. Donations have<br />

enabled the hospital to purchase equipment such as a<br />

hydraulic ambulance stretcher, cardiac heart monitors, and<br />

items for patient rooms.<br />

Ballinger Memorial Hospital District has an impressive<br />

history and is on solid footing in the present. It is so highly<br />

respected that in 2017, BMHD was named the Business of<br />

the Year by the Ballinger Chamber of Commerce. But the<br />

future is even more exciting. As the hospital district continues<br />

to grow, services and locations also are expanding. A new<br />

Physical Therapy and Wellness Center is on the horizon. A<br />

long-term plan is to build a new facility <strong>with</strong>in the next ten<br />

years to best accommodate the rural population. Whatever<br />

the future brings, the hospital will serve the same purpose as<br />

it has from the beginning:<br />

“The purpose of Ballinger Memorial Hospital is to serve as<br />

a hospital for the care of persons suffering from any illness or<br />

disabilities, which require patient care. The hospital supports<br />

educational activities related to rendering care to the sick and<br />

injured. Ballinger Memorial Hospital participates in and promotes<br />

activities to encourage wellness in the <strong>community</strong>.”<br />

The Ballinger Memorial website at ballingerhospital.org<br />

offers options to order your medication refills, pay your bill,<br />

appointment information or even directions to one of their<br />

several locations.<br />

QUALITY OF LIFE<br />

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HENDRICK HEALTH SYSTEM<br />

Top: The first unit of West Texas Baptist Sanitarium was erected in<br />

September 1924 at a cost of $150,000.<br />

Middle: In 1936, a gift to Hendrick saved the hospital and it was renamed<br />

Hendrick Memorial Hospital.<br />

Below: In 1966, the Meek Wing was built to house a thirty-bed<br />

pediatric hospital.<br />

“Always looking toward the future” is the heading for a<br />

timeline in the lobby of the Hendrick Medical Plaza on<br />

Buffalo Gap Road.<br />

But in 1915, when Millard A. Jenkins arrived in Abilene<br />

as pastor of First Baptist Church, the future—even the<br />

beginning—of the hospital was in doubt. Jenkins was the<br />

man who saw the need for a first-class hospital in Abilene,<br />

the “Future Great City of West Texas,” that was born alongside<br />

the Texas & Pacific Railroad tracks in 1881.<br />

Jenkins no doubt breathed a sigh of relief, coupled <strong>with</strong><br />

gratitude, when he made his remarks at the opening ceremonies<br />

of West Texas Baptist Sanitarium in September 1924.<br />

“For three years we dreamed, prayed, talked hospital, but<br />

the signs of promising interest did not develop rapidly,”<br />

Jenkins said.<br />

Jenkins had the vision for Abilene’s first hospital, but it has<br />

taken others <strong>with</strong> his same spirit to sustain it. The hospital<br />

would not have survived the Great Depression of the 1930s,<br />

when the hospital was in its infancy, if it had not been for T.G.<br />

Hendrick, a local oilman. Hendrick donated money to pay off<br />

the hospital’s debt and to build a new wing. In return, the<br />

hospital got a new name, Hendrick Memorial Hospital.<br />

The hospital Jenkins envisioned may have struggled in<br />

the beginning and through the Depression of the 1930s, but<br />

fortunes soon changed. A glance at the beautifully displayed<br />

timeline in the new Hendrick Medical Plaza gives a quick<br />

overview of the health system’s history. The Great<br />

Depression of the 1930s was followed by World War II and<br />

the establishment of Camp Barkeley southwest of Abilene.<br />

Many of the 50,000 soldiers stationed there returned to<br />

Abilene after the war, contributing to new growth at<br />

Hendrick. The opening of Dyess Air Force Base in the 1950s<br />

brought even more people and more growth. Two important<br />

wings—the Anderson Wing <strong>with</strong> eighty-four rooms and the<br />

Meek Wing to house a children’s hospital, nursing school<br />

and blood bank, were added in the 1960s.<br />

Another man who was instrumental in the hospital’s history<br />

was E.M. Collier, who served as superintendent and<br />

president from 1929 to 1970, a remarkable span of years.<br />

Collier was so highly thought of that in 1965 he was named<br />

the first recipient of an award from the Texas Hospital<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

146


Association that bears his name, the Earl M. Collier Award<br />

for Distinguished Health Care Administration.<br />

Since Collier left in 1970, only three other men have<br />

served as president of what is now Hendrick Health<br />

System on a full-time basis—Boone Powell, 1970-1980;<br />

Michael C. Waters, 1980-2004; and Tim Lancaster, current<br />

president and chief executive officer who has held the position<br />

since 2004. All four CEOs have been honored <strong>with</strong> the<br />

Collier Award.<br />

Jenkins would shake his head in disbelief at the marvels<br />

of “his” hospital today. The technology is progressive at<br />

Hendrick where excellent healthcare is provided to patients<br />

in a nineteen-county area.<br />

He would be happy to know that the original five-story<br />

building he opened in September 1924 is still part of<br />

Hendrick Health System, although he might not recognize<br />

it. The building has been added onto many times, culminating<br />

<strong>with</strong> Project 2010, the largest expansion in the hospital’s<br />

history that brought the facility to 250,000 square feet, ten<br />

times larger than the original campus.<br />

The health system complex also has spread beyond the<br />

original acreage. Hendrick partnered <strong>with</strong> Texas Tech<br />

University Health Sciences Center to build three new schools<br />

on a Pine Street campus. The 40,800 square-foot Hendrick<br />

Hospice Care Center, also on Pine Street, serves the area <strong>with</strong><br />

sixteen inpatient rooms and outpatient services.<br />

Rural partnerships are also important to Hendrick, providing<br />

outreach services to smaller cities and towns nearby.<br />

The Hendrick Surgery Center in Brownwood opened in<br />

2017, followed by the groundbreaking of Hendrick Medical<br />

Plaza in 2018.<br />

Today, Hendrick Health System boasts of more than 500<br />

beds and approximately 3,400 employees, and expansions<br />

totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. No matter how big<br />

the numbers get or how much new state-of-the-art equipment<br />

is added, some things have not changed since Jenkins<br />

spoke to the crowd on September 15, 1924. Hendrick<br />

Health System is one of seven healthcare institutions affiliated<br />

<strong>with</strong> the Baptist General Convention of Texas.<br />

Something that would be familiar to Jenkins is the hospital’s<br />

mission statement: “To deliver high quality healthcare<br />

emphasizing excellence and compassion consistent <strong>with</strong> the<br />

healing ministry of Jesus Christ.”<br />

Above: Three of Hendrick Health System’s four chief executive officers<br />

reunited to share experiences <strong>with</strong> Hendrick Leadership. Pictured from left to<br />

right are Boone Powell, Jr., Tim Lancaster, and Michael Waters.<br />

Below: Hendrick Health System.<br />

QUALITY OF LIFE<br />

147


CITY OF ABILENE<br />

Above: Abilene South First.<br />

Below: Everman Park Fountain.<br />

“Moving Forward Together” was the slogan chosen to promote<br />

a 2015 bond election for city improvements, but it<br />

could be Abilene’s motto, beginning March 31, 1881, and<br />

going into the future.<br />

From day one, Abilenians have moved forward together,<br />

whether it be to attract a state facility just fifteen years after<br />

the city was founded, an Army base in the 1940s, an Air<br />

Force base in the 1950s, new water sources, businesses and<br />

industries, or health facilities. Visitors choose Abilene for a<br />

number of reasons—western heritage, tourist attractions,<br />

cultural events, festivals, and more. Residents love these<br />

things, but there is more to a city than amenities. Passage of<br />

the 2015 bond election, totaling $80.69 million, proved that<br />

Abilenians care about more basic City infrastructure as<br />

well. Although the bond package included amenities, the<br />

two big winners were streets, $45.9 million, and public safety,<br />

$12.9 million.<br />

In 2017, two years after the bond passed, Abilene elected<br />

its first African-American mayor, Anthony Williams, a product<br />

of the Abilene Independent School District and McMurry<br />

University. An editorial in the Abilene Reporter-News described<br />

the atmosphere in the City Council chambers when Williams<br />

was sworn in. “This was a celebration. The people crowded<br />

into the room may never have been more diverse. Men and<br />

women. Young and old. White, black, and brown. Some<br />

dressed casually, some in suits and dresses. People of different<br />

political views, for sure. And probably people of different sexual<br />

orientations. What they shared was the moment—an<br />

African-American had won election as mayor.”<br />

They also shared a commitment to “Moving Forward<br />

Together.” In February 2018, Williams gave his first State of<br />

the City address. He noted the diversity in the standingroom-only<br />

audience and pledged to be available, accessible,<br />

and accountable to present and future generations. He<br />

reminded the audience that collaboration among all segments<br />

of Abilene, and even beyond, is key to the city’s success.<br />

Abilene has a proud and colorful past, but civic leaders<br />

know that the future is where people are looking. Abilenians<br />

catch glimpses of that future every day. Since the mid-1980s,<br />

forward-looking people have been re-envisioning downtown<br />

Abilene, transforming it from the mundane to the extraordinary.<br />

Restored buildings like Paramount Theatre and Grace<br />

Museum evoke images of what the city looked like in its early<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

148


days. Everman Park on the south end of the downtown area<br />

and the Adamson-Spalding Story<strong>book</strong> Garden on the north<br />

end invite visitors and residents alike to take a leisurely stroll<br />

or sit and enjoy a picnic. A new downtown convention hotel<br />

will bring even more visitors to the historic downtown.<br />

Restoration of historic buildings originally focused primarily<br />

on the downtown area north of the Texas & Pacific<br />

Railroad tracks. But the south section is getting a facelift too,<br />

<strong>with</strong> the creation of the South of Downtown Abilene or<br />

SODA District. Drive by 301 Locust Street and be prepared<br />

to be amazed. Art students created a 3-D mural on the side<br />

of Lone Star Electric, the latest mural to brighten up old<br />

buildings on both sides of the railroad tracks that run<br />

through town. Then drive through the 800 block of South<br />

Second Street and continue to expect the spectacular.<br />

A building that originally housed a John Deere dealership<br />

is being transformed into a chic living space for the owners<br />

and events center for everybody. Brightly colored murals<br />

decorate the walls that are visible to passersby.<br />

The 3-D mural and the renovation of the tractor dealership<br />

join another chic spot in SODA, The Mill, at 239 Locust<br />

Street. The old Texas Mill & Elevator Company has been artfully<br />

transformed into one of the city’s hottest venues.<br />

The “Moving Forward Together” mentality was evident<br />

when Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center selected<br />

Abilene as the location for a complex of schools. The Tech<br />

mini-campus, located across the street from Hendrick<br />

Medical Center, has three connected buildings, housing<br />

schools of pharmacy, nursing, and public health. More<br />

expansion is planned for the future.<br />

The location of the three schools in Abilene was the result<br />

of a collaboration among Abilene city officials, <strong>community</strong><br />

leaders, and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center—<br />

more evidence of “Moving Forward Together.”<br />

This spirit is a legacy established by the founders of “The<br />

Future Great City of West Texas.” The city exists because a<br />

group of ranchers and businessmen banded together to convince<br />

the Texas & Pacific Railroad to move their planned<br />

track north from the county seat of Buffalo Gap to a new area<br />

that crossed their land. The result was the establishing of the<br />

city of Abilene, which later became the new county seat of<br />

Taylor County.<br />

“Moving Forward Together”—that is what Abilenians<br />

have been doing even before they became Abilenians. It’s<br />

what makes us the “Key City.”<br />

Left: Paramount Marquee, Abilene.<br />

Below: Mayor Anthony Williams.<br />

PHOTOS COURTESY OF STEVE BUTMAN PHOTOGRAPHY.<br />

QUALITY OF LIFE<br />

149


MCMURRY UNIVERSITY<br />

McMurry University was founded in 1923 as a United<br />

Methodist institution and is a vibrant and comprehensive<br />

center of higher education. McMurry has a national reputation<br />

for excellence and value through the achievements of its<br />

faculty, students and graduates. The University enrolls more<br />

than 1,000 students and has an average class size of sixteen.<br />

Offering a diverse academic curriculum, students can<br />

choose from forty-five majors in the arts, business, education<br />

and the sciences as well as our pre-professional programs in<br />

nursing, medicine, dentistry, engineering, law, pharmacy,<br />

physical therapy and others.<br />

McMurry has forty clubs and organizations and twenty<br />

intercollegiate sports. Students are engaged <strong>with</strong> the <strong>community</strong><br />

and average 24,000 hours of annual service.<br />

McMurry is guided by our core values:<br />

• Christian Faith as the foundation of life;<br />

• Personal Relationships as the catalyst for life;<br />

• Learning as the journey of life;<br />

• Excellence as the goal of life; and<br />

• Service as the measure of life.<br />

The establishment of McMurry University began in the<br />

heart and vision of a single person, McMurry founder and<br />

first president, Dr. James Winford Hunt. He had a vision of<br />

establishing a Methodist college in West Texas. He wanted it<br />

to represent academic excellence. He wanted the college to<br />

be able to prepare young men and women for lifetime work<br />

and to be whole human beings who could function effectively<br />

in society.<br />

Led now by Dr. Sandra S. Harper, McMurry’s mission still<br />

reflects Dr. Hunt’s philosophy of higher education. Shaped<br />

by Christian principles, McMurry University challenges its<br />

students to examine our complex world from multiple perspectives<br />

in preparation for lives of leadership, service, and<br />

professional success.<br />

McMurry University is located at 1440 Sayles Boulevard<br />

in Abilene, Texas, and on the Internet at mcm.edu.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

150


All that gleaming new glass and steel on the campus<br />

of Abilene Christian University reflects the vision and<br />

commitment of those who made it possible.<br />

It reflects President Dr. Phil Schubert’s promise that<br />

ACU will “deliver a world-class academic education in<br />

a Christ-centered environment where students grow in<br />

their faith and are equipped to make a real difference in<br />

the world.”<br />

The transformed buildings and new construction are<br />

the result of the university’s Vision in Action, launched in<br />

2014. After receiving $55 million from three donors—<br />

including its largest gift ever—ACU embarked on transforming<br />

the campus in a way not seen for fifty years.<br />

Those gifts, plus others from across the ACU <strong>community</strong>,<br />

made possible five new or renovated facilities:<br />

• Robert R. and Kay Onstead Science Center, a transformation<br />

of the 85,000 square-foot Foster Science Building to<br />

include classrooms, labs and offices for the engineering<br />

and physics, mathematics, and agricultural and environmental<br />

sciences departments.<br />

• Halbert-Walling Research Center, a 54,000 square-foot<br />

building for science labs, classrooms, and offices.<br />

• Engineering and Physics Laboratories at Bennett<br />

Gymnasium, providing classroom, laboratory, and<br />

office space.<br />

• Wildcat Stadium, an 8,500-seat football venue, <strong>with</strong><br />

room for up to 12,000 total fans, the first on-campus<br />

since 1942. Its playing surface is called Anthony Field,<br />

named for April and Mark Anthony, whose $37 million<br />

donation to Vision in Action was the largest gift in ACU<br />

history. Wildcat Stadium’s first game was Saturday,<br />

September 16, 2017.<br />

• Elmer Gray Stadium, a combined facility for the university’s<br />

successful women’s soccer program and legendary<br />

track and field program that seats 1,000 fans.<br />

The two other major donors, in addition to the<br />

Anthonys were:<br />

• Kay Onstead, $10 million to fund the Robert R. and Kay<br />

Onstead Science Center in honor of her late husband.<br />

• Kathy and David D. Halbert, $15 million for the Halbert-<br />

Walling Research Center that honors David’s grandparents,<br />

the late Dean and Thelma Walling.<br />

An impetus for the Vision in Action initiative was the university’s<br />

robust science programs, including its fast-growing<br />

engineering and physics department. ACU routinely sends<br />

undergraduate physics students to conduct research in the<br />

national laboratories like Brookhaven and Los Alamos, a rare<br />

opportunity for undergraduate students who get to work<br />

alongside renowned scientists and scholars.<br />

All the gleaming glass and steel are impressive, but their<br />

true value lies in what they make possible, the fulfillment of<br />

Schubert’s promise of a world-class academic education in a<br />

Christ-centered environment.<br />

“Thanks to God’s provision through these donors,”<br />

Schubert said, “we are delivering on our promise.”<br />

ABILENE CHRISTIAN<br />

UNIVERSITY<br />

QUALITY OF LIFE<br />

151


ABILENE: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

152


THE MARKETPLACE<br />

Abilene’s retail and commercial establishments and service industries<br />

offer an impressive variety of choices<br />

Arrow Ford, Inc. ....................................................................................................154<br />

Denton Valley Farms...............................................................................................160<br />

Jackson Bros. Feed & Seed .......................................................................................162<br />

Sharon Riley’s Restaurants .......................................................................................164<br />

First Financial Bank, N.A........................................................................................167<br />

AbiMar Foods, Inc. .................................................................................................168<br />

Abilene Convention Center.......................................................................................170<br />

Lawrence Hall Abilene ............................................................................................172<br />

Can-Doo Budjet Rentals, Inc. ...................................................................................174<br />

McMahon Surovik Suttle, P.C....................................................................................175<br />

Abilene Chamber of Commerce..................................................................................176<br />

DATROO Technologies .............................................................................................177<br />

Steve Butman Photography .......................................................................................178<br />

SERVPRO ® of Abilene..............................................................................................179<br />

America’s Small Business Development Center.............................................................180<br />

Texas Healthcare Linen ...........................................................................................181<br />

Wagstaff LLP .........................................................................................................182<br />

Lammert, Inc.........................................................................................................183<br />

Texas Star Trading Company ....................................................................................184<br />

Mulberry Canyon.<br />

THE MARKETPLACE<br />

153


ARROW FORD, INC.<br />

Right: H.S. “Higg”Higginbotham, founder of Arrow Ford, Inc.<br />

Below: A WWII-era flight simulator at Abilene Aviation Company.<br />

They say that “character is destiny.” If that is true, then one<br />

would be hard-pressed to find a better example than in the life<br />

story of H. S. Higginbotham, Jr. Born in 1912 into a longtime<br />

East Texas farm family, Higginbotham developed the values of<br />

hard work and ambition from an early age. After graduating<br />

from Tarleton State, he began a career in the automobile<br />

industry, which ultimately brought him to Abilene, Texas, in<br />

1940 as the office manager of Western Chevrolet.<br />

His leadership and organizational acumen soon became<br />

apparent, and Western’s owner, Jack Hughes, tapped “Higg” to<br />

transition his private airport into the Abilene Aviation<br />

Company, where he oversaw the company’s work in training<br />

World War II pilots—a major contribution to the war effort. In<br />

1950, Western Chevrolet moved from its downtown location<br />

to South First Street, adjacent to Abilene Aviation, which was<br />

winding down its work for the Air Force in the post-war years.<br />

Spurred by Higg’s unique experience of working in a<br />

cooperative effort between the business and the military, and<br />

talents for “thinking big,” his consensus building managerial<br />

talents were again recognized, when in the late 1950s,<br />

Hughes named him general manager of his next project,<br />

Westgate Shopping Center, the area’s first indoor mall. Here,<br />

he brought in several major retailers, like Montgomery Ward<br />

and JC Penney’s, as well as Westgate UA Cinema and KCAD<br />

radio station, added in 1964, and run by “Slim” Willet, who<br />

wrote “Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes.”<br />

The pivotal year for Higg was 1964 and for the legacy he<br />

was already establishing. His story had been replete <strong>with</strong><br />

business success and civic involvement. But in many ways, it<br />

was just the beginning.<br />

As in many great stories, the beginning of Arrow Ford and<br />

all it would go on to become, started out in failure. Higg wanted<br />

to buy Western Chevrolet from his mentor, Hughes. Thwarted<br />

ABILENE: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

154


y Chevrolet, which offered him dealerships in other cities, and<br />

spurred by his love of and commitment to Abilene, he declined<br />

and partnered <strong>with</strong> Lynn Lee to purchase McIlwain Ford. It was<br />

soon rechristened as Arrow Ford, after a brainstorming session<br />

between the new partners at the Walgreens soda fountain, and<br />

Arrow was off and running. Stemming from their vision of providing<br />

total service, as well as a fun experience for all involved,<br />

they found the perfect mascot to symbolize their passionate<br />

approach to the business–Little Chief ‘T P’ (Total Performance.)<br />

This, and other creative initiatives, came to exemplify Arrow<br />

Ford during these years. A Slim Willet radio spot encouraging<br />

passing motorists to honk their horns loudly enough to shatter<br />

the dealership’s glass windows was one fun experiment. But<br />

other actions were more directly tied to customer service and<br />

convenience. Higg expanded his used car operations, and kept<br />

the Service Department open on Saturday, along <strong>with</strong> the body<br />

shop, wrecker and car rental department. Another nice touch<br />

was the provision of driver training cars for Abilene Public<br />

Schools. In this and countless other ways, Arrow Ford was<br />

demonstrating its commitment to “total customer service.”<br />

True to his “East Texas farm boy” roots, Higg embraced<br />

his role as a provider of employment, rewarding his employees<br />

as family and encouraging ways for their continued success.<br />

A great example is his creation of an owner-operator<br />

model that ultimately resulted in the establishment of other<br />

dealerships, not only in Abilene, but across West Texas and<br />

in Oklahoma. During this time, he took a lead role in the<br />

creation of Five Points Industrial Park, collaborating <strong>with</strong><br />

Bill Senter and the Abilene Industrial Foundation.<br />

When 1974 arrived, it had been a decade of growth and<br />

success for Arrow Ford. The tenth anniversary brought<br />

things “full circle,” when Higg bought the old Western<br />

Chevrolet Building, and had it completely remodeled. Arrow<br />

Ford has been there ever since.<br />

That was an auspicious year for the family as well, <strong>with</strong><br />

Seaton, the first of Higg’s three sons, joining the firm after graduation<br />

from Texas Tech in 1974—soon assuming the duties of<br />

service manager, and beginning to implement some ideas of his<br />

own. Having grown up around the operation and driven by the<br />

underlying theme of total customer service, Seaton started the<br />

creative idea of the “Damsels in Distress” program—a free 24/7<br />

wrecker service for women in need. Under the guidance of<br />

Arrow employee Albert Wilson, countless “stranded” women<br />

customers have been helped over the years.<br />

The following years would bring, in quick succession, a<br />

series of additions and events that would usher in the next<br />

chapters in the story of Arrow Ford.<br />

In 1975, Dale Higginbotham graduated from Texas Tech,<br />

and like brother Seaton, joined the family business, by<br />

Above: “Higg” and his sons, Seaton, Vinson, and Dale.<br />

Left: President of Arrow Ford Seaton Higginbotham.<br />

COURTESY OF STEVE BUTMAN PHOTOGRAPHY.<br />

THE MARKETPLACE<br />

155


Seaton and wife, Carolyn, puttin’ on the Ritz.<br />

COURTESY OF STEVE BUTMAN PHOTOGRAPHY.<br />

tradition, in the Service Department. He would soon become<br />

general manager of Heritage Cadillac, and ultimately the<br />

Parts and Service Director at Arrow. Then in 1984, Higg’s<br />

third son, Vinson, came on board and became Arrow’s<br />

Service Manager. Later he would go on to oversee all Arrow<br />

Ford properties, in the role of vice president.<br />

As a true family business, Arrow Ford has always made<br />

the most of its inter-generational talents and interests, something<br />

that remains true to this day. For example, after his<br />

assumption of duties as general manager in 1978, Seaton<br />

would go on to uphold the family tradition of commitment<br />

to <strong>community</strong> service by election to the Abilene City<br />

Council, and through his service on numerous civic boards<br />

and committees, including the Abilene Industrial<br />

Foundation, as co-chair of “Water Now” (which created Ivey<br />

Lake, another water source for Abilene) and Crimestoppers<br />

as president. This spirit of <strong>community</strong> service has been a<br />

continuing theme during Seaton’s tenure at the helm.<br />

Arrow Ford has always responded to the demands of<br />

changing times. So it was, that in 1975, not long after the<br />

tenth anniversary’s big remodel, the company slogan was<br />

changed to “Under the Big American Flag,” and a twenty by<br />

thirty foot version of Old Glory was raised over Arrow’s<br />

home at 4001 South First. This reaffirmed the company’s<br />

commitment to country and <strong>community</strong>, and also set the<br />

tone for future undertakings.<br />

The themes of growth and <strong>community</strong> involvement, tempered<br />

by response to changing times, continued throughout<br />

the next decade—and beyond. Consistent <strong>with</strong> their earlier<br />

program of providing driver training vehicles for AISD and<br />

in keeping <strong>with</strong> their ongoing belief that a commitment to<br />

children is essential to our future, in 1981, Arrow Ford<br />

opened in Safety City to help third graders learn about<br />

pedestrian and vehicular safety.<br />

The early 1980s also brought extreme challenges economically,<br />

<strong>with</strong> the collapse of oil prices and the subsequent<br />

financial struggles of many Abileneians. Seaton responded<br />

<strong>with</strong> tangible programs to help the people of the <strong>community</strong>.<br />

The Loan Arranger was created to assist customers whom the<br />

banks would not. Through its components—ReCreditrePair,<br />

Guaranteed Credit Approval and Vanishing Interest Rates—<br />

the Loan Arranger has been helping consumers ever since.<br />

In 1989, Arrow added Mitsubishi to its product line-up,<br />

yet another timely response to the demands of a discerning<br />

public, which added an even wider range of quality and fun<br />

vehicles to Arrow’s quiver.<br />

So, through a combination of long-term experience, dedication<br />

to its founding principles, market savvy and response to<br />

its customers’ needs, Arrow emerged from the 1990s stronger<br />

than ever and poised to face the challenges of the new century.<br />

In 1993, Arrow’s tone changed when Mari Kay Morrison came<br />

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up <strong>with</strong> “The Right Choice” slogan. Focusing even more directly<br />

on the customer experience, Arrow underwent another<br />

remodel shortly thereafter. Instead of desks–consultation centers;<br />

expanded service drive and parts warehouse; and, a new<br />

finance and delivery showroom allowed customers to drive<br />

their vehicles right off the showroom floor.<br />

Always on the lookout for “a Better Idea” to enhance the<br />

customer’s buying experience and to encourage his employees,<br />

Seaton delved into the motivational techniques of Zig<br />

Ziglar. This experience evolved into what became known as<br />

the “I Can Attitude,” and took concrete form in a team meeting<br />

where the key props were an empty can of green beans<br />

and a selection of magazines. Team members cut out the eyes<br />

from magazine photos, then pasted them on the can. This “I<br />

Can” pencil holder would then sit as a reminder on each<br />

team member’s desk as a visible cue of Arrow’s working philosophy.<br />

This was followed up by an “I Can” Kids program<br />

in the schools and a sales campaign at the dealership—all of<br />

which spread the idea further into the <strong>community</strong>, and<br />

demonstrate Arrow’s ongoing efforts to reach out to the <strong>community</strong><br />

it serves. In a more serious vein, Arrow teamed up<br />

<strong>with</strong> KTXS TV, KEAN Radio and the Abilene Reporter News,<br />

in 1998, to honor teachers and mentors who work <strong>with</strong> children.<br />

“Teacher Tribute” served as a “thank you” to inspirational<br />

teachers. Then, in 1999, Arrow joined forces <strong>with</strong><br />

Cumulus Radio, KTXS TV and Love and Care Ministries to<br />

help Abilene’s homeless. This annual effort, “Mission<br />

Thanksgiving” has provided much-needed clothing, food<br />

and cash to the homeless for twenty years. Today it includes<br />

over fifty-five sponsors and 1,000 volunteers. Arrow Ford<br />

believed in collaboration before collaboration was cool.<br />

The twenty-first century would bring profound changes<br />

to society in general and the automobile industry in particular.<br />

From the atrocities of September 11, 2001, to the Great<br />

Recession of 2009, major adjustments have had to be made<br />

in all walks of life and the people of Arrow Ford Mitsubishi<br />

would rise to the occasion. Seaton responded by focusing his<br />

best efforts <strong>with</strong>in the leadership of his industry, working on<br />

special financing programs to help <strong>with</strong> the disruptions<br />

faced by consumers through service on the HSBC Dealer<br />

Council and the Zurich Insurance Dealer Council. He also<br />

served as Chairman of the Texas Automobile Dealers<br />

Association in 2006, representing over 1,400 dealers at the<br />

state and national levels.<br />

During this period, Arrow continued to expand its used car<br />

operations, adding locations and staffing to the extent that the<br />

terms: Discount Center is under the leadership of Bargain Bin<br />

Bubba, Program Car Center led by Gerald Welch, and Special<br />

Finance 1 and 2, became “household names” across the area.<br />

Arrow also created a nostalgic showroom Christmas display<br />

featuring animatronics from Thornton’s department store,<br />

which grows bigger every year. In 2003, the Chrysler and Jeep<br />

franchises were added to Arrow’s vehicle line-up, ultimately<br />

ranking in the nation’s top ten percent for customer satisfaction<br />

and claiming the Jeep 5-Star Dealer Award.<br />

Arrow continued to grow by adding Auto Accessories and<br />

More, a company designed to sell accessories for all makes<br />

Above: Eagle statue dedicated by Arrow Employees following the attacks<br />

of 9/11.<br />

Left: Arrow Ford updated exterior following the 2014 remodel.<br />

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Above: Arrow has always had an “I can” attitude and has promoted that<br />

attitude through several success programs like Heart to Heart, Teacher<br />

Tribute, and Mission Thanksgiving.<br />

Right: Trennon Cauthen and Shanna Kevil, the next generation of Arrow<br />

Ford leadership.<br />

and models, and a new Quick Lane tire and lube company,<br />

to compete in an ever changing world.<br />

The great recession of 2009 hit everyone hard, but Arrow<br />

took an extra blow, which came in June of 2009, when<br />

Chrysler declared bankruptcy, and terminated <strong>with</strong>out cause<br />

more than 800 dealers, one of which was Arrow. Although it<br />

was able to meet its thirty-day liquidation deadlines, Arrow<br />

still had to pay off the franchise it no longer owned.<br />

Before the recession of 2009 wreaked its devastation,<br />

Arrow employed more than 175 people, and sold 350 vehicles<br />

per month. By December of 2010, sales had been cut in<br />

half, and sixty employees had been lost.<br />

Yet, Arrow Ford Mitsubishi survived and continues to<br />

thrive. Looking back on those darkest of days, Seaton credits<br />

several factors.<br />

First, and most importantly his employees—who took a<br />

cut in pay, and rededicated themselves to working harder and<br />

longer, and to identify completely <strong>with</strong> their customers’ wants<br />

and needs, working to create “raving fans,” and promoting a<br />

philosophy of “no excuses.” Second, to Arrow’s customers and<br />

the Abilene <strong>community</strong>, <strong>with</strong> whom they continue to grow<br />

and strengthen the bond of trust and commitment, as they<br />

stood “tall in the face of adversity” together.<br />

Arrow weathered the storms of 9/11 and the Great<br />

Recession thanks to its solid foundation, strong leadership, and<br />

deep ties to the Abilene <strong>community</strong>, and in 2013, it was time<br />

to invest the new generation of leadership. Seaton’s daughter,<br />

Shanna Kevil, was named general manager, and Trennon<br />

Cauthen, Vinson’s son-in-law, became comptroller. Both have<br />

been steeped in the “Arrow culture,” and are poised to fulfill<br />

Arrow’s mission—to its legacy, its partners, and its <strong>community</strong>.<br />

Well over fifty years into its history, Arrow Ford Mitsubishi<br />

now is a premier business in Abilene, employing 141 men and<br />

women (fourteen of whom are veterans.) It encompasses more<br />

than ten companies under the same roof—new car dealerships,<br />

used car operation, service center, parts, body shop, accessories,<br />

rentals, accounting, financing, note lot, and tire and lube facility,<br />

providing not only jobs but careers for its employees. Arrow<br />

is proud of the loyalty and longevity of its employees, <strong>with</strong> several<br />

staff members having served for more than thirty years.<br />

The legacy of <strong>community</strong> service continues, as Shanna<br />

serves as a board member for Ford Dealer Advertising, advisory<br />

board member for Prosperity Bank, Chairman of the<br />

Board of Habitat for Humanity, and is active in organizations<br />

that impact the foster care system. Trennon focuses on<br />

leadership in the Abilene Chamber of Commerce’s R.I.S.E.<br />

program (Relationship, Insight, Service, Engagement).<br />

Seaton has embraced his new role as mentor, which has<br />

allowed him to stay involved in civic initiatives crucial to the<br />

<strong>community</strong>, and is slated to become the Chairman of the<br />

Abilene Chamber of Commerce. Indeed, if there is a<br />

local organization focusing on education, employment, or<br />

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158


economic development, it is very likely that Seaton is—or<br />

has been—an integral part of it, such as the Abilene<br />

Automotive Education Alliance (AAEA), chaired by Arrow’s<br />

Parts & Service Director Paul Bounds, which connects automotive<br />

industry partners, the Abilene Independent School<br />

District, Cisco College and Texas State Technical College, to<br />

form a program to train skilled auto technicians; Team<br />

Workforce, a committee of the Abilene Chamber of<br />

Commerce to promote a more skilled workforce for the<br />

region; cooperative programs <strong>with</strong> Dyess AFB; internships<br />

<strong>with</strong> Hardin-Simmons, ACU and McMurry Universities; and<br />

the AISD strategic planning committee, a committee<br />

designed to create a paradigm shift in education. Seaton<br />

strives to break down “silo cultures” by promoting a<br />

Collective Impact approach to solving large social problems.<br />

His goal is to bring everyone to the same table.<br />

To top it all off, Arrow has recently been awarded the title<br />

of “Small Employer of the Year” for 2017 by the Texas<br />

Workforce Commission. In its citation, Texas Workforce<br />

Commission’s Chairman Andres Alcantar lauded Arrow Ford<br />

Mitsubishi’s “leadership in developing a quality workforce,<br />

employing veterans, partnering <strong>with</strong> local educators and<br />

preparing students for their future success.”<br />

Arrow Ford Mitsubishi is proud to be a product of the West<br />

Texas frontier spirit, and is committed to helping lead the<br />

Abilene Renaissance, as together we “forge a NEW frontier.”<br />

Arrow’s remarkable story represents the best kind of narrative:<br />

a determined, visionary founder; an ongoing commitment to<br />

the <strong>community</strong>; and a family and staff recognizing the changing<br />

world in the new “Age of Acceleration” and restructuring<br />

their company to operate responsibly <strong>with</strong>in it assuring a<br />

strong present and poised for an even brighter future.<br />

Above: Small Employer of the Year Workforce Award.<br />

Left: Vinson and Karla.<br />

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DENTON VALLEY FARMS<br />

Denton Valley Farms is just as peaceful and idyllic as it<br />

sounds, <strong>with</strong> brightly colored vegetables and fruit trees<br />

showing off their beauty in season, school children taking in<br />

the fresh air and learning about nature, and blissful couples<br />

taking in the beauty of an outdoor setting where they soon<br />

will be married.<br />

Denton Valley Farms is located on Highway 36, just an<br />

eighteen-minute drive southeast of Abilene, in a small farming<br />

<strong>community</strong> called Denton Valley. The iconic setting did not<br />

happen by accident. Mother Nature played her role, but owners<br />

Colby and Amanda Hatchett added the vision and muscle<br />

that transformed Denton Valley Farms into what it is today.<br />

“Fresh out of college from Texas A&M, we decided to go<br />

back to our roots and start farming in addition to our fulltime<br />

jobs,” Amanda said. Both of their families had been<br />

farming and ranching in the Abilene area for over 100 years.<br />

They started small <strong>with</strong> a three-acre garden plot that they<br />

now refer to as the “test plot.” Despite demanding jobs, they<br />

grew their garden, experimenting <strong>with</strong> several varieties of<br />

fruits and vegetables and trying different growing methods.<br />

While working and living in Abilene, Colby and Amanda<br />

saved enough money to buy the perfect piece of land in 2012<br />

for the development they envisioned. Even though the property<br />

they chose was overgrown land <strong>with</strong> no roads, an old<br />

farmhouse that needed a complete overhaul to even be livable,<br />

and every other structure either needing to be torn<br />

down or stripped to the studs, Colby and Amanda had the<br />

vision to see what it could become. They started immediately<br />

putting in many long days and much sweat equity. They<br />

built new fences, planted acres of fruit trees and grape vines,<br />

and deep plowed the soil to prepare for row crops. All that<br />

work paid off, and today the Farm Store, located on-site, features<br />

more than 100 varieties of produce, including fruits<br />

and vegetables that cannot be found locally anywhere else.<br />

“If it can be grown, we’ve tried it,” Colby likes to say.<br />

From spring through fall, the store is packed <strong>with</strong> seasonal<br />

produce, meats, homemade jams and jellies, local honey,<br />

farm fresh eggs, baked goods, and now-famous homemade<br />

ice creams that showcase the farm’s fresh fruit. During the<br />

summer it is not unusual to see dozens of children alongside<br />

parents and grandparents walking around <strong>with</strong> baskets,<br />

picking their own blackberries, tomatoes, and even grapes.<br />

From the original test plot, Denton Valley Farms has<br />

grown into a showcase of peach, plum, fig, apple and pomegranate<br />

trees, thorn-less blackberry plants, and seasonal<br />

vegetables, including peas, okra, watermelon, cantaloupe,<br />

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tomatoes, peppers, squash, and cucumbers. They also raise<br />

goats, sheep, pigs, and cattle, selling the meat through the<br />

Farm Store year round.<br />

Amanda and Colby are not the only ones who get to enjoy<br />

the beauty of the farm they developed. They wanted their<br />

son to grow up in the country, learning the values they<br />

learned, and experiencing farm life. The Hatchetts are making<br />

that experience available to other children too. School<br />

tours are available, during which they provide information<br />

to children about where their food comes from and how the<br />

farm works. Kids can even ride on a trailer pulled by an old<br />

John Deere Tractor through the wooded areas of the farm<br />

and around the orchard and vineyard. The Hatchetts also<br />

enjoy giving back to the <strong>community</strong>. They do that by donating<br />

their venue facilities to several charitable organizations<br />

for their fundraising events.<br />

Denton Valley Farms also is lauded as a destination wedding<br />

site, <strong>with</strong> outdoor ceremony locations set against a backdrop of<br />

the surrounding hills, large oak trees, and of course, the<br />

orchard and vineyard. Their heated and cooled pavilion provides<br />

one of the Big Country’s largest indoor facilities for receptions<br />

as well as Christmas parties, school functions, corporate<br />

dinners, and charitable events. Videos, photo gallery, and testimonials<br />

on the website at www.dentonvalleyfarms.com will<br />

leave you breathless. A testimonial from the mother of a bride<br />

says it all—“From the twinkling lights in the vineyard, dancing<br />

in the barn, children chasing frogs by the peach orchard, and<br />

those amazing Texas stars shining ‘Big and Bright,’ we were<br />

unmistakably ‘Deep in the Heart of Texas!’”<br />

An aerial view of Denton Valley Farms shows just how<br />

meticulous Amanda and Colby have been in the planning of<br />

their dream farm. The perfectly aligned rows of fruit trees,<br />

grapevines, and produce form artistic patterns. As the seasons<br />

change, so does the landscape at Denton Valley Farms.<br />

From the first pink peach blooms and the bluebonnets in<br />

early spring to the full canopy of grapevines and the shady,<br />

cool wooded area in the summer, to pumpkins and oak<br />

leaves changing colors in the fall, there is much to see and<br />

admire at the farm all year round.<br />

Guests can get in touch <strong>with</strong> their country roots by picking<br />

fresh fruits and vegetables, enjoying a bowl of homemade<br />

ice cream, or just kicking back and soaking up the<br />

atmosphere. It is unlike anything else in the Big Country.<br />

Wide open spaces, beautiful sunsets, Denton Valley Farms.<br />

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JACKSON BROS.<br />

FEED & SEED<br />

Jackson Bros. Feed & Seed is a familiar name in Abilene,<br />

but it could just as easily be “Jackson Bros., Wives, Sister,<br />

Children and Grandchildren Feed & Seed.” In March 1983,<br />

Waylan, Bob, and David Jackson opened their first store on<br />

South Treadaway Boulevard. It was tough at the beginning,<br />

and all three brothers poured a lot of sweat and long hours<br />

into the store, gradually building a loyal customer base.<br />

Today, there are a number of customers who started trading<br />

<strong>with</strong> Jackson Bros. back in 1983, customers who have<br />

become good friends of the family. It is not uncommon to see<br />

these customers sitting in the main office <strong>with</strong> one or more<br />

of the brothers, drinking coffee and sharing stories.<br />

Just as “brothers” may not adequately describe the scope<br />

of Jackson family involvement, so “Feed & Seed” does not<br />

adequately describe the contents of the stores. In addition to<br />

traditional farm and ranch supplies, shoppers can find a<br />

wide variety of pet supplies, lawn and garden supplies, horse<br />

tack, deer blinds and feeders, fencing materials, and even<br />

food items such as pecans, local honey, and jellies.<br />

The brothers expanded the business in 1991 by purchasing<br />

ACCO Farm & Ranch on South Eleventh Street. In 2017,<br />

this location got a new modern building and a new name,<br />

Jackson Bros. Feed & Seed #2. The South Eleventh location<br />

specializes in Nutrena Feed. They also carry bulk deer feed<br />

and offer bulk deliveries for game and cattle ranchers.<br />

Since 1983, the brothers have been joined by more than<br />

a dozen family members crossing three generations to run<br />

the two stores. It is truly a family owned and operated business<br />

<strong>with</strong> a number of family members working there,<br />

including the brothers’ youngest sister, the brothers’ wives,<br />

children, and grandchildren.<br />

It takes hard work, commitment, and knowledge of an<br />

ever-changing industry and new product lines to maintain a<br />

successful business for more than three decades like the<br />

Jackson brothers have. The three grew up in a farming family<br />

in Knox County where they raised cantaloupes, watermelons,<br />

cotton, wheat, and raised cattle. They shared a desire to open<br />

a feed store that focused on customer service and integrity.<br />

Each of the brothers already had experience in retail business<br />

before opening their own feed store. Waylan, the oldest<br />

brother, graduated from Goree High School, attended Texas<br />

Tech University, and then worked for Volume Shoes, Inc. The<br />

middle brother, Bob, joined the Army after graduating from<br />

Goree High School and served in the 101st Airborne Division<br />

during the Vietnam War. After the war, he worked for<br />

Kimball Grocery and then Fleming Foods, gaining experience<br />

in product placement and re-organizing stores to increase<br />

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sales. David, the youngest, attended McMurry University and<br />

then went to work for Proctor & Gamble Co. Later in life, he<br />

took on a part time position serving as pastor at Caps United<br />

Methodist Church. The three brothers combined their broad<br />

retail experiences to open what they hoped would be the best<br />

and most successful feed store in the Abilene area.<br />

A 1989 article in the Abilene Reporter-News shows how the<br />

Jacksons’ hard work paid off early on. The article, <strong>with</strong> a photo<br />

of the three smiling brothers, reported that their store was being<br />

named to the National Chow Honor Council for two consecutive<br />

years. The article noted that the store had become one of<br />

the largest volume Purina dealerships in Texas. In the story, the<br />

brothers attributed their continued success to competitive<br />

prices, research-proven products, and excellent service. The<br />

same can be said today. A glance at the company website at<br />

www.jacksonbrosfeed.com shows “before” and “after” photos of<br />

the three brothers. In both, they are smiling broadly. The eyeglasses<br />

and hairstyles have changed, and the brothers have aged<br />

a bit, but they still look happy to be doing what they do.<br />

That attitude, work ethic, and reputation for honesty and<br />

integrity have not gone unnoticed. In addition to being one of<br />

the top businesses in Abilene, Jackson Bros. Feed & Seed is<br />

one of the city’s top corporate citizens. The business has also<br />

been recognized for its <strong>community</strong> involvement. In 2016, the<br />

Jacksons were named Farm Family of the Year at the Abilene<br />

Chamber Ag Scholarship luncheon during the West Texas<br />

Farm, Ranch, and Wildlife Expo, which they have attended<br />

since its inception. In 2017, Jackson Bros. Feed & Seed<br />

received the Excellence in Agriculture Award at the annual<br />

Abilene Chamber of Commerce banquet. Just two months<br />

before that, Jackson Bros. Feed & Seed responded to the victims<br />

of Hurricane Harvey, donating many items while also<br />

serving as a drop-off location for much-needed items to help<br />

pets and livestock during recovery from that tragic storm.<br />

The store’s name is frequently seen on a list of sponsors for<br />

local events. Among them are the West Texas Fair & Rodeo,<br />

Western Heritage Classic, the Texas Farm Ranch Wildlife Expo,<br />

and the Taylor County Livestock Show. An annual favorite,<br />

from the beginning, is Christmas Lane at the Abilene State<br />

Supported Living Center. Gae Jackson said in an Abilene<br />

Reporter-News article that the business likes to be a sponsor<br />

because the event gets people in the Christmas spirit and<br />

because it brings attention to the center.<br />

Jackson Bros. Feed & Seed may have added a second<br />

store, a new store front, and new products over the years,<br />

but the family still hangs its hat on its core values—“With<br />

over thirty-five years in business, the focus remains on customer<br />

service and honesty as well as <strong>community</strong> service.”<br />

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SHARON RILEY’S<br />

RESTAURANTS<br />

Pull up a chair, hang your hat on a deer antler if you wish,<br />

and get ready for an experience you will want to repeat over<br />

and over.<br />

Welcome to Sharon Riley’s Lytle Land & Cattle Company,<br />

one of three restaurants Riley owns in Abilene. The chic<br />

Texas/New Mexico ambience, the food, the service—everything<br />

about Lytle Land & Cattle Company, says “first class.”<br />

But that does not mean there is not a cozy feel, too.<br />

“It’s a true family restaurant,” Scott Terrell, Sharon’s son,<br />

says, including the family heirlooms displayed on shelves<br />

around the restaurant.<br />

Scott even prefers his informal title, “I’m her son,” to his<br />

more formal title of chief operating officer. Everybody in<br />

Abilene and far beyond knows that if it has “Sharon Riley’s”<br />

in the name, it is quality. Two barbecue restaurants, one on<br />

East Highway 80 and one on Antilley Road, round out the<br />

family of restaurants. A catering business is adjacent to the<br />

East Highway 80 restaurant.<br />

Newspaper clippings, plaques, even a Texas House of<br />

Representatives resolution hang on the walls of Lytle Land &<br />

Cattle Company, all attesting to Riley’s expertise and dedication.<br />

“She’s the queen bee,” Scott boasts of his mother.<br />

When Riley was honored in 2018 as a Woman of<br />

Outstanding Achievement by the AAUW, a good friend, Kaye<br />

Price-Hawkins, introduced her and said someone suggested<br />

Riley change her name to “Abilene’s Energizer Bunny.” That<br />

is because her name is all over everything in Abilene, from<br />

her three restaurants to plaques in her honor, to numerous<br />

nonprofit boards to checks in support of <strong>community</strong><br />

endeavors. A few of those <strong>community</strong> commitments show<br />

her range of interests and passions, such as the Abilene<br />

Opera Association, Abilene Philharmonic, Grace Museum,<br />

Global Samaritan Resources, Abilene Convention and<br />

Visitors Bureau, Abilene Chamber of Commerce, Western<br />

Heritage Classic, Taylor County Expo Center, United<br />

Way of Abilene, Grover Nelson Zoological Foundation, and<br />

Frontier Texas.<br />

But say the name “Sharon Riley” and the first thing people<br />

think of is great food. She learned early in the restaurant<br />

business that food comes first, followed closely by a desire to<br />

please customers and excellent service, which requires a<br />

dependable staff.<br />

“I have a great crew in all three places,” Riley said. “I’m<br />

so blessed.”<br />

The sumptuous food does not just happen. It starts long<br />

before the steak is laid on the grill, before the fresh shrimp,<br />

waiting to be grilled and wrapped in bacon, is purchased, or<br />

the homemade bread comes out of the oven. Sharon Riley’s<br />

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Lytle Land & Cattle Company is known for great steaks<br />

cooked over a mesquite-fired grill. Riley orders only the<br />

best—aged corn-fed beef, which is cut into steaks at the<br />

restaurant. Riley tells her supplier not to ship steaks until<br />

they have aged three weeks—a demand she takes seriously.<br />

When a customer commented on Face<strong>book</strong> that his meal<br />

was “fine,” but not “great,” that was not fine <strong>with</strong> Riley. She<br />

tracked the origin of the complaint—the steak was tough.<br />

Then she let the supplier know about it.<br />

“The food is the thing,” Riley says. “The food’s gotta be great.”<br />

It is the details that make all the food great at any of<br />

Riley’s restaurants. From aged beef to butter, no margarine,<br />

to homemade bread, to handcrafted poppers, those tasty<br />

jalapenos wrapped in bacon, everything is authentic in a<br />

Riley restaurant. The road has not been easy for Riley to rise<br />

to the level of a Woman of Outstanding Achievement in<br />

Abilene. After graduating from Eastland High School in<br />

1965, she started college, married, had two children (Scott<br />

Terrell and Amy Terrell Gomez), and eventually earned a<br />

bachelor’s degree in nursing from TCU. She worked as an RN<br />

in Eastland and then started her own consulting business for<br />

nursing homes. In an Abilene Reporter-News feature called<br />

“20 Over 50: Model Business Leaders,” Riley did not take all<br />

the credit for her success. She noted that several people had<br />

been influential in her life, none more so than her parents,<br />

Millie and Frank Sayre, who “instilled in me an independent<br />

spirit that is not afraid to try new things.”<br />

The switch to the restaurant business came in 1980 and<br />

Riley has never looked back. But she did bring to it a quality<br />

from her days as a nurse, a gift for caregiving. “You have to<br />

care about making people happy,” Riley said, to be successful<br />

in the restaurant business. Lytle Land & Cattle Company<br />

opened in 2000, followed by Sharon’s Barbeque on East<br />

Highway 80 in 2005 and the newest location on Antilley<br />

Road in 2017. From the beginning, Riley has been the driving<br />

force, the “Energizer Bunny,” in the Lytle Land & Cattle<br />

Company, from the interior design to the food on the table,<br />

is a perfect example. The restaurant was built as a New<br />

Mexico-style Mexican food restaurant and still retains hints<br />

of that decor. But much of it came from Riley’s own imagination<br />

and the help of Scott.<br />

“There’s not a corner of this restaurant I haven’t been in,”<br />

he said.<br />

That includes the corner <strong>with</strong> the bar that was the result<br />

of Scott’s hard work. Lumber for the bar came from a mill<br />

close to Santa Fe. Logs were selected and then the boards<br />

were cut to Scott’s specifications. The result is an authentic<br />

Texas bar, <strong>with</strong> some New Mexico wood added in. Christmas<br />

tree lights hung from the ceiling beams and neon beer signs<br />

on the wall add a soft lighting. Straw cowboy hats, <strong>with</strong> the<br />

names of former staff on the brims, also hang from the<br />

beams, creating an unmistakable Texas atmosphere.<br />

The atmosphere also has a family quality about it, because<br />

it always has been family. Scott is on site daily. His oldest<br />

daughter, Alex Terrell Russell, worked as general manager<br />

for two years following her graduation from Texas Tech<br />

THE MARKETPLACE<br />

165


University before opening her own public relations firm,<br />

Oddly Natural. His younger daughter, Symantha, started her<br />

career as a server and is working her way up in the family<br />

business. Riley’s daughter, Amy, has worked at all of Riley’s<br />

restaurants. Now she and her husband, Dr. Jaime Gomez, are<br />

back in Abilene from Dallas. She loves eating at her mom’s<br />

restaurants and says, “The old days were tough growing up<br />

in the restaurant business...but worth it. I’m happy mom<br />

doesn’t have to work the long hours like she did when we<br />

were growing up.”<br />

When it is all said and done, Scott knows what his mother’s<br />

legacy will be in Abilene. Besides “Queen Bee” and<br />

Above: Sharon Riley.<br />

COURTESY OF STEVE BUTMAN PHOTOGRAPHY.<br />

Right: Sharon Riley proudly shows off samples of her delicious plates.<br />

“Abilene’s Energizer Bunny,” Sharon Riley will leave a legacy<br />

of being one of Abilene’s all-time favorite restaurateurs. Her<br />

name is magic in Abilene. See it on the invitation as “caterer,”<br />

and a crowd is guaranteed. But that success did not happen<br />

magically. Her legacy will include the vision, desire, confidence,<br />

and nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic to pull it all<br />

together. Abilenians know that and appreciate it. “Everybody<br />

saw her in that restaurant every day,” Scott said. “I know<br />

what she put into it—I was there.”<br />

In her own words, Riley says, “The restaurant business is<br />

a wonderful, rewarding business, but people have to be prepared<br />

to pay their dues...hard work and long hours. And<br />

then, if you’re lucky and blessed as I am to have a great staff,<br />

you can take a little time off...but not much!”<br />

That little bit of time off usually is spent <strong>with</strong> family,<br />

cooking, reading, dancing and traveling <strong>with</strong> husband, Tom,<br />

in their motorhome. Nowadays, thanks to Scott being in<br />

charge and a reliable staff, Riley does not have to worry<br />

about taking a little time off. Another part of Riley’s legacy<br />

will be the loyalty of her family and crew, or as Scott puts it,<br />

“We all have each other’s back.”<br />

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A colorful history, a remarkable present, and a bright<br />

future all are hallmarks of Abilene’s third oldest business,<br />

First Financial Bank, N.A. The bank opened as Farmers &<br />

Merchants National Bank on January 2, 1890, in a small<br />

frame building on South First Street that was the former<br />

home of the Green Front Saloon.<br />

When the bank opened, the city of Abilene was home to<br />

3,000 settlers <strong>with</strong> a pioneering spirit. By the end of the year,<br />

many of them had become customers of the new bank,<br />

depositing $33,000, a tidy sum in those days. That number<br />

has grown significantly since then, but the core values of the<br />

bank remain the same.<br />

“While our long legacy always remains the backbone of<br />

who we are, we continue to be excited about our future,”<br />

said Chairman, President and CEO of First Financial<br />

Bankshares, Scott Dueser.<br />

In January 2018, exactly 128 years after opening, First<br />

Financial Bankshares acquired Commercial Bankshares Inc.<br />

and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Commercial State Bank of<br />

Kingwood. With the acquisition of this bank, which is located<br />

just outside Houston, First Financial Bankshares now has<br />

seventy-two locations from the Panhandle to southeast<br />

Texas. The company is the only publicly traded company<br />

headquartered in Abilene. It is listed on NASDAQ as FFIN.<br />

“With total assets of over $7.6 billion, First Financial<br />

Bankshares is optimistic about additional opportunities for<br />

continued growth,” Dueser said.<br />

Although the bank has endured several economic downturns<br />

during its 128-year existence, it has never reported a<br />

loss. The company is very focused on providing a good<br />

return for its stockholders, but First Financial<br />

Bankshares is not all about the numbers. It is about<br />

people, from valued customers and investors to the<br />

more than 600 employees in Abilene and another<br />

750 plus employees scattered across Texas. “Our primary<br />

focus will always be to put the customer first,”<br />

Dueser said.<br />

First Financial’s “Customer Service First” attitude<br />

also extends to its action in the communities that it<br />

serves. As an example of their commitment to <strong>community</strong><br />

involvement, First Financial has dedicated<br />

Columbus Day, which is traditionally a bank holiday<br />

as a “Day of Service” for employees. In October<br />

2017, more than 250 Abilene employees spread out<br />

over the city to do volunteer work. They were joined<br />

by First Financial Bank employees in other Texas<br />

cities where the bank operates. In all, about 750<br />

bank volunteers were doing good deeds statewide on<br />

Columbus Day.<br />

“Everything we do is centered in providing the very<br />

best service to our customers and contributing financial<br />

<strong>resources</strong> and volunteers to each of the communities we<br />

serve,” Dueser said.<br />

Left: Original location of Farmers & Merchants National Bank.<br />

Below: 400 Pine Street, 1984-Present.<br />

FIRST FINANCIAL<br />

BANK, N.A.<br />

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167


ABIMAR FOODS, INC.<br />

Try walking into AbiMar Foods <strong>with</strong>out smiling—you<br />

just cannot do it.<br />

Not <strong>with</strong> the aroma of fresh-baked cookies that smell like<br />

they just came out of your grandmother’s oven. Not <strong>with</strong> that<br />

cute Lil’ Dutch Maid inviting you to try a bag of her windmill-shaped<br />

cookies. Not <strong>with</strong> yummy chocolate chips or<br />

vanilla crèmes tempting you at every turn. Even the employees<br />

are all smiles, knowing they are turning out products<br />

that are guaranteed to bring a smile. They will even tell you<br />

how happy they are.<br />

“It’s a great company,” an employee for sixteen-plus years<br />

said. “It’s really like a family.”<br />

It has been that way from the beginning when Steve and<br />

Vicki Fehr bought Magic Dream Cookies and founded Fehr<br />

Foods, Inc., in 1992. Along <strong>with</strong> it, the “Lil Dutch Maid”<br />

Brand was created. The company sold in 2010 to Grupo<br />

Nutresa from South America.<br />

Nutresa is a more than 100-year-old Colombia-based company<br />

Food Holding Group <strong>with</strong> presence in fourteen countries.<br />

The name “AbiMar” comes from the first three letters of<br />

Abilene and Marietta, Oklahoma, where the company once<br />

had a plant.<br />

Satisfied customers are the greatest testament to AbiMar’s<br />

success, but happy employees tell a lot about the company,<br />

too. By the end of 2017, AbiMar Foods had over 600<br />

employees from every walk of life, diverse origins, cultures<br />

and languages. Many employees are refugees from countries<br />

all over the world who have been resettled in Abilene<br />

through the local office of the International Rescue<br />

Committee. Jobs at AbiMar Foods are varied. A master baker<br />

is charged <strong>with</strong> coming up <strong>with</strong> new recipes to meet changing<br />

demands. An employee in accounts payable and payroll<br />

remembers when the company started and had only two<br />

lines, compared to seven now. And, the administrative office<br />

had only five employees. Now there are twenty-five.<br />

“It was very laid back,” she recalled. “Now, it’s a little<br />

more hectic” but still an enjoyable place to work.<br />

Another employee was surprised when she saw the ad in<br />

the newspaper for a position at AbiMar Foods. “I didn’t even<br />

know we had a cookie factory here,” she said. But now she<br />

has risen in the ranks to the level of manager.<br />

Visitors to AbiMar Foods are in for a treat—literally. They<br />

will hear employees saying things like, “It’s been a good life<br />

for me.” and “I like it a lot—it’s always a challenge.”<br />

In addition to meeting friendly and knowledgeable<br />

employees, visitors get to tour the heart of the plant where<br />

the magic happens. Before entering the production area,<br />

guests put on a red hairnet, just one of the many safety and<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

168


sanitation safeguards AbiMar Foods uses. The company<br />

maintains a comprehensive Food Safety Program that<br />

includes a Safe Quality Food (SQF) certification.<br />

The tour begins <strong>with</strong> the industrial-sized mixers that transform<br />

basic ingredients like sugar, flour, and shortening into<br />

works of art. The perfectly mixed cookie dough is either die cut<br />

or wire cut, depending on consistency. The product lines consist<br />

of numerous varieties and sizes to suit your needs. Chocolate<br />

Chip, Coconut Macaroon and Oatmeal are just some of the wire<br />

cut cookies made from recipes handed down over the years to<br />

ensure quality taste and appearance. The classic die cut cookie<br />

maintains an old-fashioned appearance and the taste you will<br />

remember from childhood. Varieties include the Almond<br />

Windmill, Coconut Bar, and the old-fashioned Butter Cookie.<br />

The Sandwich Crème line offers a wide variety of flavors to<br />

fit everyone’s cravings. You will find flavors such as Vanilla,<br />

Peanut Butter, Lemon, Chocolate, and Strawberry. Touring the<br />

production area is like walking through every child’s dream<br />

world. Various-shaped cookie tops and bottoms form perfect<br />

rows of tasty treats on conveyor belts that move along at an<br />

amazing clip. Chocolate, vanilla, or other filling is added onto<br />

the bottom layer before the top is precisely placed. Robotic<br />

arms rise and fall, assembling the cookies, packaging them,<br />

and placing them in boxes, all <strong>with</strong> military precision.<br />

But it is the more than 600 employees who make the<br />

magic happen. The robotic arms just speed things up a bit.<br />

Once cut and baked, the cookies or crackers are packaged<br />

and then transported to a distribution warehouse at another<br />

location in Abilene. The biggest market for the products is<br />

the United States, but the company continuously is growing<br />

the export business.<br />

The large-scale production was made possible by the acquisition<br />

and construction, <strong>with</strong> support of the city, in 2014 of a<br />

second location on South First Street, about a half-mile from<br />

the original building on North First Street.<br />

The North First Street location houses administrative<br />

offices in addition to a production plant that turns out a variety<br />

of cookies. Both cookies and crackers are produced at the<br />

South First Street location.<br />

From 2010, when Nutresa bought Fehr Foods, to<br />

2017, both the amount of sales and the number of employees<br />

doubled, making AbiMar Foods, the city’s largest<br />

manufacturing employer.<br />

“We’re here to stay,” the company vows.<br />

THE MARKETPLACE<br />

169


ABILENE CONVENTION<br />

CENTER<br />

Above: The Convention Center exterior.<br />

COURTESY OF STEVE BUTMAN PHOTOGRAPHY.<br />

Below: The Auditorium.<br />

The Abilene Convention Center has been a staple in<br />

Abilene’s events scene since 1970. Providing top of the line<br />

service and a facility that can accommodate a plethora of<br />

activities. The Convention Center has hosted groups from all<br />

around the United States that truly enhance the cultural,<br />

educational, professional and recreational well-being of our<br />

citizens and <strong>community</strong>.<br />

The Convention Center specializes in helping bring people<br />

from all over the world to Abilene <strong>with</strong> over 400,000<br />

people attending events in the facility each year. From meetings<br />

and conventions to concerts and road shows, the<br />

Convention Center hosts over 400 events a year boasting<br />

100 percent usage during weekends and 90 percent usage<br />

during the week.<br />

The Convention Center’s original design recently received<br />

upgrades to be able to accommodate the ever growing events<br />

that continue to support the environment that the<br />

Convention Center offers to Abilene. In 2015 the citizens of<br />

Abilene approved a bond program totaling $80.69 million.<br />

The bond focused on improving many of the basics: public<br />

safety, infrastructure, and quality of life services, which<br />

included the already busy and successful Convention Center.<br />

Many theatre productions and trade shows choose the<br />

Abilene Convention Center as the venue to accommodate<br />

their events. Upgrades to the exhibit hall and auditorium<br />

have increased the number of events held in both of these<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

170


locations as these upgrades have created a state-of-the-art<br />

center designed to attract events of all sizes.<br />

Though this was the most recent of upgrades to our<br />

beloved Convention Center, it was not the first. The busy<br />

nature of the Convention Center has kept it a busy facility<br />

since its inception in 1970. With what started as only<br />

100,000 square feet consisting of the auditorium, foyer,<br />

exhibit hall, kitchen, small meeting rooms and offices, it has<br />

once before seen upgrades in 1990, which expanded to<br />

include a conference center, service alley, additional kitchen<br />

and upstairs conference room.<br />

Having always been a regional location for meetings and<br />

trade shows, the Convention Center is also known for its<br />

outstanding customer service that keeps bringing patrons,<br />

families and events back. In 2018, Convention Center staff<br />

helped a family celebrate by hosting a bride’s wedding reception<br />

whose mother had her reception in the same location<br />

over twenty years ago!<br />

It is this same outstanding service that continues to bring<br />

outstanding options to our small West Texas town. Broadway<br />

series, banquets, concerts and live shows make up a large<br />

part of the Convention Center’s calendar. Hosting four to five<br />

Broadway shows a year—previous shows including<br />

Cinderella, Mamma Mia!, Chicago, Dirty Dancing, The Wizard<br />

of Oz, ELF The Musical, Annie, Beauty and the Beast, and<br />

Legally Blonde—who needs to leave Abilene to experience the<br />

beauty and awe that is Broadway! Speaking of great acts that<br />

have come to town, the Convention Center has also been<br />

known to host a variety of concerts. How many cities the size<br />

of Abilene can boast acts such as Styx, Oakridge Boys, The<br />

Temptations, Casting Crowns, Aaron Watson, Willie Nelson,<br />

Newsboys, Rodney Carrington, Asleep at the Wheel, Amy<br />

Grant, Joe Bonamassa, Jim Brickman, and Loretta Lynn, just<br />

to name a few! And if you are looking for local acts, the<br />

Convention Center is the home of the Abilene Philharmonic<br />

orchestra concerts! Looking for a little something different,<br />

look no further as we also host everything from gameshows<br />

like Price is Right LIVE! to well-known stand up acts and fun<br />

for the kiddos including: Jerry Seinfeld, Gabriel Iglesias,<br />

Anjelah Johnson, Sesame Street Live, and Barney. We have<br />

got a little something for everyone!<br />

Abilene’s history of supporting the Convention Center<br />

and the events that are available to the <strong>community</strong> because<br />

of it, will keep the Convention Center around and thriving<br />

for years to come. If you have not, stop by the Convention<br />

Center and see what we have going on, we promise you will<br />

not have to look very far before you find something that will<br />

keep you coming back!<br />

The Exhibit Hall.<br />

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LAWRENCE HALL ABILENE<br />

Above: Lawrence Hall Chevrolet-Cadillac-Buick-GMC.<br />

1385 South Danville, Abilene Texas.<br />

Below: Lawrence Hall SuperCenter Certified Used Cars.<br />

200 North Clack Street.<br />

The year was 1956 and<br />

Chevys were hot, especially those<br />

two-toned Bel Airs and the sporty<br />

new Corvette, which had rolled<br />

off the production line just three<br />

years earlier.<br />

Lawrence Hall and his wife,<br />

Myrl, were living in Anson and<br />

saw the opportunity to open a<br />

Chevrolet dealership in 1956. It<br />

was the first of what would<br />

become a large enterprise of<br />

Lawrence Hall Chevrolet dealerships.<br />

Since 1956, the Lawrence<br />

Hall name has come to be identified<br />

<strong>with</strong> the best products, the best people, and the best<br />

service and customer care in the automotive market in<br />

Abilene and all over West Texas. It is a tradition set when the<br />

Hall Family opened their first dealership, and it remains the<br />

hallmark of all of their locations. “Our parents instilled in us<br />

the importance of taking care of our customers at an early<br />

age,” said Larry Hall. “They made sure that we worked hard<br />

to fulfill that every day.”<br />

Lawrence and Myrl opened the Anson business, <strong>with</strong> the<br />

help of an office clerk, a parts person, and two mechanics.<br />

Lawrence operated the Anson dealership until 1989, when<br />

his sons, Larry and Mitch, expanded to Abilene, <strong>with</strong> the<br />

purchase of Larry Rigby Chevrolet-Mazda. “We had so many<br />

Abilene customers at the time, so it was a great opportunity<br />

for us to expand to Abilene,” Larry added.<br />

The expansion of the Lawrence Hall name was just beginning.<br />

In 1991 the Halls purchased the facilities at 1300 South<br />

Clack Street and moved their Mazda operations to that location.<br />

In 2002, the Lincoln franchise was added to that location.<br />

Next came the Cadillac franchise in October 2004, followed<br />

by the Buick and GMC Truck franchises in 2006, all<br />

located at 1385 South Danville. The dealership branched out<br />

in August 2012 when Larry and Mitch acquired Sterling<br />

Volkswagen on South First Street. Shortly after that, they<br />

began the process of designing and building a new facility at<br />

1350 South Clack Street, next to the current Lincoln-Mazda<br />

dealership. Groundbreaking was held in July 2013, <strong>with</strong> the<br />

grand opening following in July 2014.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

172


Since 1989, Lawrence Hall Abilene has grown from fifteen<br />

employees to more than 200 employees. The Lawrence Hall<br />

Abilene family currently includes Lawrence Hall Chevrolet-<br />

Cadillac-Buick-GMC located at 1385 South Danville Street,<br />

Lawrence Hall Lincoln-Mazda at 1300 South Clack Street,<br />

Volkswagen of Abilene at 1350 South Clack Street, and<br />

Lawrence Hall Certified Used Cars at 200 North Clack Street.<br />

Since opening its doors in Abilene, Lawrence Hall has<br />

become recognized as one of the most <strong>community</strong>-minded<br />

businesses in town. Lawrence Hall Abilene is well known for<br />

the benevolent support of local nonprofits, such as Abilene<br />

and Wylie School Districts, Crimestoppers of Abilene, the<br />

American Cancer Society, American Heart Association,<br />

Junior League of Abilene, youth sports and much more.<br />

“Supporting people that support our business is a strong<br />

emphasis <strong>with</strong>in the entire organization,” Larry said.<br />

The dealerships also sponsor numerous events such as the<br />

Texas Farm Ranch and Wildlife Expo, Western Heritage<br />

Classic, West Texas Fair & Rodeo, and the Fellowship of<br />

Christian Athletes. The Hall family believes in taking care of<br />

their customers and employees and being a good corporate<br />

citizen in the <strong>community</strong>. Lawrence Hall Abilene continues<br />

to serve its customers and help the <strong>community</strong> to grow and<br />

to be a great place to live.<br />

All employees are encouraged to get involved in civic<br />

activities, volunteering, serving on local boards, activities<br />

that support the airmen and families at Dyess Air Force Base,<br />

and other similar activities.<br />

“We have always enjoyed the Abilene <strong>community</strong> and we<br />

try to always do our part to make Abilene an even better<br />

place to live,” Larry said. “Our customers have been good to<br />

us and we want to return the favor as much as we can.”<br />

Above: Lawrence Hall Lincoln-Mazda.<br />

1300 South Clack Street.<br />

Below: Volkswagen of Abilene.<br />

1350 South Clack Street.<br />

.<br />

THE MARKETPLACE<br />

173


Right: Lou Paulsen.<br />

CAN-DOO BUDJET<br />

RENTALS, INC.<br />

Below: A few of the units supplied by Can-Doo Budjet Rentals.<br />

Lou Paulsen rolled into Abilene in 1981 <strong>with</strong> a small<br />

pickup truck and twenty portable toilet units. Today, his<br />

Can-Doo Budjet Rentals, Inc., <strong>with</strong> locations in Abilene and<br />

San Angelo, boasts more than 1,000 units, including some<br />

fancy ones <strong>with</strong> showers.<br />

The company employs fourteen full-time certified<br />

technicians, plus seasonal help. Paulsen is a “can-do” kind of<br />

guy. He is reluctant to tell his age, other than “over sixtyfive,”<br />

and is fond of a T-shirt <strong>with</strong> the slogan, “Retirement’s<br />

for Quitters.”<br />

There is no “quit” in Paulsen. Before moving to Abilene,<br />

Paulsen was involved in various businesses in Illinois,<br />

including advertising, service station owner, real estate, and<br />

marina construction on the Illinois River. Today, Paulsen<br />

owns an enviable business that is recognized nationally. In<br />

December 2013, Can-Doo was featured on the cover<br />

of PRO, a magazine published by Portable Restroom<br />

Operator. In 2014, Paulsen received the Andy Gump<br />

Award, the highest award given by Portable Sanitation<br />

Association International. Gump is credited <strong>with</strong> creating<br />

the first portable toilet in 1956.<br />

Paulsen has seen the industry grow and change<br />

dramatically since he got into it. The equipment and deodorants,<br />

the designs, and the permits and regulations all have<br />

evolved. “Everything is changed and updated all the time,”<br />

Paulsen said.<br />

One thing that has not changed is Paulsen’s attention<br />

to detail and insistence on getting the job done right.<br />

If an employee brings back a portable unit that is not<br />

clean, he has to stay until the unit is spotless. The reputation<br />

that Paulsen has built has paid off. He has a contract<br />

<strong>with</strong> Dyess Air Force Base to evacuate waste from<br />

the aircraft stationed there and even from Air Force One,<br />

which landed at Dyess occasionally when George W. Bush<br />

was president.<br />

Paulsen’s reputation also has landed him some big gigs,<br />

such as the Dyess Air Show, the Chili Super Bowl that benefits<br />

Ben Richey Boys Ranch, outdoor weddings, festivals, and<br />

even a country/western concert north of Dallas that featured<br />

Roy Clark and Willie Nelson.<br />

Paulsen is not all business. He finds time to be involved<br />

<strong>with</strong> local organizations like the Chamber of Commerce,<br />

Better Business Bureau, Big Country Home Builders<br />

Association, and the Abilene Association of Independent<br />

Business Owners, which he served as president. He also previously<br />

was on the board of Ben Richey Boys Ranch.<br />

Even if Paulsen is “over sixty-five,” he is not considering<br />

retirement or selling the business. He is the sole owner and<br />

plans to keep it that way a while longer.<br />

“I’m not ready to slow down,” he said.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

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McMahon Surovik Suttle, P.C., is one of the oldest and<br />

largest firms in Abilene. With over fifteen attorneys, this<br />

fast-paced firm handles some of the region’s most complex<br />

transactions and litigation matters. Its roots, however, were<br />

much humbler.<br />

In 1904, when the fledgling town of Abilene was barely<br />

twenty years old and home to just over 3,000 people, T.P.<br />

Davidson came to town from his native Gonzales and<br />

opened a law office.<br />

Davidson’s practice and Abilene grew fast enough that just a<br />

year later, Davidson formed a partnership <strong>with</strong> H.N. Hickman.<br />

Thomas J. McMahon joined the partnership in 1926 and<br />

spent a distinguished legal career of over fifty years <strong>with</strong> what<br />

would, under his leadership, become the premier law firm in<br />

Abilene and the Big Country. McMahon died in 1979; however,<br />

the firm still bears his name.<br />

Today, the firm of McMahon Surovik Suttle, P.C., carries on<br />

the legacy of that early-day practice, <strong>with</strong> a list of attorneys and<br />

range of practice fields so lengthy that Davidson and Hickman<br />

would hardly recognize it. But, they would be proud to know<br />

the small firm they started enjoys a stellar reputation more than<br />

a century later.<br />

Throughout the years, the law firm has been noted for its<br />

emphasis on ethics and its commitment to its clients, and<br />

as long as memory serves, has maintained a “preeminent”<br />

peer rating for the highest level of professional excellence<br />

from Martindale-Hubbell, considered the gold standard for<br />

attorney ratings.<br />

While many fine lawyers have combined to continue the<br />

firm’s tradition of excellence; former partners Bob Surovik and<br />

Stephen Suttle remain familiar names in the Abilene legal <strong>community</strong><br />

and throughout Texas. Throughout their lengthy<br />

careers, Surovik and Suttle were role models and mentors to the<br />

lawyers of the firm; and each epitomized competence and professionalism<br />

as lawyers of the highest distinction.<br />

Today, McMahon Surovik Suttle, P.C., serves its clientele in<br />

an array of fields so vast that its early day founders could never<br />

have imagined. While the faces have changed, the foundation of<br />

integrity, excellence and service prevails to this day.<br />

MCMAHON SUROVIK<br />

SUTTLE, P.C.<br />

Back row (from left to right): Mike Murray, Jason Hall, Patricia LaRue,<br />

Randa Barton, Chet Caldwell, Wayne Watson, Elizabeth Wallace, Jessica<br />

Haile, Chris Shelton, and Matt Mercer. Front row (from left to right): Mark<br />

Zachary, Kelly Gill, David Buhrmann, Steven Suttle, Paul Cannon, and<br />

Robert Wagstaff.<br />

PHOTOS COURTESY OF STEVE BUTMAN PHOTOGRAPHY.<br />

THE MARKETPLACE<br />

175


ABILENE CHAMBER<br />

OF COMMERCE<br />

The Abilene Chamber: 110 Years of Service and Counting.<br />

.<br />

Developing and promoting the economy and quality of<br />

life in the Abilene area. As mission statements go, the<br />

Abilene Chamber of Commerce has an important one.<br />

Founded in 1908, the Abilene Chamber was formed by<br />

<strong>community</strong> leaders who believed strongly that businesses<br />

must have a strong role in not only driving our local economy,<br />

but also in shaping the quality of the <strong>community</strong> they live in.<br />

As a private association of business and partner to the<br />

City of Abilene and the Development Corporation of<br />

Abilene, the Chamber’s work impacts its growing membership<br />

of nearly 1,400 local companies and every man, woman<br />

and child in our area. While its work is wide and varied, the<br />

Chamber’s leadership believes today, just as it did more than<br />

a century ago, that Abilene will not be good enough for any<br />

of us until it is good enough for all of us.<br />

This is why the Chamber is deeply committed to the longterm<br />

economic vitality of our great city. Endeared in a lasting<br />

belief that it “all starts <strong>with</strong> jobs,” the Chamber maintains its<br />

role as the <strong>community</strong>’s chief business advocacy organization,<br />

working <strong>with</strong> government at all levels to ensure a pro-business,<br />

pro-growth environment in which our members operate.<br />

With specialized focus on business recruitment and retention,<br />

talent attraction and retention, tourism marketing, downtown<br />

development, building upon the cultural assets of our<br />

city, engaging young professionals and supporting and growing<br />

the military mission at Abilene’s Dyess Air Force Base, the<br />

Chamber and its countless member volunteers touch much of<br />

what most people think “just happens” in a <strong>community</strong>.<br />

These are not simple tasks, and their importance cannot<br />

be overstated. Through its award-winning Abilene<br />

Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Chamber works to attract<br />

more than $430 million in economic impact to our city each<br />

year. Our Abilene Cultural Affairs Council has brought the<br />

arts to Abilene and is best known for creating and enhancing<br />

our place as the Story<strong>book</strong> Capital of America.<br />

The Chamber’s focus on downtown Abilene is driven by<br />

believing that Abilene’s central business district is “everybody’s<br />

neighborhood” and an unmistakable economic<br />

barometer for our <strong>community</strong>.<br />

When it comes to job creation, retention, and the capital<br />

investment that follows, the Chamber’s Abilene Industrial<br />

Foundation is known for its promotion of our city as a place<br />

to locate and grow a business. Our Young Professionals<br />

group, itself nearly 600 members strong, is committed to<br />

creating opportunities to engage our under forty population<br />

<strong>with</strong> the intent of retaining them.<br />

Finally, the Chamber’s commitment to Dyess Air<br />

Force base and the nearly 15,000 airmen and their families<br />

always is a priority, just as it has been for more than<br />

sixty years.<br />

The Abilene Chamber is proud of its heritage and excited<br />

about the future of our <strong>community</strong>. The Chamber invites<br />

you to engage in its work and to be a part of ensuring<br />

progress for the betterment of everyone.<br />

To see what Abilene Chamber can do for you or<br />

what you can do for your <strong>community</strong>, please visit them<br />

at www.abilenechamber.com.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

176


Located in a historic building, DATROO Technologies has<br />

its eye on the present and future, <strong>with</strong> a highly trained staff<br />

dedicated to “Making I.T. Better.”<br />

That is more than a brag at DATROO Technologies, located<br />

at 1292 North First Street in what originally was a Gulf<br />

“filling station” and later a tire company. In those days, terms<br />

like “advanced networking” did not exist, but that is exactly<br />

what businesses are looking for today. Sales, word of mouth<br />

referrals, and new business all over the United States and in<br />

Canada give that slogan, “Making I.T. Better,” credibility.<br />

“We’ve got a proven track record,” said Keith White,<br />

owner and president. White started the business in his home<br />

in 2004. The name comes from two words–data and “Roo,”<br />

the nickname of White’s oldest daughter, Rachel. After six<br />

months, White moved the business to a bank building, where<br />

it stayed until the historic building became available in 2015.<br />

Technology changes <strong>with</strong> the speed of light, and DATROO<br />

Technologies has kept up. The company specializes in VOIP<br />

phone systems and in hardware, software, and system design<br />

for government communication systems and for large commercial<br />

networks. Projects include network analysis, network security,<br />

advanced routing, switching, and application optimization.<br />

White, Vice President Ryan Kana, and other employees at<br />

DATROO Technologies, have connections <strong>with</strong> the top vendors<br />

in the industry, ensuring the best possible solution for<br />

customers. An ever-growing client base proves the strategy<br />

works. “Word of mouth goes before us,” Kana said.<br />

“Making I.T. Better” starts at the top <strong>with</strong> White, whose<br />

leadership sets the tone for the entire operation. All employees<br />

are professionally certified in their field and are problem<br />

solvers. DATROO Technologies can go into a business that<br />

has experienced problems for years, take a quick look, recognize<br />

the problem, and fix it.<br />

White, who holds a degree in electrical engineering from<br />

the University of Texas at Arlington, brings experience and<br />

problem-solving abilities to the table. Before owning his own<br />

business, he worked for companies that designed and<br />

installed secure communications for the government and<br />

White House, including the phone systems in the Oval Office.<br />

Today, DATROO’s work can be found in banks, engineering<br />

firms, medical offices, any place in need of the best in I.T.<br />

services. DATROO also has offices in Snyder and Burleson.<br />

The Abilene office is in what originally was the Boyd<br />

Building, constructed in 1925. Inside, the original safe and<br />

historic photos blend <strong>with</strong> modern technology to create an<br />

upscale atmosphere—perfect for a technologies firm and its<br />

creative employees.<br />

Additional information is available on the Internet at<br />

www.DATROO.com.<br />

DATROO TECHNOLOGIES<br />

THE MARKETPLACE<br />

177


STEVE BUTMAN<br />

PHOTOGRAPHY<br />

Play Faire Park in Abilene is the oldest miniature golf course in Texas.<br />

Steve Butman grew up on a ranch in Mulberry Canyon,<br />

southwest of Abilene. His career as a photographer began<br />

in 1964 when a darkroom was added in his family’s house.<br />

His first professional camera purchase, a Pentax Spotmatic,<br />

allowed him to begin photographing weddings and portraits<br />

in high school. He also ventured into multi-frame<br />

panoramas and light painting.<br />

Steve graduated from Sam Houston State University <strong>with</strong><br />

a bachelor of science in photography and a minor in art.<br />

While at the university he exhibited nationally and won first<br />

and second place in the f/70 seven-state photographic<br />

contest. Next came the San Francisco Art Institute where he<br />

studied under Jerry Burchard, John Collier Jr. and visiting<br />

photographers Robert Frank, Ralph Gibson, Imogen<br />

Cunningham, and Bret Weston.<br />

Steve specializes in commercial, aerial, industrial,<br />

architectural, and fine art photography. His 3,500-squarefoot<br />

studio is located at 1065 South First Street in Abilene,<br />

Texas. Fine art printing up to forty-four inches is produced<br />

in-house. With digital capture he decided Olympus was the<br />

best and got on board ten years ago <strong>with</strong> their mirrorless<br />

bodies. This allowed him the advantage to create the highquality<br />

work he does today.<br />

His award-winning work has appeared in a variety of<br />

magazines including Texas Architect, Texas Monthly,<br />

American Movie Classic Magazine, Reader’s Digest, Southern<br />

Living, Southern Bride, Sports Illustrated, American Airlines’<br />

Magazine, and ACU Today. Other work includes the U. S.<br />

Marshal’s office, the Navajo Nation, the Library of Congress,<br />

and the U.S. Department of Energy.<br />

Steve is actively involved in preserving the area’s history<br />

through the Taylor County Historical Commission and<br />

serves as chairman of the City of Abilene’s Landmark<br />

Commission. He has been a staff photographer <strong>with</strong> Abilene<br />

Christian University for over 30 years and has worked <strong>with</strong><br />

M. D. Anderson Hospital for 28 years.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

178


The aftermath of a fire or flood can be devastating, but<br />

seeing the SERVPRO ® “heroes in the green vans” driving up<br />

can make life a whole lot better.<br />

In Abilene, those heroes are Clifford and Wendy<br />

Densman, owners of the local SERVPRO ® franchise since<br />

2007. The SERVPRO ® slogan is “Like it never even happened”<br />

and that is their pledge to the customers they serve.<br />

SERVPRO ® of Abilene answers emergency calls twenty-four<br />

hours a day, specializing in the cleanup and restoration of<br />

residential and commercial property after a fire or flood.<br />

Clifford and Wendy credit the success of their franchise to<br />

the “tough trainers who made us walk the line and be the<br />

best we can be.” The couple’s first contact <strong>with</strong> SERVPRO ®<br />

came in 2005 when they met Kent Stone.<br />

In 2007, Clifford bought a franchise and Wendy, who<br />

had been working in the medical field, joined her husband<br />

in 2009. Today, SERVPRO ® is located in a modern, attractive<br />

facility on FM 18, just south of town. A part of their<br />

legacy is their children, Brittany Roes and Chelsey Heller,<br />

their husbands, Lee Roes and Vinnie Heller, and grandchildren,<br />

Avery and Cooper Roes, and Hesston Heller.<br />

Clifford and Wendy are rightfully proud of the business<br />

they have built through long hours and hard work. They<br />

met in high school in Abilene in 1975 and married in 1978.<br />

Clifford became a master carpenter, learning the building<br />

trade from his father and older brother. In their early marriage,<br />

Wendy stayed home and raised their children.<br />

Clifford worked as a superintendent for a construction company<br />

that also owned an oil company. During the boom<br />

years, times were good, but eventually oil played out and so<br />

did the job.<br />

Clifford then started a building and remodeling<br />

business. Times were hard, but the couple had faith that<br />

God had a plan for them. “We knew someday we would<br />

work our way back <strong>with</strong> honesty, integrity, and hard work,”<br />

Wendy said.<br />

That journey started when Clifford got a job in the fire<br />

remediation industry. For twenty years, first <strong>with</strong> the company<br />

that hired him and then independently, Clifford did<br />

fire rebuilds and became certified in mold remediation. He<br />

later added water mitigation to his skill set, which led to<br />

owning a SERVPRO ® franchise. Today, the Densmans are<br />

grateful to SERVPRO ® and SERVPRO ® is grateful to them.<br />

“That is why every day,” Wendy said, “I try to tell each of my<br />

employees ‘thank you’ for what they do for SERVPRO ® and<br />

make them feel as special as SERVPRO ® has made us feel.”<br />

SERVPRO ® OF ABILENE<br />

Clifford and Wendy Densman, owerners of SERVPRO ® of Abilene.<br />

THE MARKETPLACE<br />

179


AMERICA’S SMALL BUSINESS<br />

DEVELOPMENT CENTER<br />

In 1987, an America’s Small Business Development<br />

Center opened in Abilene and that decision proved to be,<br />

and continues to be, a boon to the entrepreneurs of the city.<br />

The SBDC opened at Abilene Christian University, operated<br />

by Don Altman, then an ACU business professor, and<br />

Judy Wilhelm. In 2000 the center became an affiliate of<br />

Texas Tech University and was renamed America’s Small<br />

Business Development Center at Texas Tech.<br />

Maybe one reason Wilhelm, who has been regional director<br />

since 1996, can relate to her job is that when the center opened<br />

in 1987, she was in the same place her clients are in today.<br />

“It was almost like starting a new business,” Wilhelm said.<br />

Thirty years later, thanks to Wilhelm and her five assistants<br />

in the Abilene office, which covers seventeen counties,<br />

a number of businesses have opened and are thriving.<br />

Through Fiscal Year 2017, the Abilene office had assisted in<br />

the formation of 2,763 businesses, helped create 8,811 jobs,<br />

counseled 17,969 clients, conducted 1,211 seminars, and<br />

assisted clients in getting $137,693,874 in capital formation.<br />

Many of the early businesses that the center assisted are<br />

among the best-known names in Abilene. Names like<br />

Rentech Boiler Systems, Inc; Beehive Restaurant; Bike Town;<br />

and Batts Communications, Inc.<br />

Yvonne Batts, who owns Batts Communications <strong>with</strong> her<br />

husband, Ron, understands how valuable the SBDC is,<br />

beyond the expertise provided. People like Wilhelm understand<br />

the emotional ups and downs of starting a business.<br />

Batts recalled that her husband was laid off from his job in<br />

1989. He visited <strong>with</strong> Wilhelm and then called his wife to tell<br />

her that he had lost his job but was starting his own business.<br />

“Oh, no!” was her response to both messages.<br />

But, <strong>with</strong>in six months he was making more money than he<br />

had in one year at his old job. Wilhelm assisted <strong>with</strong> the technicalities<br />

of starting a business but also went a step beyond.<br />

“She offered continued support as needed,” Batts said.<br />

“Ron had the confidence he needed to move forward.”<br />

Today, the Abilene office of the SBDC is located at 749<br />

Gateway Street and provides business counseling, training,<br />

information, and special programs.<br />

A constant in the process has been Wilhelm, who started<br />

<strong>with</strong> the Abilene center on its first day, January 26, 1987—<br />

her birthday. Today, whenever Wilhelm drives by the early<br />

businesses that have expanded, she gets another present.<br />

“It is our reward just to remember when they were starting<br />

this endeavor,” Wilhelm said, “and to see the results of a<br />

vision that each had at the time.”<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

180


From humble beginnings as the Hendrick<br />

Medical Center laundry department operating<br />

out of the hospital basement, to today’s full-scale<br />

commercial laundry business servicing seventyfive<br />

facilities in a 250-mile radius, Texas<br />

Healthcare Linen (THL) is a great success story<br />

for Abilene.<br />

Built in 2011 as a partnership between<br />

Hendrick Medical Center, Midland Memorial<br />

Hospital and Medical Center Hospital in Odessa,<br />

THL was created to provide laundry and linen<br />

services specifically for healthcare facilities in the<br />

West Central Texas region. Today, THL ships<br />

nearly14 million pounds of clean linen annually<br />

from the 48,000 square-foot state-of-the-art<br />

facility on Arnold Boulevard.<br />

How? Specialized, automated equipment help the production<br />

team sort the soiled linen, wash it, and then fold the<br />

clean linen to be put back into carts and delivered to customers<br />

via transport truck. THL operates a fleet of seven<br />

trucks <strong>with</strong> eight CDL drivers to deliver clean linen and pick<br />

up soiled linen. Within the plant, an overhead rail system<br />

helps transport goods from one area to the next to minimize<br />

touchpoints and increase efficiency.<br />

THL’s industrial washers put out forty-four loads of linen<br />

per hour, and the industrial folding machines allow THL to<br />

ship out thousands of items per day, to the tune of 2.6 million<br />

flat sheets annually, just to give an example. Because of<br />

the high demand for goods, efficiency is important, which is<br />

why the production floor maintains an average productivity<br />

rate of 130 pounds per operator hour.<br />

THL’s service area spans over 400 miles from tip to tip and<br />

serves hospitals in Odessa, Lubbock, Greenville (DFW), San<br />

Angelo and almost everywhere in between. With a total<br />

employee base of more than seventy dedicated Abilenians,<br />

THL still has plans to continue expanding its customer base<br />

<strong>with</strong> a mission of providing the highest quality healthcare<br />

linen <strong>with</strong> exceptional service in the most responsible way.<br />

THL holds two certifications from the Textile Rental<br />

Service Association (TRSA). The Hygienically Clean certification<br />

ensures that the facility meets best management practices<br />

as verified by third-party inspection of the plant, as well<br />

as ongoing third-party bacteriological linen testing.<br />

THL also holds TRSA’s Clean Green certification, which<br />

recognizes laundries that demonstrate responsible leadership<br />

in sustainability and conservation. THL recycles its plastics<br />

and cardboard, reclaims heat where possible to be redistributed<br />

for creating steam, and uses state-of-the art equipment<br />

designed to conserve utilities and minimize waste.<br />

THL also gives back to the <strong>community</strong> by donating linens<br />

to various charities such as Love and Care Ministries, Baptist<br />

Social Ministries and the annual barbecue held for active and<br />

retired military.<br />

For additional information, visit their website at<br />

www.thlinen.com.<br />

TEXAS HEALTHCARE LINEN<br />

Above: The Texas Healthcare Linen clean side production floor includes an<br />

overhead rail system, which transports clean linens to operators who feed<br />

items into industrial folding machines. Once folded, the linen is put into<br />

transport carts to be shipped out to hospitals.<br />

Below: The 48,000 square-foot facility at 1349 North Arnold Boulevard in<br />

Abilene was completed in May 2011 and services hospitals all over the west<br />

central Texas region.<br />

THE MARKETPLACE<br />

181


WAGSTAFF LLP<br />

Above: Judge John M. Wagstaff.<br />

Below: Wagstaff LLP’s current partners. Front row: Roy B. Longacre and Lisa<br />

Chavez. Back row: Charles L. Black, Darrell W. Moore, Kyle D. Tatom, and<br />

Benjamin E. Grant.<br />

In many ways, Wagstaff LLP is not much different today<br />

than it was when Judge John M. Wagstaff started it in 1890,<br />

when the City of Abilene was only nine years old. The firm<br />

is still located downtown, still known for its integrity and<br />

the quality of its work, and its attorneys are still dedicated to<br />

<strong>community</strong> involvement. In July 1890, Judge Wagstaff left<br />

his position as President of the Buffalo Gap Presbyterian<br />

College to open his law office in Abilene. He helped celebrate<br />

the 1891 opening of what is now Hardin-Simmons<br />

University, and he was the first to ride on Abilene’s new<br />

streetcars. Over his career, Judge Wagstaff earned a reputation<br />

as a superior trial lawyer, a man of integrity, and a civic<br />

leader. “That’s a history we’re proud of and a legacy we want<br />

to continue,” said Managing Partner Darrell W. Moore.<br />

Today, the firm is located at 290 Cedar Street in what was,<br />

at one time, the A.B. Barrow furniture store. The firm’s current<br />

partners are Roy B. Longacre, Darrell W. Moore, Charles<br />

L. Black, Kyle D. Tatom, Lisa Chavez, and Benjamin E. Grant.<br />

Wagstaff LLP is Abilene’s oldest law firm and one of its<br />

largest. Its fourteen attorneys offer legal services in a variety<br />

of areas, such as energy, real estate, health, banking, family,<br />

corporate, insurance defense, estate planning and criminal<br />

law. Energy law has been a large part of the firm’s practice<br />

since its beginning. Around the turn of the century, Judge<br />

Wagstaff, along <strong>with</strong> W.G. Swenson, owned and operated an<br />

electric company and an ice company, the two of which<br />

would become West Texas Utilities Company—now a part of<br />

AEP Texas Inc. Today, Wagstaff LLP continues to provide legal<br />

services to AEP Texas Inc. and several of its affiliates, as well<br />

as other electric utility companies, and has added renewable<br />

energy representation to its areas of expertise.<br />

Beginning <strong>with</strong> Judge Wagstaff and continuing for over<br />

127 years, the firm’s commitment to civic involvement has<br />

never changed. Many attorneys throughout the firm’s history<br />

have served in state and local government, as members of<br />

the judiciary, and in leadership and service positions in<br />

numerous religious, educational, and civic organizations.<br />

The Wagstaff name is an integral part of Abilene’s history.<br />

The current partners appreciate and value that legacy, and<br />

will continue to give back to, and invest in, the legal profession,<br />

the <strong>community</strong>, and historic downtown Abilene. “We<br />

are closely connected <strong>with</strong> this <strong>community</strong>,” says Moore<br />

“and we plan to remain that way.”<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

182


Since its origins in 1973, as a small regional publishing<br />

company based in San Antonio, Texas, Lammert Inc. has<br />

been in the business of helping its customers tell their stories<br />

in the most compelling and powerful ways possible. Working<br />

<strong>with</strong> a wide variety of clients—from corporations to civic<br />

organizations to individuals and families, Lammert Inc.<br />

emerged as a force in the publishing industry.<br />

The company initially produced specialty publications, such<br />

as an office building directory for the North San Antonio<br />

Chamber of Commerce, and a pictorial roster for the San<br />

Antonio Bar Association. Over the last four decades, Lammert<br />

published hundreds of directories, maps, and magazines for<br />

chambers of commerce and civic groups across the country.<br />

In the mid-1990s, Lammert created a new division,<br />

Historical Publishing Network (HPN), and focused on producing<br />

hardcover coffee table-style history and cityscape <strong>book</strong>s.<br />

The first of these was Fire and Gold: The San Francisco Story. In<br />

the ensuing years, Lammert perfected the sponsored-<strong>book</strong><br />

model of publishing.<br />

Conceived around the idea of an ultra-high quality hardcover<br />

chronicle of a city or county’s past, these exceptional <strong>book</strong>s were<br />

also designed to raise funds for a sponsoring organization—typically<br />

a chamber of commerce or a historical preservation group.<br />

They utilized a unique advertising mechanism, known as company<br />

profiles—business and institutional histories, which were<br />

purchased by organizations wishing to tell their individual stories,<br />

and placed in special sections of the <strong>book</strong>s.<br />

As of 2018, Lammert had published more than 140 titles<br />

using the sponsored-<strong>book</strong> model, while raising hundreds of<br />

thousands of dollars for its many sponsoring groups.<br />

Having carved out its position in the market for turnkey<br />

design, production, and marketing of photography-rich coffee<br />

table <strong>book</strong>s through HPN, in 2018 Lammert Inc. signaled a<br />

new focus <strong>with</strong> the launch of its new division, HPN Custom<br />

Media & Publishing (HPN-CMP).<br />

HPN-CMP remains a one-stop source for custom media,<br />

including turnkey <strong>book</strong> design, writing, editing, and<br />

production, as well as offering an enhanced range of<br />

customized services, including print, digital, and photo and<br />

video media solutions, as well as related website design and<br />

events management services.<br />

Employees, customers, partners, and shareholders all value<br />

a credible story which unites the organization’s past to its present<br />

and to its future, enhancing its <strong>community</strong> standing and<br />

brand reputation, or celebrating a significant anniversary, milestone,<br />

or similar event.<br />

The unique mix of talents and expertise brought to bear in<br />

a HPN project culminates in a remarkable creation—a<br />

breathtaking, photo-rich, coffee table <strong>book</strong>.<br />

The <strong>book</strong> may be complemented by a dedicated website,<br />

digital “flip-<strong>book</strong>,” and/or by related events to commemorate a<br />

historical milestone, introduce or promote a product or brand,<br />

or to present an organization’s annual report <strong>with</strong> more<br />

impressive visuals. As a gift to associates, partners, current and<br />

prospective employees, clients, and civic officials, the <strong>book</strong><br />

serves as a powerful marketing tool.<br />

For more information, or to inquire about producing your<br />

own publication, please visit www.hpncustommedia.com.<br />

LAMMERT INC.<br />

DBA<br />

HPNBOOKS &<br />

HPN CUSTOM<br />

MEDIA & PUBLISHING<br />

THE MARKETPLACE<br />

183


TEXAS STAR<br />

TRADING COMPANY<br />

Right: Texas Star offers a wide selection of Texas <strong>book</strong>s, gifts, gourmet,<br />

souvenirs, T-shirts and more.<br />

Below: Carol and Glenn Dromgoole founded Texas Star in 2004.<br />

Texas Star Trading Company proclaims<br />

itself “The National Store of<br />

Texas.” Located at Cypress Street and<br />

North Second downtown Abilene,<br />

Texas Star offers a variety of Texas<br />

<strong>book</strong>s, gourmet, gift baskets, T-shirts,<br />

souvenirs, jewelry, ornaments and<br />

more—including the best selection of<br />

Abilene-related merchandise.<br />

Owners Carol and Glenn Dromgoole<br />

founded the store in 2004 two blocks<br />

up Cypress Street and moved to the<br />

present location in 2007.<br />

“At first we focused primarily on<br />

Texas <strong>book</strong>s, <strong>with</strong> a few gift items available,”<br />

Carol said. “But as customers<br />

requested more Texas merchandise, we<br />

expanded our line to meet their needs.”<br />

The store is known around town, and throughout the<br />

area, as “that Texas store.” And it draws customers from literally<br />

around the world.<br />

“We have a guest <strong>book</strong> and encourage visitors to sign in,”<br />

Carol said. “We’ve registered guests from every state in the<br />

U.S. and from more than fifty foreign countries. It’s pretty<br />

amazing. Texas has that kind of mystique around the world,<br />

and visitors want to take a little bit of Texas home <strong>with</strong> them.”<br />

Texas Star does a brisk gift basket business throughout<br />

the year, especially during the Christmas holidays.<br />

“A lot of people these days are really hard to shop for,”<br />

Carol said. “A gift basket full of Texas gourmet seems to<br />

appeal to just about everyone’s taste—and budget. It also<br />

makes a good gift for a company’s special clients and vendors.<br />

And we can handle the shipping as well.”<br />

Texas <strong>book</strong>s remain an important part of the store’s appeal,<br />

especially <strong>book</strong>s by Abilene authors or <strong>with</strong> Abilene themes.<br />

“Our best-selling <strong>book</strong> of all time in our store,” Glenn<br />

said, “is Tom Perini’s cook<strong>book</strong>, Texas Cowboy Cooking, but<br />

every year we seem to have a number of Abilene-related or<br />

Texas <strong>book</strong>s that do very well.”<br />

Glenn’s own <strong>book</strong>s—he has written thirty of them—also<br />

are big sellers. “Well,” he joked, “when you’re an author, it’s<br />

nice to have your own <strong>book</strong>store.”<br />

Abilene historian Jay Moore’s <strong>book</strong>s and DVDs are other<br />

popular selections, and Texas Star often hosts local and<br />

regional authors for <strong>book</strong> signings.<br />

Texas Star offers a section of Texas bargain <strong>book</strong>s—many<br />

of them still shrink-wrapped—at a fraction of their original<br />

price. “We buy overstock from Texas publishers and then<br />

pass the savings along to our customers,” Glenn said.<br />

Texas Star Trading—(325) 672-9696—is open Monday<br />

through Saturday, offers free gift wrapping, and sells online<br />

through its website at www.texasstartrading.com.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

184


Deer on the bank of the Brazos River.<br />

THE MARKETPLACE<br />

185


ABILENE: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

186


Building a Greater Abilene<br />

Abilene’s real estate developers, construction<br />

companies, heavy industries, and manufacturers<br />

provide the economic foundation of the city<br />

Esperanto Developments ..........................................................................................188<br />

Rentech Boiler Systems............................................................................................192<br />

Enprotec/Hibbs & Todd, Inc. (eHT) ...........................................................................196<br />

Senter, REALTORS ® ................................................................................................198<br />

AEP Texas.............................................................................................................200<br />

Abilene Association of REALTORS ® ...........................................................................202<br />

Atmos Energy ........................................................................................................203<br />

TeleCom Unlimited .................................................................................................204<br />

Weathersby Roofing, Inc. .........................................................................................205<br />

An old spudding unit used in early oil production.<br />

BUILDING A GREATER ABILENE<br />

187


ESPERANTO DEVELOPMENTS<br />

Candlewood Suites is located at 3050 Catclaw Drive in Abilene.<br />

Founded in 2007, in El Paso, Texas, by President and CEO<br />

Madhi Nair, Esperanto Developments is an award-winning<br />

company providing development and hospitality services<br />

throughout the country. In its relatively short life-span, the<br />

company has experienced exceptional growth—currently<br />

operating 17 hotels in 8 Texas cities, <strong>with</strong> 4 more in development<br />

and several in the pipeline.<br />

For more than four years, Esperanto Developments has<br />

owned and operated three hotels in Abilene, Texas.<br />

Esperanto believes strongly in Abilene’s economy, the people—and<br />

most of all—the future of Abilene. The company’s<br />

Abilene properties currently include the Holiday Inn Express<br />

at 1802 East Overland Trail; the Candlewood Suites at 3050<br />

Catclaw Drive; and the La Quinta Inn and Suites at 3018<br />

Catclaw Drive.<br />

The newly remodeled Holiday Inn Express offers a pool,<br />

wireless Internet, a Health & Fitness Center, a Business<br />

Center, and free breakfast. Candlewood Suites is a petfriendly<br />

hotel featuring kitchenettes in all the rooms, as well<br />

as a Business Center, pool, complimentary laundry facilities,<br />

a Health & Fitness Center, and wireless Internet. The La<br />

Quinta Inn & Suites, also a pet-friendly hotel is newly<br />

remodeled, and offers a Business Center/Health & Fitness<br />

Center, free Wi-Fi, meeting facilities, free breakfast, and<br />

pillow-top beds.<br />

As a company, Esperanto employs over seventy local people<br />

from Abilene—<strong>with</strong> an annual payroll of over $1.1 million<br />

dollars. Esperanto employs a broad section of the economy<br />

from entry level to management positions. Consistent<br />

<strong>with</strong> its philosophy of expansion, Esperanto is always on the<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

188


lookout for quality employees, and offers many valuable<br />

opportunities year-round. Esperanto’s commitment to the<br />

<strong>community</strong> is also seen in its contribution to the local tax<br />

base—more than $450,000 in property taxes in the last year.<br />

Esperanto’s ties to Abilene are evident through its work<br />

<strong>with</strong> the Abilene Chamber of Commerce and the Abilene<br />

Convention and Visitors Bureau. Its commitment to the city<br />

is further strengthened by the civic involvement of its<br />

employees, many of whom participate in a variety of worthwhile<br />

civic activities, volunteerism, charities, etc.<br />

Feeling that time is life’s richest currency, the experts at<br />

Esperanto Developments provide services designed to help<br />

clients bridge the gap between risk and reward, bring farfetched<br />

opportunities closer to arm’s reach, and provide the<br />

tools and confidence to help grasp bigger and bolder projects.<br />

Esperanto is led by a group of talented and experienced<br />

executives, including CEO Nair, and Chief Development<br />

Officer Bharat D. Bhatka. Often regarded as the go-to expert<br />

for complex operational takeovers and transitions, Nair has<br />

pioneered sustainable growth for many companies from<br />

their infancy stage through assistance in making complex<br />

business decisions, improving the work ethic and helping<br />

establish impeccable accounting procedures. Nair empowers<br />

his team <strong>with</strong> the efficacious philosophy of leading by example<br />

and is committed to the belief that “a happy team is a<br />

productive team.” He invests in a wide range of life enrichment<br />

programs—such as fitness, counseling, financial incentives<br />

and <strong>community</strong> outreach. This team coherence is<br />

reflected in the fact the company employees like to think of<br />

themselves as “Esperantos,” stemming from the unique<br />

name. According to Nair, “Esperanto” is a unique language<br />

designed to be easy to learn and was developed <strong>with</strong> the<br />

noble intention of connecting people from all walks of life.<br />

In this language, “Esperanto” means “hopeful one.”<br />

Bhakta is an inspiring and unrelenting entrepreneur who<br />

has constructed several multimillion dollar companies since<br />

A guest room at Candlewood Suites.<br />

BUILDING A GREATER ABILENE<br />

189


Top: Holiday Inn Express & Suites, located at 1802 East Overland Trail in<br />

Abilene.<br />

Middle: Holiday Inn Express & Suites lobby in Abilene.<br />

Bottom: Guest room at Holiday Inn & Express and Suites in Abilene.<br />

arriving in the U.S. in 1969. His long track record of picking<br />

undervalued assets and turning them around is bolstered by<br />

strong leadership and mentoring skills, which motivate<br />

Esperanto’s growing team of professionals.<br />

Esperanto Developments provides cross-functional support,<br />

<strong>with</strong> full service hospitality experience in a variety of<br />

markets. The Esperanto team now encompasses a burgeoning<br />

group of talented professionals, and this strength and diversity<br />

is available to support its cohorts in the hospitality industry.<br />

The team at Esperanto Developments feels the success of its<br />

projects comes from the conceptual design of each of its properties.<br />

The company focuses on every single detail to make<br />

sure the team embraces the Esperanto working philosophy.<br />

Esperanto’s centralized accounting and financial services<br />

include assistance <strong>with</strong> budgets, accounts payable and receivable,<br />

daily revenue reporting, general ledger reporting and<br />

preparation of financial statements and bank reconciliation.<br />

Food and beverage services include creating food and beverage<br />

profits in an area that has historically sustained losses;<br />

help <strong>with</strong> marketing and events; cost control and analysis;<br />

and creation of partnerships <strong>with</strong> local food and beverage<br />

market leaders. Clients benefit from such sales and marketing<br />

skills as Esperanto’s “Pound the Pavement” campaign, where<br />

relationships are built outside–in the <strong>community</strong>—not in the<br />

sales office. Other sales and marketing tools provided by<br />

Esperanto include competitive analysis, creative marketing<br />

and regional on-site support. The human resource services<br />

provided by Esperanto include recruiting, screening and hiring,<br />

training and employee development programs and<br />

benefits, risk management and insurance administration.<br />

Esperanto is involved in hotel development offering general<br />

contracting, interior design, PIP consultants, budget and<br />

cost analysis, renovations and repositioning.<br />

In addition to the three Abilene properties previously discussed,<br />

Esperanto’s current portfolio includes five hotels in<br />

El Paso: Best Western Plus, Comfort Inn & Suites, Hawthorn<br />

Suites by Wyndham and Comfort Suites hotel located at the<br />

airport; and Hotel Indigo in downtown El Paso. Other Texas<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

190


locations include the Holiday Inn Express, Van Horn;<br />

Quality Inn, Pesos; Candlewood Suites, Monahans; Baymont<br />

Inn & Suites, Snyder; Comfort Inn, Stanton; Big Spring Inn,<br />

Big Spring; Holiday Inn and the Candlewood Suites,<br />

Beaumont; and the newest properties, now under construction—the<br />

Staybridge Suites and the Woodspring Suites,<br />

Pecos; and Townplace Suites by Marriott and Residence Inn<br />

by Marriott, both in El Paso.<br />

Significantly, Esperanto Developments represents six different<br />

hotel brands <strong>with</strong>in its portfolio:<br />

Marriott International, Intercontinental Hotels Group,<br />

Wyndham Worldwide, Choice Hotels, Best Western Hotels<br />

& Resorts, and La Quinta Inn & Suites. Both Hilton and<br />

Hyatt are also on the horizon.<br />

Building on its enviable early track record, Esperanto<br />

Developments is poised to capitalize on a promising future.<br />

Based on the goals set by the leadership team, Esperanto<br />

expects to have thirty hotels under management by the year<br />

2020. An exciting prospect is the introduction in 2019 of a<br />

new asset class <strong>with</strong>in Esperanto management—a multifamily<br />

apartment complex in Pecos, Texas. Besides new construction,<br />

the company is constantly doing due diligence on acquiring<br />

cash-flowing hotels in and outside of Texas. Additionally,<br />

Esperanto will have its first set of Joint Venture hotels <strong>with</strong> an<br />

international investment house, made possible by efforts put<br />

in the last year on the development front, and <strong>with</strong> the great<br />

financials demonstrated at all its hotels—making Esperanto’s<br />

performance shine as a company, and creating even more<br />

opportunities for all its stakeholders.<br />

As the company grows, Esperanto Developments is constantly<br />

pursuing and forming new partnerships, and is<br />

aggressively looking to sign third-party management contracts<br />

for hotels across North America. As a “preferred franchisee”<br />

for both Hilton and Hyatt, Esperanto points toward<br />

the potential addition of one of these branded hotels in the<br />

near future.<br />

Pairing the strength, vibrancy and dynamic growth of Abilene<br />

<strong>with</strong> a company like Esperanto Developments, which shares<br />

these same goals and values, makes doing business together in<br />

Abilene the perfect mix. Esperanto believes in Abilene!<br />

For more information, please visit them on the Internet<br />

at www.esperantodevelopments.com.<br />

The Fitness Center at Candlewood Suites in Abilene.<br />

BUILDING A GREATER ABILENE<br />

191


RENTECH BOILER SYSTEMS<br />

Above: Rentech Boiler systems are used across the world.<br />

Below: Rentech’s Abiline facility is located at 5025 East US Highway 80,<br />

Abilene, Texas 79601.<br />

Travel to an Ivy League university, to Canada, to<br />

California, even to the United Kingdom and Rentech Boiler<br />

Systems, Inc., is there.<br />

The company located in Abilene, Texas, and built by<br />

Abilenian Jack Rentz is so well-known for quality and value<br />

that businesses do not think twice about ordering massive<br />

boilers and shipping them across the country, or across the<br />

pond, at tremendous expense.<br />

The Rentech name is that good. Since 1999 a large petroleum<br />

refiner has recognized that when it comes to the manufacturing<br />

and servicing of boilers and their component<br />

parts, it does not get any better than Rentech.<br />

“It’s really value for the money,” the company’s technology<br />

adviser for utility Infrastructure said. “The reliability and<br />

longevity of their boilers far exceeds others.”<br />

By 1996, when Rentz established Rentech Boiler Systems<br />

in Abilene, the reputation the company enjoys today was<br />

already in the making. He may not have known it at the<br />

time, but Jack was building that reputation while working<br />

on the family farm in McLennan County as a youngster,<br />

working for a manufacturing company in Lubbock while<br />

earning a degree in mechanical engineering at Texas Tech<br />

University, and landing his first job out of college in Abilene.<br />

Today, Rentech Boiler Systems has earned the right to<br />

possess a unique trademark: “Rentech Boilers for people who<br />

know and care.”<br />

This pretty well sums up Rentech Boilers and its two associated<br />

businesses, Rentech Boiler Services and Frontier<br />

Welded Products, all located on eighty-acres of land on the<br />

east side of Abilene.<br />

“If they don’t know, we can educate them,” Jack said. “If<br />

they don’t care, there is not much we can do about that.”<br />

Jack knows and cares about the businesses he created.<br />

From one employee in 1996, Rentech Boiler Systems and its<br />

affiliated businesses have grown to an operation employing<br />

over 300 people <strong>with</strong> an average annual revenue of just over<br />

$100 million.<br />

The state-of-the-art manufacturing plant includes 179,000<br />

square feet of manufacturing space in several buildings.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

192


Inside those facilities, skilled workers, including twenty-plus<br />

<strong>with</strong> engineering degrees, custom design and build massive<br />

boilers for refineries, chemical plants, universities and most<br />

other heavy industries.<br />

A major development at Rentech came in 2016 when<br />

Mark Colman, who had been vice president for operations<br />

since 2005, was named president and chief executive officer.<br />

Jack remains as chairman of the board and eventually will<br />

transfer ownership to Colman.<br />

The story of how Jack and Becky Rentz ended up in<br />

Abilene started when they were students at Texas Tech<br />

University. Jack graduated first, <strong>with</strong> a degree in mechanical<br />

engineering, and worked for a Lubbock manufacturing<br />

company until Becky graduated. He had set a modest goal<br />

for himself.<br />

“All I really wanted to do,” Jack recalled, “was get out of<br />

school and get a job.” The job he was looking for happened<br />

to be in Abilene, which was perfectly situated between her<br />

hometown of Lubbock and his hometown of China Spring<br />

near Waco.<br />

After graduating from Texas Tech, Jack joined ABCO<br />

Industries, Inc., a boiler manufacturer in Abilene, in 1975<br />

as an entry level engineer. He rose to the presidency,<br />

serving in that capacity from 1992 to 1996 when he<br />

established Rentech.<br />

Since 1996, Jack and his employees have grown Rentech<br />

to be the recognized leader among boiler manufacturers.<br />

“We are the only privately held boiler company in the United<br />

States that serves our segment of the market,” Jack said.<br />

The craftsmanship and quality of work turned out at<br />

Rentech Boiler Systems is so highly thought of that several<br />

Ivy League universities buy products from them, which<br />

includes Harvard. Getting a massive boiler from Abilene to<br />

Massachusetts is not easy. In fact, it may be harder than shipping<br />

one from Abilene to the United Kingdom. A trip to<br />

Boston highlights the logistical nightmare of transporting<br />

boiler systems cross-country.<br />

“They got arrested in the suburbs of Boston,” Jack said<br />

jokingly. Actually, no one ended up in jail, but the transportation<br />

crew got shut down near Boston for several days, despite<br />

having a permit. The largest boilers are 25 feet tall<br />

and 15 feet wide and weigh 450,000 pounds. When<br />

laid down for transport, they are 15 feet tall and 25<br />

feet wide, requiring two lanes of highway space.<br />

Often, a “pushing truck” connects to the back of the<br />

trailer <strong>with</strong> a six-foot pipe to add power.<br />

Trucking companies that specialize in transporting<br />

over-sized loads are hired for that purpose.<br />

Often, traffic light arms and electrical lines must be<br />

raised along the routes when the truck and its load<br />

passes through town. The transport company works<br />

<strong>with</strong> the state to plan and manage the route. “They’re<br />

highly engineered loads,” Jack said.<br />

Once Jack got Rentech Boiler Systems up and<br />

running in 1996, he realized a need for a repair<br />

Jack Rentz.<br />

BUILDING A GREATER ABILENE<br />

193


Above: Rentech Boiler systems are shipped across all of North America.<br />

Below: Workers build and prepare high quality boiler systems for use.<br />

service as well. In August 1997, Jack <strong>with</strong> David Hunter<br />

founded Rentech Boiler Services to answer that need. The<br />

company repairs and provides engineered upgrades to existing<br />

boilers in the field and fabricates the boilers that Rentech<br />

Boiler Systems designs and sells. It employs over 175 people<br />

<strong>with</strong> a variety of skills and does work all over the United<br />

States and internationally.<br />

The newest addition to the Rentech line is Frontier<br />

Welded Products, Inc., which opened in 2007 <strong>with</strong> partner<br />

Jaime Rocha. The company employs over 110 craftsmen to<br />

fabricate a variety of boiler auxiliaries such as ductwork, ladders,<br />

and platforms for Rentech Boiler Systems and does<br />

some fabrication work for the public.<br />

All of Jack’s achievements in the engineering, <strong>community</strong>,<br />

and corporate worlds have not gone unnoticed. Jack’s list of<br />

honors and accomplishments are too numerous to list, but<br />

among them are being named Young Engineer of the Year in<br />

1979 and Engineer of the Year in 1986 by the Abilene<br />

Chapter of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers and<br />

being named a Distinguished Alumni in Mechanical<br />

Engineering from the Texas Tech University Whitacre School<br />

of Engineering in 2011.<br />

Jack also is a member of, and has served as an officer for,<br />

numerous professional and <strong>community</strong> organizations. He<br />

was elected in 2017 to serve as chair of the Abilene Chamber<br />

of Commerce board of directors for the 2017-<br />

2018 term. Among his other past or current<br />

involvements are United Way of Abilene<br />

Campaign Chairman, Meals on Wheels Plus, Big<br />

Brothers-Big Sisters, Kiwanis Club, Texas Society<br />

of Professional Engineers, Texas Tech Academy<br />

of Professional Engineers, and the American<br />

Boiler Manufacturers Association.<br />

Jack may have turned over the day-to-day<br />

operations of the companies he founded to Mark,<br />

but that does not mean he plans to take it easy.<br />

Jack and Becky have enough <strong>community</strong> involvements<br />

to keep both busy for years to come.<br />

Those involvements have not gone unnoticed<br />

either. In 2014, Jack and Becky were named cowinners<br />

of the Distinguished Citizens of Abilene<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

194


award, given by the Abilene Chamber of Commerce. The<br />

couple’s extensive involvement in the <strong>community</strong> comes from<br />

enjoying what they do and from a sense of being grateful to<br />

the city where they built their business and make their home.<br />

“We owe back to the city,” Jack said. This includes many<br />

entities such as banks, insurance companies, the<br />

Development Corporation of Abilene, the Abilene Industrial<br />

Foundation, and other institutions Jack works <strong>with</strong> as<br />

founder of Rentech Boiler Systems, Inc.<br />

Jack and Becky’s means of giving back include her service<br />

on the Wylie School Board for thirteen years, followed by<br />

serving as founding president and volunteer director of the<br />

Wylie Bulldogs Education Foundation since its beginning in<br />

2010. Jack and his crews use their skills and equipment to<br />

assist <strong>with</strong> improvements to encampments owned by the Boy<br />

Scouts of America Texas Trails Council, to construct a<br />

Christmas tree on top of Hendrick Medical Center, and to<br />

bring a bit of whimsy to Frontier Texas by adding eight “flying<br />

buffalo” to the perimeter of the grounds.<br />

“Giving to various good causes is our way of saying ‘thank<br />

you’ to so many good people in the <strong>community</strong> who have<br />

worked <strong>with</strong> us and to our great employees,” Becky said.<br />

Jack and Becky, the employees of their three businesses<br />

and the institutions they do business <strong>with</strong>, and many of their<br />

customers live in Abilene, making it a win for everyone.<br />

“When we help Abilene,” Becky said, “we all benefit.”<br />

Becky is especially proud of her work <strong>with</strong> the Wylie<br />

Bulldogs Education Foundation. A dinner is held each<br />

October raises money for scholarships and helps new teachers<br />

in the Wylie Independent School District. Each year, a<br />

luncheon is held for the new teachers and each is given a<br />

$100 gift card to purchase supplies for classrooms. Since<br />

2010, over $245,000 has been awarded to Wylie students<br />

and teachers through grants benefiting WISD.<br />

Besides their <strong>community</strong> involvement, Jack and Becky are<br />

parents of three children who live in Dallas, Fort Worth, and<br />

Scottsdale, Arizona. There are no grandchildren, but someday,<br />

if there are grandchildren, they will get to enjoy their grandparents’<br />

ranch near View, which is southwest of Abilene. The<br />

ranch is home to several antique vehicles, including a 1941<br />

John Deere tractor that Jack’s dad bought new to use on the<br />

family farm where Jack learned how to solve problems–the<br />

beginnings of his eventual career as an engineer.<br />

The ranch is home to deer, imported elk, and other<br />

wildlife <strong>with</strong> great views of the mesas in southern Taylor<br />

County. In Jack’s spare time, he and a helper use heavy<br />

equipment to rid the land of unwanted cedar trees. Mainly,<br />

Jack and Becky like to get away from it all on occasion and<br />

enjoy their country home. “It’s a place for us to go and play,”<br />

Jack said.<br />

Rentech booth at a trade convention.<br />

BUILDING A GREATER ABILENE<br />

195


ENPROTEC/<br />

HIBBS & TODD, INC. (EHT)<br />

Right: President of eHT, Scott Hibbs, <strong>with</strong> City of Abilene leadership in 2016<br />

discussing water management strategies.<br />

COURTESY OF THE ABILENE REPORTER-NEWS.<br />

Below: Entrance sign to the City of Abilene Hamby Water Reclamation<br />

Facility and Indirect Reuse Project managed and designed by eHT.<br />

COURTESY OF DOUG HODEL.<br />

Enprotec / Hibbs & Todd, Inc. (eHT) has been designing<br />

and managing important projects and improvements<br />

for the Abilene <strong>community</strong> since 1989. Our vision and<br />

values are to continue to develop long-term relationships<br />

<strong>with</strong> civil, environmental and geotechnical clients in which<br />

relationships result from the delivery of timely, personal,<br />

professional, cost-effective solutions that meet the objectives<br />

of our clients.<br />

Tommy O’Brien, PE, Director of Water Resource Planning<br />

for the City of Abilene, sums up the value eHT has provided<br />

to the City of Abilene. “eHT has been instrumental in<br />

managing the successful $82 million water reclamation<br />

facility expansion and indirect reuse project as well as<br />

ongoing water management strategies for the City of<br />

Abilene,” O’Brien said. “For the Hamby Water Reclamation<br />

Facility, eHT worked <strong>with</strong> Abilene leadership to design and<br />

construct the largest facility of this type in the State of Texas.<br />

The project was ahead of schedule and provides an additional<br />

seven million gallons per day of water supply through<br />

indirect reuse.”<br />

Abilene, like many other municipalities and entities in<br />

Texas, knows and trusts the reputation for service and<br />

quality and the integrity of eHT. The Abilene-based<br />

engineering firm has provided its hometown <strong>with</strong> multiple<br />

successful projects such as water and wastewater treatment<br />

and system improvements, civil and site design for schools,<br />

medical centers, developers and public works<br />

improvements, street and paving improvements, parks and<br />

recreation and athletic facility improvements, to name a few.<br />

The numerous engineering services provided by eHT, led<br />

by President Scott Hibbs and Executive Vice President David<br />

Todd, provide the City of Abilene and the surrounding Big<br />

Country and beyond <strong>with</strong> important and successful projects<br />

designed right here in Abilene. eHT is a civil, environmental<br />

and geotechnical engineering firm <strong>with</strong> headquarters in<br />

Abilene and offices in Lubbock and Granbury. Our Client<br />

Vision is to be an organization where we attract clients <strong>with</strong><br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

196


whom we can create enduring relationships. Being called on<br />

repeatedly by communities like Abilene proves eHT lives up<br />

to that vision.<br />

The present structure of the company came about in 2006<br />

when Enprotec, Inc., merged <strong>with</strong> Hibbs & Todd, Inc. The<br />

firm is a merger of two entities, Hibbs & Todd, Inc., founded<br />

in 1985 as Todd Engineering, Inc., and Enprotec, Inc.,<br />

founded in 1989. In its history, eHT has completed<br />

thousands of projects all over Texas and has been cited<br />

numerous times <strong>with</strong> prestigious state and national awards<br />

for its work. Even <strong>with</strong> about seventy employees, ranging<br />

from engineers to technicians, the founders of eHT still point<br />

to personal relationships as the basis for its recognition.<br />

The name “eHT” is a familiar one to many Abilenians. But<br />

they may not know exactly how important the firm is to the<br />

everyday life of the city. As previously mentioned, the<br />

Abilene Hamby Water Reclamation Facility and Indirect<br />

Reuse Project is an example of the significance of the projects<br />

that eHT has worked on and how well we perform our work.<br />

In 2017, the project, designed and managed by eHT,<br />

received the Large Utility Indirect and Bob Derrington Reuse<br />

Award from the Texas Section of the American Waterworks<br />

Association (AWWA). In 2016, the City of Abilene and eHT<br />

received two highly prestigious awards for the project. The<br />

first was the 2016 Project of the Year Award from the<br />

WateReuse Association, which recognizes projects whose<br />

significance and contributions to the <strong>community</strong> continue to<br />

advance the water reuse industry. The project was presented<br />

and the award received in Tampa, Florida. The second award<br />

the project received in 2016 was the Engineering News-<br />

Record Texas and Louisiana Chapter Best Water and<br />

Environmental Project of the Year Award. Recognition for<br />

this award was given during a ceremony in Houston.<br />

Projects designed by Enprotec/Hibbs & Todd, Inc. extend<br />

far outside the City of Abilene and surrounding area.<br />

Missouri City, near Houston, is also the home of an awardwinning<br />

project designed by the Abilene firm. On July 6,<br />

2012, the Missouri City Surface Water Treatment Plant<br />

project received the Environmental Project of the Year Award<br />

from the Texas Chapter of the American Public Works<br />

Association (APWA) in the $25-$75 Million category.<br />

The leadership of eHT also has been honored <strong>with</strong><br />

various awards, such as the Texas Water Utilities Association<br />

2011 Leadership Award for “being devoted to improving<br />

the public health and water environment for the citizens<br />

of Texas.” Hibbs, Todd and numerous members of our<br />

professional staff have deep roots in Abilene and are<br />

involved in the life of the city. We employ Registered<br />

Professional Engineers, Registered Professional Geologists<br />

and Registered Professional Land Surveyors in the State of<br />

Texas. Our staff are members of the American Society of<br />

Civil Engineers and other national and state professional<br />

organizations. eHT professionals are committed to the<br />

Abilene <strong>community</strong> and are involved <strong>with</strong> several<br />

professional and charitable organizations. We are proud to<br />

call Abilene home and are also proud to represent our city<br />

around the State of Texas managing multiple successful<br />

projects — all designed in Abilene!<br />

Above: In 2011, Scott Hibbs, President of eHT, met <strong>with</strong> Washington D.C.<br />

representatives along <strong>with</strong> City of Abilene officials regarding progress on<br />

the proposed Cedar Ridge Reservoir. Pictured are Scott Hibbs, Anthony<br />

Williams, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Norm Archibald, Larry Gilley and<br />

Tommy O’Brien.<br />

Below: Abilene Shotwell Stadium improvements designed and managed<br />

by eHT.<br />

COURTESY OF EHT.<br />

BUILDING A GREATER ABILENE<br />

197


SENTER, REALTORS ®<br />

Right: Scott and Shay proudly pose <strong>with</strong> a Senter REALTORS ® logo.<br />

Below: The current office of Senter REALTORS ® .<br />

Since 1957, a Senter, REALTORS ® sign in front of a house<br />

or commercial building in Abilene has meant that an experienced,<br />

knowledgeable, and committed professional is working<br />

behind the scenes to ensure the fastest and best result.<br />

Going forward, that gold and black sign will mean the<br />

same <strong>with</strong> Scott Senter, the second generation owner, handing<br />

over the keys to his son, Shay.<br />

“We’re here yesterday, today, and tomorrow serving<br />

Abilene,” Scott said.<br />

The future is bright for Senter, REALTORS ® because of<br />

the tradition of trust that has been building since 1957.<br />

Today, the name Senter, is synonymous <strong>with</strong> the best. The<br />

agency employs only full-time residential and commercial<br />

professionals <strong>with</strong> the highest ethical and professional standards.<br />

Many of them have been <strong>with</strong> the company since the<br />

1970s, making Senter, REALTORS ® a name that instills confidence<br />

in sellers and buyers. They have access to the<br />

latest technology, marketing techniques, industry laws and<br />

trends, which, combined <strong>with</strong> their know-how, guarantees<br />

good results.<br />

Senter may be a hometown name, but its professionals<br />

have contacts globally, making it easy to connect <strong>with</strong> a professional<br />

real estate firm anywhere in the world. Say the<br />

name “Senter” in Abilene and somebody might ask, “Which<br />

one?” The Senter families are fixtures in Abilene <strong>with</strong> their<br />

mark on numerous church, civic, and charitable endeavors<br />

all across the <strong>community</strong> and Dyess Air Force Base. Scott<br />

bought his father’s real estate business in 1996 and now is<br />

passing it on to his son, Shay. Bill Senter arrived in Abilene<br />

in 1956 as a pharmaceutical salesman and the next year<br />

went into the insurance and real estate business.<br />

Scott did not intend to follow in his father’s footsteps and<br />

Shay did not set out to follow either his grandfather or<br />

father. But now, all the Senters are proud that their name is<br />

associated <strong>with</strong> Senter, REALTORS ® . Scott went to Texas<br />

Tech University to major in management, <strong>with</strong> his eyes on<br />

hotel or airport management as a career. But he got his real<br />

estate license his senior year and decided to try his hand at<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

198


selling houses. As it turned out, that was a perfect fit and<br />

Scott joined the family business.<br />

Shay also attended Texas Tech, but <strong>with</strong> intentions to<br />

major in music. He discovered that he enjoyed music as a<br />

hobby but did not think that was what he wanted for a<br />

career. He got a sales job in Lubbock and realized he was<br />

good at it. Exploring the real estate business seemed like the<br />

logical thing to do. So, Shay took courses, got his license,<br />

and returned to the family business, ensuring that Senter,<br />

REALTORS ® will be on signs in Abilene and the surrounding<br />

area for years to come.<br />

Both Scott and Shay learned that just because their name<br />

was Senter, did not mean they would have an easy path to success.<br />

They had to start from the ground up, just like everybody<br />

else <strong>with</strong> a Senter nametag. Both also learned that having<br />

dad around, and granddad, can be beneficial. Bill still has an<br />

office in the Senter, REALTORS ® building at 3401 Curry Lane<br />

and stops by most days. While Scott was working his way up<br />

to someday owning the business, he had the benefit of being<br />

mentored by is father and grandfather. Bill’s father, Earl Senter,<br />

retired from Shell Oil Company in 1964 to become the company’s<br />

FHA property manager several years and licensed agent<br />

until early 1990s. Shay has received the same mentoring from<br />

his father along <strong>with</strong> grandfatherly advice from Bill.<br />

All that mentoring has contributed to what makes Senter<br />

one of the most respected names in Abilene. Bill was named<br />

Citizen of the Year by the Abilene Chamber of Commerce in<br />

2008. He was cited for being an early leader in downtown<br />

development and for improving Abilene’s infrastructure and<br />

industrial growth. His numerous leadership positions <strong>with</strong><br />

civic and charitable organizations also was noted, a trend that<br />

continues today—and will continue into the future—at Senter,<br />

REALTORS ® . Shay says the company has supported many<br />

charitable causes and events of the last six decades. The long<br />

history of <strong>community</strong> service on local boards and events is a<br />

family tradition started by Bill and Lila and followed by his parents,<br />

Scott and Michelle. He says the company will carry on<br />

this tradition in the future.<br />

Being supportive works both ways, Scott noted. From the<br />

beginning, Abilenians responded well to Senter, REALTORS ®<br />

helping the company grow to the status it enjoys today.<br />

“We’re supportive of the <strong>community</strong>,” Scott said, “because<br />

they’ve been supportive of us.”<br />

“Senter, REALTORS® in 2018 celebrated its sixty-first<br />

anniversary and wanted to thank both the <strong>community</strong> and<br />

all of our Road Runner Agents for their support, trust, and<br />

dedication to excellence.”<br />

“Tradition of Trust” is prominent in the mention of the<br />

name and company. You can count on it being prominent for<br />

years to come. Scott once said that his father advised him to<br />

always display honesty and integrity and to treat people fairly.<br />

Left: Bill Senter, Founder.<br />

COURTESY OF STEVE BUTMAN PHOTOGRAPHY.<br />

Below: The Senter office in 1978.<br />

BUILDING A GREATER ABILENE<br />

199


AEP TEXAS<br />

Above: Dennis O’Dell, AEP Texas customer service representative principal,<br />

(left) and Jeff Roberts, distribution system supervisor, (right) discuss electric<br />

service needs <strong>with</strong> Abilene homebuilder Lucas Gibbs.<br />

Below: Greg Blair, AEP Texas manager of <strong>community</strong> affairs and<br />

customer services, is shown <strong>with</strong> Lynn Barnett, executive director of<br />

the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, and Doug Peters, president and CEO of<br />

the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, at the Adamson-Splading Story<strong>book</strong><br />

Garden in downtown Abilene.<br />

A handsome slice of limestone, <strong>with</strong> a jagged slanted<br />

edge on the top and a large wooden star on the front,<br />

sits prominently on a table in the Abilene office of AEP<br />

Texas, “2016-2017 Corporate Star Award” is engraved<br />

on it, just below the name of the recipient, AEP Texas.<br />

The award was presented October 19, 2017, at the<br />

annual meeting of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce.<br />

It makes a stylish addition to the office, but that is<br />

not the reason Greg Blair, manager of external affairs<br />

and customer service for AEP Texas in Abilene, admires<br />

it so much.<br />

“We’re quite proud of this honor,” Blair said. “It<br />

reaffirms that AEP Texas plays a powerful role in<br />

the Abilene <strong>community</strong> beyond bringing electricity to<br />

our customers.”<br />

Receiving the award from the Chamber of Commerce is<br />

one in a long line of distinctions for AEP Texas, which is a<br />

unit of American Electric Power. Electricity came to west<br />

Texas in 1891 <strong>with</strong> the founding of the Abilene Light and<br />

Water Company. In those early days three different companies<br />

provided Abilene’s electric, gas, and ice service. The<br />

electric company and the ice company were owned and<br />

operated by two men, Judge John Wagstaff and W.G.<br />

Swenson, who for many years to come would play an active<br />

part in the operation of West Texas Utilities Company. Over<br />

the years, WTU became a part of the Central and South West<br />

Corporation, which merged <strong>with</strong> American Electric Power in<br />

June 2000.<br />

The merger created one of the largest utilities in the<br />

nation, <strong>with</strong> combined revenues of $12.5 billion, electricity<br />

sales of 200 million megawatt hours, $35 billion in assets,<br />

and nearly 9 million customers globally.<br />

Today, AEP Texas is an energy delivery, or “wires” company,<br />

which delivers electricity over its transmission and distribution<br />

lines. Encompassing a 97,000-square-mile service<br />

territory in West and South Texas, AEP Texas delivers electricity<br />

to over one million electricity consumers.<br />

“While we have a rich history,” Blair said, “our focus is on<br />

the present and the future.”<br />

Abilene got its first electrical power in 1891, just ten<br />

years after its founding. Those early men of vision would<br />

hardly recognize the system in place today. Much has<br />

changed, but something significant remains the same and<br />

will into the future.<br />

“That all changed,” Blair said, “except for the service.”<br />

The exceptional service and commitment to the <strong>community</strong><br />

played a big part in AEP Texas winning the Corporate Star<br />

Award from the Abilene Chamber of Commerce. AEP Texas’<br />

role in the communities it serves extends far beyond the reliable<br />

and safe delivery of electricity.<br />

“Our employees take pride in the fact that they not only<br />

work in these areas but live in and are active parts of local<br />

organizations and <strong>community</strong> events,” said Dennis O’Dell,<br />

AEP Texas customer services account representative principal,<br />

who also was recognized along <strong>with</strong> Blair during presentation<br />

of the Corporate Star Award. “We have partnered in<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

200


the growth and progress of these regions by ensuring<br />

a safe and reliable supply of electricity.”<br />

Abilene and the Big Country are in the<br />

AEP Texas North Division. The numbers that<br />

tell the story of the service to the North Division<br />

are impressive:<br />

• 185,960 meters (residential, commercial,<br />

and industrial);<br />

• 5.3 million megawatt hours delivered;<br />

• 53,000 square-mile service area;<br />

• 153 communities served in 48 counties;<br />

• 13,308 miles of distribution lines (from a substation<br />

to homes or businesses); and<br />

• 4,292 transmission lines (from energy source<br />

to substation).<br />

Along <strong>with</strong> its years of growth and service have come<br />

recognitions, major investments, and innovative upgrades.<br />

Some of them include:<br />

• 2010–AEP celebrated 100 years of consecutive quarterly<br />

dividends to shareholders, bumping the total amount<br />

paid in dividends over a century to $18.5 billion.<br />

• 2014–AEP was featured on Fortune magazine’s 2014<br />

World’s Most Admired Companies list in the electric and<br />

gas utilities sector.<br />

• 2015–AEP began building new transmission lines using<br />

the company’s patented BOLD (Breakthrough Overhead<br />

Line Design), which increases the efficiency and power<br />

transport of transmission lines while enhancing their<br />

visual appearance and reducing their physical footprint.<br />

AEP plans to spend $1 billion a year for the next few years<br />

to make system-wide improvements to transmission and distributions<br />

lines. On November 15, 2017, the National<br />

Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC)<br />

presented BOLD® <strong>with</strong> its 2017 Utility Industry Innovation<br />

in Electricity award.<br />

All those numbers add up to one thing–AEP Texas is<br />

totally committed to bringing safe, reliable, and affordable<br />

electric power to its customers. Although the amounts can<br />

vary from year to year, AEP Texas continues as one of the<br />

largest contributors to local initiatives. The company also<br />

commits funds to teach electric safety.<br />

The handsome limestone award sitting in the AEP Texas<br />

Abilene office is not just for show. It proves that the company’s<br />

commitment has been noticed. It proves the 164 AEP<br />

Texas employees who work in the Abilene area are active in<br />

civic organizations that make the city a great place to live.<br />

And that makes Greg Blair proud.<br />

“Wires and poles are not our only ties to customers,” Blair<br />

said. “We are connected to Abilene through employee<br />

involvement, whether it’s participating in a chamber committee<br />

or as a Little League coach.”<br />

AEP Texas contributes to many worthy nonprofits and<br />

sponsors local events that enrich the lives of citizens. The<br />

Abilene Chamber of Commerce honored the local office of<br />

AEP Texas <strong>with</strong> its 2016-2017 Corporate Star Award for<br />

good reason. “These types of activities, along <strong>with</strong> excellent<br />

customer service,” Blair said, “define us as a company.”<br />

Left: AEP Texas Service Mechanic Darron Rosenquist was one of many<br />

employees participating in the POWER OF PINK campaign to recognize and<br />

support Breast Cancer Awareness month in October.<br />

Below: AEP Texas service territory map.<br />

BUILDING A GREATER ABILENE<br />

201


ABILENE ASSOCIATION OF<br />

REALTORS ®<br />

Abilene Association of REALTORS ® is located at 626 South Pioneer and on<br />

the Internet at www.abileneaor.com.<br />

Between 1920 and 1930, Abilene’s population more than<br />

doubled, and right in the middle of that growth spurt was<br />

the establishment of the Abilene Real Estate Board.<br />

The board was chartered September 10, 1926, by the<br />

National Association of Real Estate Boards, <strong>with</strong> John H.<br />

Darnell serving as the first president. On May 13, 1959, the<br />

board got a new name, the Abilene Board of REALTORS®.<br />

Today, it is known as the Abilene Association of REALTORS®.<br />

From its beginning in 1926 to today, the board or association,<br />

has served Abilenians well. In 1920, Abilene’s population<br />

was 10,274 and by 1930 it had reached 23,175. Today,<br />

Abilene boasts a population of about 120,000 citizens, and<br />

many of them look to the Abilene Association of REAL-<br />

TORS®, just like early Abilenians looked to the Abilene Real<br />

Estate Board, as the “The Voice for Real Estate in Abilene.”<br />

In 2018, the association has 478 REALTOR® members<br />

and 105 affiliate members. The association serves more than<br />

just its membership; it provides information for consumers<br />

and advocates for legislation that is beneficial to the public.<br />

Two of the core competencies of the Abilene Association<br />

of REALTORS® are “to achieve integrity and to promote fair<br />

business practices” and “to promote and improve the availability<br />

and affordability of housing.”<br />

The local association is involved politically at all levels. In<br />

the years the Texas Legislature is in session, the association<br />

charters a bus to take members to Austin to advocate for<br />

legislation favorable to REALTORS® and to property owners.<br />

In 2017 and 2018, the association, along <strong>with</strong> KTAB<br />

television station, sponsored a forum for the mayoral and<br />

council candidates.<br />

Association members help <strong>with</strong> awareness campaigns,<br />

passing out pamphlets <strong>with</strong> information beneficial to potential<br />

homeowners. The association also conducts homebuyer<br />

seminars and provides continuing education and professional<br />

development opportunities for members.<br />

The Abilene Association of REALTORS® works for the<br />

betterment of Abilene citizens by joining <strong>with</strong> local agencies.<br />

In May 2017, the association built its first Habitat for<br />

Humanity house. Every August, the association works <strong>with</strong><br />

the Salvation Army and Payless Shoe Source to sponsor Walk<br />

With Pride, a program that provides school shoes for families<br />

in need.<br />

Ken Hogan, the current Association Executive of the<br />

Abilene Association of REALTORS®, is proud of the strict<br />

Code of Ethics that all REALTORS® are bound by. The cover<br />

of a brochure distributed by the National Association of REAL-<br />

TORS® shows the front door of a house. The words on it capture<br />

the essence of the Code of Ethics: “Respect Starts Here.”<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

202


Atmos Energy is committed to being the safest natural gas<br />

provider in the nation. That is why we are investing more<br />

than $1 billion a year in system upgrades. This is how we<br />

provide our customers and communities <strong>with</strong> affordable,<br />

clean and reliable natural gas service for generations to come.<br />

For more than 100 years, Atmos Energy has fueled Texas<br />

communities <strong>with</strong> America’s best energy choice. We provide<br />

natural gas utility service to more than 3 million customers<br />

in 1,400 communities throughout eight states, but approximately<br />

seventy percent of our operations are in Texas. Atmos<br />

Energy also manages company-owned natural gas pipeline<br />

and storage assets, including one of the largest intrastate natural<br />

gas pipeline systems in Texas.<br />

“Our vision is to be the safest provider of natural gas services,”<br />

said Atmos Energy Mid-Tex Division President John<br />

Paris. “And we’re doing it from the ground up by focusing on<br />

the safety of our system, the public and our employees.”<br />

Atmos Energy proudly supports and participates in <strong>community</strong><br />

events and safety outreach efforts <strong>with</strong> nonprofit and<br />

civic groups, schools, and first responders throughout the<br />

areas we serve. Our employees enjoy educating children,<br />

customers, and the public about how to be safe <strong>with</strong> natural<br />

gas; from safe digging practices like calling 811 before digging,<br />

to how to detect a natural gas leak and what to do if<br />

you smell gas.<br />

Homeowners choose natural gas because it is affordable<br />

and efficient energy that provides for abundant hot<br />

water, a warm and cozy home and for<br />

precision heat to cook like a professional<br />

chef for family and friends. Plus,<br />

modern and efficient natural gas appliances<br />

make your home stylish, energy<br />

efficient and help keep your energy<br />

bills lower.<br />

For more information about Atmos<br />

Energy, visit www.atmosenergy.com. For<br />

customer support, call our Customer<br />

Contact Center at 888-286-6700 during<br />

business hours. If you smell gas or suspect<br />

a gas leak, leave the area immediately,<br />

then call 911 and Atmos Energy at<br />

866-322-8667 anytime.<br />

ATMOS ENERGY<br />

BUILDING A GREATER ABILENE<br />

203


TELECOM UNLIMITED<br />

Right: A TeleCom Unlimited office and truck fleet.<br />

Below: Romona and John Brogan.<br />

Like its name suggests, TeleCom Unlimited<br />

is a technology-based business, but the company’s<br />

success is based on a principle that requires<br />

no technology.<br />

Founded in 1992, TeleCom has offices in<br />

Abilene and Midland, <strong>with</strong> annual revenues<br />

ranging from $1.5 million to $2.2 million. That<br />

is a lot of wires, cables, and technical expertise,<br />

but the essential ingredient is something that<br />

requires an expertise of a different kind. John<br />

Brogan, founder and president, has that expertise,<br />

his wife, Romona, who heads sales and<br />

marketing, attests.<br />

“John is good at listening to customers,”<br />

Romona said. “John will listen and realize there<br />

is a solution or start researching and find a solution.”<br />

This quality, coupled <strong>with</strong> staying on top of the<br />

ever-changing world of technology, catapulted John<br />

to the top of the profession and keeps him there more<br />

than twenty-five years later. That kind of stability in the<br />

technology realm is valued by current and prospective<br />

customers. “TeleCom Unlimited has earned such a good<br />

reputation in West Texas that most referrals today are<br />

by word of mouth,” John said. “People buy from people<br />

they know.”<br />

TeleCom Unlimited provides a range of equipment and<br />

services, including sales, installation, and support of telephone<br />

systems (digital and VoIP), telephone and computer<br />

cabling, fiber optic cabling, network and IT services, cell<br />

boost systems, and security camera systems.<br />

“Our desire is to be a turnkey solutions provider to your<br />

business,” John said, “not just another vendor.”<br />

TeleCom Unlimited has grown from a home-based business<br />

in 1992 to a multi-city operation <strong>with</strong> twelve employees<br />

and a 1,000-plus customer base. Highlights include becoming<br />

an AT&T dealer in 1995, a Toshiba dealer in 2005, and an<br />

Alcatel-Lucent dealer and ESI dealer in 2017.<br />

Despite putting in the long hours required to build a successful<br />

business, the Brogans find time for <strong>community</strong><br />

involvement. John was chairman of the board of the Abilene<br />

Chamber of Commerce in 2004.<br />

Both Brogans have served on multiple boards, including<br />

the chamber’s Military Affairs Committee, Alliance for<br />

Women & Children, West Texas Rehabilitation Center, Big<br />

Brothers Big Sisters, and the Better Business Bureau. The<br />

Brogans together received the chamber’s Business Person of<br />

the Year Award in 2012.<br />

The customer service and stability in the industry that<br />

TeleCom Unlimited promises its customers is unchanging,<br />

from 1992 to the present and into the future. In fact, the<br />

only thing that changes at TeleCom Unlimited is the “telecom”<br />

part. Technology changes <strong>with</strong> the speed of light and<br />

savvy providers like the Brogans know they have to stay<br />

ahead of it.<br />

“As technology changes, we change <strong>with</strong> it,” Romona said.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

204


New products, new rules and regulations, and new technologies<br />

have hit Weathersby Roofing, Inc., since opening in<br />

1973, but one thing will never change.<br />

The mission statement adopted by owner Russell<br />

Weathersby remains the same: “To provide honest, reliable<br />

service to Abilene and the surrounding area.”<br />

The Weathersby name is so solid, in fact, most new customers<br />

learn of the roofing business by word of mouth. New<br />

customers call Weathersby because someone they know recommended<br />

him. Weathersby has worked <strong>with</strong> enough local<br />

homeowners, builders, and businesses that people know his<br />

work and reputation are as good as gold.<br />

Weathersby learned the roofing business the old-fashioned<br />

way, through experience. He started learning while a<br />

student at Abilene High School, working <strong>with</strong> a family member.<br />

After attending Cisco College, Weathersby established<br />

his own roofing company.<br />

Much has changed in the roofing industry since Weathersby<br />

first started climbing up ladders <strong>with</strong> a load of shingles on his<br />

shoulder. Today, metal roofs, which account for about fifty percent<br />

of his business, and stone coated shingles are popular.<br />

Metal roofs are especially popular for country homes.<br />

“It’s a personal preference more than an advantage,”<br />

Weathersby said.<br />

Since opening, Weathersby Roofing has grown to include<br />

two sales associates and crews that run from twelve to fifteen<br />

roofing associates. The company also does some patch work,<br />

sheet metal work and small building repairs. Weathersby’s<br />

wife, Beth, does the office work for the company and Gary<br />

Barr has been sales manager for several years.<br />

Weathersby’s name is well known outside of Abilene, as<br />

well. Years ago, he was a Little League umpire and was selected<br />

to umpire the Little League World Series in 1988 and the<br />

Senior League World Series in 1991. Weathersby honed his<br />

skills by working at his roofing business from sunup until<br />

about 4:30 and then umpiring baseball games until 10:30.<br />

When he was not building his business or umpiring,<br />

Weathersby might be found donating his time as a Big Brother<br />

or serving on the board of directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters.<br />

Or, he might be found in a country in need of clean water.<br />

Weathersby works <strong>with</strong> other members of Southwest Park<br />

Baptist Church to either help dig water wells or install water<br />

purification systems. His motivation for helping provide safe<br />

clean water to Haiti, Puerto Rico, or other places that have been<br />

ravaged by hurricanes, earthquakes, or any natural disaster is<br />

simple; “If you’ve ever witnessed people living in an area <strong>with</strong>out<br />

safe clean water, it is a life-changing experience.”<br />

WEATHERSBY ROOFING, INC.<br />

BUILDING A GREATER ABILENE<br />

205


ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

206


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Atorneys<br />

4<br />

Contractors<br />

8<br />

Food<br />

12


Accounting<br />

1<br />

5<br />

Electricians<br />

9<br />

2<br />

6<br />

10<br />

Advertising<br />

3<br />

Biotech<br />

7<br />

Energy<br />

11<br />

Atorneys<br />

4<br />

Contractors<br />

8<br />

Food<br />

12


Accounting<br />

1<br />

5<br />

Electricians<br />

9<br />

2<br />

6<br />

10<br />

Advertising<br />

3<br />

Biotech<br />

7<br />

Energy<br />

11<br />

Atorneys<br />

4<br />

Contractors<br />

8<br />

Food<br />

12


Accounting<br />

1<br />

5<br />

Electricians<br />

9<br />

2<br />

6<br />

10<br />

Advertising<br />

3<br />

Biotech<br />

7<br />

Energy<br />

11<br />

Atorneys<br />

4<br />

Contractors<br />

8<br />

Food<br />

12


Accounting<br />

1<br />

5<br />

Electricians<br />

9<br />

2<br />

6<br />

10<br />

Advertising<br />

3<br />

Biotech<br />

7<br />

Energy<br />

11<br />

Atorneys<br />

4<br />

Contractors<br />

8<br />

Food<br />

12


Accounting<br />

1<br />

5<br />

Electricians<br />

9<br />

2<br />

6<br />

10<br />

Advertising<br />

3<br />

Biotech<br />

7<br />

Energy<br />

11<br />

Atorneys<br />

4<br />

Contractors<br />

8<br />

Food<br />

12


Accounting<br />

1<br />

5<br />

Electricians<br />

9<br />

2<br />

6<br />

10<br />

Advertising<br />

3<br />

Biotech<br />

7<br />

Energy<br />

11<br />

Atorneys<br />

4<br />

Contractors<br />

8<br />

Food<br />

12


Accounting<br />

1<br />

5<br />

Electricians<br />

9<br />

2<br />

6<br />

10<br />

Advertising<br />

3<br />

Biotech<br />

7<br />

Energy<br />

11<br />

Atorneys<br />

4<br />

Contractors<br />

8<br />

Food<br />

12


Accounting<br />

1<br />

5<br />

Electricians<br />

9<br />

2<br />

6<br />

10<br />

Advertising<br />

3<br />

Biotech<br />

7<br />

Energy<br />

11<br />

Atorneys<br />

4<br />

Contractors<br />

8<br />

Food<br />

12


COMMUNITY RESOURCE DIRECTORY<br />

217


Sponsors<br />

Abilene Association of REALTORS ® ..............................................................................202<br />

Abilene Chamber of Commerce ....................................................................................176<br />

Abilene Christian University .........................................................................................151<br />

Abilene Convention Center...........................................................................................170<br />

Abilene Independent School District.............................................................................134<br />

Abilene Zoo..................................................................................................................142<br />

AbiMar Foods, Inc........................................................................................................168<br />

AEP Texas.....................................................................................................................200<br />

America’s Small Business Development Center..............................................................180<br />

Arrow Ford, Inc............................................................................................................154<br />

Atmos Energy ...............................................................................................................203<br />

Ballinger Memorial Hospital District .............................................................................144<br />

Can-Doo Budjet Rentals, Inc.........................................................................................174<br />

City of Abilene .............................................................................................................148<br />

DATROO Technologies .................................................................................................177<br />

Denton Valley Farms.....................................................................................................160<br />

Dr. Norman Dozier.......................................................................................................138<br />

Enprotec/Hibbs & Todd, Inc. (eHT)..............................................................................196<br />

Esperanto Developments ..............................................................................................188<br />

First Financial Bank, N.A..............................................................................................167<br />

Hardin-Simmons University..........................................................................................140<br />

Hendrick Health System ...............................................................................................146<br />

Hendrick Home for Children........................................................................................136<br />

Jackson Bros. Feed & Seed ...........................................................................................162<br />

Lammert, Inc................................................................................................................183<br />

Lawrence Hall Abilene..................................................................................................172<br />

Love and Care Ministries ..............................................................................................130<br />

McMahon Surovik Suttle, P.C........................................................................................175<br />

McMurry University .....................................................................................................150<br />

Rentech Boiler Systems .................................................................................................192<br />

Senter, REALTORS ® ......................................................................................................198<br />

SERVPRO ® of Abilene...................................................................................................179<br />

Sharon Riley’s Restaurants.............................................................................................164<br />

Steve Butman Photography ...........................................................................................178<br />

TeleCom Unlimited.......................................................................................................204<br />

Texas Healthcare Linen .................................................................................................181<br />

Texas Star Trading Company.........................................................................................184<br />

Tolar Systems, Inc.........................................................................................................137<br />

Wagstaff LLP.................................................................................................................182<br />

Weathersby Roofing, Inc...............................................................................................205<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

218


About the Photographer<br />

Steve Butman<br />

Award-winning photographer Steve Butman specializes in commercial, aerial, industrial, architectural, and fine art<br />

photography. His 3,500-square-foot studio is located at 1065 South First Street in Abilene, Texas. Fine art printing up to fortyfour<br />

inches is produced in-house.<br />

His work has appeared in a variety of magazines from Texas Architect to Sports Illustrated. Other work includes the U.S.<br />

Marshal’s office, the Navajo Nation, the Library of Congress, and the U.S. Department of Energy.<br />

Steve is actively involved in preserving the area’s history. He serves on the Taylor County Historical Commission and is<br />

chairman of the City of Abilene’s Landmark Commission. He has been a staff photographer <strong>with</strong> Abilene Christian University<br />

for over 30 years and has worked <strong>with</strong> M. D. Anderson Hospital for 28 years.<br />

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER<br />

219


About the Writer<br />

Loretta Fulton<br />

After a career <strong>with</strong> the Abilene Reporter-News, Loretta Fulton began doing freelance writing in 2007. She still writes for the<br />

Reporter-News, as well as for other outlets, and has written or contributed chapters to several <strong>book</strong>s. Loretta began her career<br />

<strong>with</strong> the Reporter-News in 1969 shortly after earning a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. In her long<br />

career, Loretta has earned honors for her reporting and writing from numerous journalism organizations, among them the<br />

Texas Managing Editors Association, Headliners Club of Austin, and Religion Newswriters Association. A history buff, Fulton<br />

was named winner of the Perini Award in 2013. The award is given annually by the Taylor County Historical Commission to<br />

someone whose work advances and preserves local history.<br />

ABILENE, TEXAS: HEART OF THE BIG COUNTRY<br />

220


ISBN: 978-1-944891-63-3<br />

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