Abbott

Abbott is a half mile east of Interstate Highway 35 and ten miles south of Hillsboro in south central Hill County. It was founded as a railroad town on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas line in 1881 and named for Jo Abbott. An Abbott post office was established in 1882 and served the town until 1928. The United Methodist church was organized in 1883 by Rev. G. W. Swofford, pastor of the Hillsboro Circuit. A sanctuary was built in 1884 and a parsonage in 1885 on land that W. W. Treadwell donated. In the 1890s cotton was a major crop in the area around Abbott. During that decade two cotton gins, a gristmill, and more than fifteen other businesses were in operation in the community. Early establishments included general stores, doctors' offices, a drugstore, barbershops, two hotels, two blacksmith shops, a photographer's studio, a newspaper, and a bank. The town had three churches.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.