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History in
a Pecan ShellCaps
dates from 1882 from a wedding gift of an acre of land. The newlyweds / first
citizens were Ira and Anna Rollins Borders. The town was granted a post office
under the name Border’s Chapel in 1894 but it closed by 1916 when mail
was routed through Abilene.
According
to local legend, the name was changed to Caps during a meeting held to select
a new name. One resident threw his cap up into the air and said "Let's call it
caps." Sadly, no one suggested anything better and thus the name was changed.
By 1920 the community had a school, two churches, a gin, two stores and
a blacksmith. In 1935, Caps and neighboring View, Texas
built a school halfway between the two communities. It managed to survive the
school consolidations after WWII
but finally merged with Wylie schools in the late
1970s.
In 1940, Camp Barkeley
opened which drew the community toward the highway. After the war the base reverted
to a cattle feedlot.
In the early 1950s, Dyess Air Force Base was
opened.
From a mere 20 residents in the mid 1930s, Caps reached a population
of 125 after WWII, fell
to less than one hundred in the mid 1960s and peaked at 300 in 1985.
Abilene
annexed part of the town in the 1980s, dropping the population to 100 where it
has remained for the 2000 census. |
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| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history and vintage/historic
photos of their town, please contact
us. | |
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