Caps, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Caps
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 Caps
Location in Texas
Caps
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Taylor |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1332146 |
Caps is a small, unincorporated community in Taylor County, Texas. This means it's a settled area that doesn't have its own local government, like a city or town. You can find Caps southwest of Abilene, where U.S. Highway 277 and FM 707 meet. It's part of the larger Abilene area.
Contents
Discovering the History of Caps
Caps was first settled in the early 1880s. For a while, it was known as Border's Chapel.
How Caps Got Its Name
In 1905, the people living in the community decided it was time for a new name. A fun story says that a man threw his cap into the air and suggested, "Let's call it Caps!" Everyone liked the idea, and that's how the community got its unique name.
The Story of Butterfield School
In 1935, a school called Butterfield School was built between Caps and a nearby community called View. The school was named after the Butterfield Overland Mail line. This was a famous mail and passenger service that ran from 1858 to 1861. It carried mail and people by stagecoach across northern Texas, connecting places like St. Louis and Memphis to San Francisco.
The Butterfield School opened in 1936. It taught students from first grade all the way up to tenth grade.
Changes in the Community
In 1940, a military base called Camp Barkeley opened nearby. This caused many businesses in the area to move closer to U.S. Highway 277. When Camp Barkeley closed in 1945, the land was used as a large commercial feedlot for animals.
Later, in 1953, Dyess Air Force Base opened. The noise from the aircraft was so loud that two churches in Caps had to move closer to Abilene.
School and Water Updates
In 1978, Butterfield School joined with the Wylie Independent School District. The school continued to operate until it closed its doors at the end of the 2005–2006 school year.
Around 1979, there was a disagreement about water services between the city of Abilene and the View-Caps Water Supply Corporation. This became a long-lasting legal issue for the Abilene area.
Population of Caps
The number of people living in Caps has changed over the years.
- In 1965, about 75 people lived there.
- By 1985, the population grew to around 300 residents.
- In 1986, the city of Abilene expanded its boundaries and included a part of Caps. About 50 homes in this area were customers of the View-Caps water system.
- In both 1990 and 2000, the community had a population of about 100 people.
