Abbott's Grove

Jo Abbott came to Hill County because Reconstruction had narrowed his options. Born in Alabama in 1840, he fought as a first lieutenant in the Twelfth Texas Cavalry and was wounded, the Handbook of Texas says. He began practicing law in Limestone County, but the political and legal uncertainties facing a former Confederate officer led him to move to Hill County in 1867, where he taught school for five months. A bid to put him on the state Supreme Court failed; he served in Congress from 1887 to 1897 and is buried in Hillsboro's old cemetery.

What the plaque says

Abbott's Grove In the early days of Hillsboro, a grove of pecan, hackberry, elm and other trees grew along the banks of Hackberry Creek. Hillsboro residents came to the grove for community celebrations and festivities. They called it Abbott's Grove in honor of one of the city's popular leaders, Joseph Abbott (1840-1908). He and his wife, Rowena (Sturgis), built their family home on the land south of the creek. Two of their five children owned adjacent property. Jo Abbott was a distinguished lawyer, judge, Texas legislator and U.S. Congressman. He and brother-in-law George F. Sturgis operated what would become the Sturgis National Bank. An avid anti-prohibitionist, Abbott was often a speaker at rallies and barbecues held in the 1880s and 1890s in the grove near his home. Other events at the grove included community and holiday picnics, concerts, ball games, and reunions for groups like the Old Settlers and Confederate Veterans Associations. At Abbott's death in 1908, prominent businessman and banker George Carmichael (1855-1924) purchased the Abbott home and property, and donated $1,000 in 1921 to designate the grove as a city park. The newly organized Hillsboro Rotary Club got behind the effort, and after a few months of raising funds the Rotarians were successful in their campaign. The new municipal park continued the name of Abbott's Grove. Use of the park at Abbott's Grove fluctuated over the years, but after a period of underutilization the park is once again a source of community pride, and a place for birthday parties, end-of-school events and other celebrations. Hillsboro citizens enjoy the scenic setting and the many amenities found in historic Abbott's Grove. (2004)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Hill County Courthouse — 0.6 mi
  Wesley C. Dodson's limestone Second Empire courthouse of 1890 on the Hillsboro square, gutted by fire on New Year's Day 1993 and rededicated in 1999 after a rebuilding that two Willie Nelson concerts helped pay for.
• Cleburne State Park — 30 mi
  A 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps park on the old Chisholm Trail crossing country, with a spring-fed lake, a hand-carved three-tiered spillway and a CCC bridge in Johnson County.

More markers nearby

• James L. Harris — 0.5 mi
• Hill County — 0.6 mi
• Site of Old Lexington Village — 0.6 mi
• Hillsboro Junior College — 0.6 mi