Historical Marker
Nils Akeson
Hale Center, Hale County · Texas
Erected 1993
Akeson's town came close to disappearing. When railroad prospects failed and a long drought set in, residents moved their houses out to their ranches, and by 1898 Hale Center had just two businesses and one residence. It came back in 1909 with the Santa Fe. The Depression cut it from 1,007 people in 1930 to 836 in 1940, but by 1960 it had 2,196. The Handbook notes an All-American country fiddlers' contest held as part of the town's July 4th Homecoming.
What the plaque says
Nils Akeson (1866 - 1944) In the late 1880s Swedish born Nils Akeson moved from Iowa to this sparsely populated area of north Texas. As an officer of the Hale County Townsite Company Nils helped establish the town of Hale Center. He worked for the famous XIT Ranch from 1893 to 1899 and served as Hale Center's postmaster from 1900 to 1907. He helped bring the Santa Fe Railroad through Hale Center in 1909 and established the town's first mercantile business. As mayor, land developer, church administrator and school trustee Akeson played a prominent role in Hale Center's early development. (1993)
Where it stands
34.06337, -101.84714 · Directions
More markers nearby
- First Baptist Church of Hale Center — steps away
- J. Frank Norfleet — steps away
- Site of Epworth — steps away
- Ranching and Farming in Hale County — 1.1 mi