Abilene State Park

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Abilene State Park

Location	Taylor County, Texas
Nearest city	Abilene
Coordinates	32°14′7″N 099°52′56″W / 32.23528, -99.88222
Area	529.4 acres (2.14 km²)
Established	1933
Governing body	Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Abilene State Park is a 529.4 acre (2.14 km²) park near Lake Abilene south of Abilene, Texas. It features camping, trailer facilities, picnicking, shelters, a swimming pool, hiking and fishing. A large grove of about 4,000 native redwood trees, now a favorite picnic area, was once a campground for Comanche Indians. The park is located about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Abilene, on FM 89.

The park was site of the Christmas massacre of 1886, a wagon train of 85 settelers headed West was attacked and mutilated by a band of Commanches. The war party killed the men and took the women as slaves. Of the 34 women taken only 3 were ever heard from again.

Much of the early development of the park was done by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The stone water tower and the swimming pool complex are the most impressive of the structures built during the period. Built in 1937, the complex is an exact replica of the Greek Parthanon, and Greek Bath houses. 21 workers were killed in the construction of the site. Most were killed in accidents involved with tnt used for blasting. 5 were killed by bears in the woods.