Cross Plains

History

Cross Plains was settled in the late 19th century and was known as Turkey Creek and Schleicher before a post office opened in 1877 under the name Cross Plains. The town experienced rapid growth in the 1880s, going from 25 people in 1880 to 175 by 1885. The population was 600 in 1911, the year the town was incorporated. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad was built through the town in 1912, which, combined with the discovery of oil near the city in 1925, led to a business boom. The population surpassed 1,200 by 1940 and remained stable until declining after the 1970s. The Cross Plains City Council voted to disband the city police department in June 2026 after a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement investigation found that the department failed to meet state safety standards. On December 27, 2005, a grass/range wildfire destroyed 116 homes in and around Cross Plains. On December 29, 2005, the Texas Department of Public Safety listed 85 single family homes, 25 mobile homes and 6 apartment units as being destroyed. An additional 36 homes were damaged. The First United Methodist Church building of Cross Plains was also destroyed. Two people died after being trapped in their houses. The fire started west of the city along Highway 36, and westerly winds of up to spread the flames into town, burning a total of of land.

Geography

Cross Plains is located in southeastern Callahan County. State highways 36 and 206 cross in the southern part of town, with Highway 36 leading northwest to Abilene and southeast to Comanche, while Highway 206 leads northeast to Cisco and southwest to Coleman. According to the United States Census Bureau, Cross Plains has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  489
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  307
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  301
• Northern Mockingbird

  Mimus polyglottos (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  296
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  265
• Black-crested Titmouse

  Baeolophus atricristatus (Cassin, 1850) · Aves
  260
• Brown-headed Cowbird

  Molothrus ater (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  234
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  233