Missing Abilene’s Red Bricks: Where Have the Red Bricks Gone To?

The Disappearing Bricks of Abilene: A Stroll Down Memory Lane

When I first moved to Abilene in the early 1970s, I was struck by something I hadn’t seen before: streets paved with solid red bricks. To me, these streets stood out as symbols of prestige, a marker of higher-class neighborhoods or perhaps a nod to the city's rich heritage. Yet, as quickly as I fell in love with them, these brick streets began to disappear, covered up with black tar, as if being erased from the city’s memory.

Abilene’s brick streets were more than just a pretty face. These streets had history, dating back to the 1890s. Although the Abilene Brick Company was established in 1917, it wasn’t the first to provide these iconic bricks. According to my friend and Historian Jay Moore, the city's commissioners decided to pave streets like Grape and Hickory with bricks in the summer of 1922, answering the call of citizens who believed these red bricks would add a touch of class to Abilene. And they did, for a time.

The Surprising Charm and Challenges of Abilene’s Brick Streets

Grape Street, bricked from North 1st to Ambler, became a scenic lead-up to the new Abilene High School, making the red bricks an integral part of the neighborhood’s identity. Hickory Street received similar treatment, with its bricks paving the way from North 4th to Ambler. For decades, these streets stood as a testament to Abilene's charm, and classy history bygone. Now I do remember clearly, that it was a bumpy riding up and down these streets.

But as with many things that seem perfect on the surface, brick streets had their drawbacks. Over time, the bricks became uneven, making for a rough ride. Even worse, a little rain could turn those charming red streets into slippery death traps. And if you lived on Grape Street, the noise of tires whizzing over the bricks might have driven you to stick a "For Sale" sign in the yard.

The End of Abilene’s Brick Street Era: What Went Wrong?

By the mid-1960s, these brick streets were on their last legs. Hickory Street’s bricks had already been buried under a layer of asphalt, and only a small stretch of Grape Street still retained its brick surface. Then came the 1967 bond election, which marked the beginning of the end for Abilene’s brick streets. The decision to widen Grape Street from 40 to 64 feet-wide meant that the city started picking up the nearly fifty-year-old bricks in 1971, leaving only memories behind.

Why Abilene’s Brick Streets Are More Important Than You Think

Today, it’s hard to find a trace of these red brick roads, but for those of us who remember, they remain a nostalgic symbol of Abilene’s past. They were more than just paving stones; they were markers of the city’s heritage, quietly reminding us of a time when a stretch of red brick could make a street feel like something special.

Source: Jay Moore/Stone Owl Scholars.org