You Won’t Believe the Interesting History Behind Dawn, Texas

If you hop on I-27 in Amarillo, Texas, head south to Canyon and get on Highway 60 to travel to Hereford, you will pass two different blink and you miss them small towns.

One of those small towns has some interesting history.

Dawn, Texas, Featured a Dugout and General Store

Dawn, Texas, was founded in 1887 by rancher Jim Moore, who built a dugout in the area, which was later purchased by Jim Parrish in 1889, who opened a general store and helped name the area the Dawn of Civilization.  Dawn officially became the name when the area got its first post office.

Dawn was Home to A Broom Factory in a Barn

As the town grew, James Askren, a local farmer, opened the first school in Dawn in 1891. Askren also ran a broom factory from a barn on his land. There's not much information about the broom factory other than that it existed.

Who knows, maybe your great-grandparents or grandparents used an Askren broom to sweep their floors.

Read More: The Mysterious Clock In The Hale Center Cone Elevator |

Dawn Becomes a Shipping Hub Moving Into the New Century

Dawn eventually had its own train depot in 1917 and served as a shipping hub. As it continued to grow, the small community had a store, school, church, lumber company, and even a hotel. In the 1940s, the grain industry became a big part of Dawn, as seen today by the grain elevators across the highway from the post office.

Although driving by the small town today, you cannot imagine that this small town ever had a hotel, lumberyard, or store. In 1963, the school closed, and the children were sent to schools in Hereford, Texas.

Read More: Hereford, Texas, Was Once Home to a Sugar Plant - Holly Sugar |

The area is still very much a farming community and has a population of about 74 people. The closest gas station, hospital, and grocery store are in Hereford, Texas.  Those who live in Dawn do most of their shopping in Hereford, Texas, Canyon, Texas, and even Amarillo, Texas.