Gail, Texas
| Gail, Texas | |
|---|---|
| county seat | |
Borden County Courthouse in Gail
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 Gail
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| Coordinates: 32°46′13″N 101°26′43″W / 32.77028°N 101.44528°WCoordinates: 32°46′13″N 101°26′43″W / 32.77028°N 101.44528°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Borden |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.02 sq mi (5.23 km2) |
| • Land | 2.01 sq mi (5.21 km2) |
| • Water | 0.008 sq mi (0.02 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,556 ft (779 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 231 |
| • Density | 115/sq mi (44.3/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP codes | 79738 |
| Area code(s) | 806 |
Gail is an unincorporated small town in Borden County, Texas, United States. Located at the junction of U.S. Highway 180 and Farm to Market Road 669, it is the county seat of Borden County. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 231.
The town and county are named for Gail Borden, Jr., of Houston, the inventor of condensed milk.
Gail Mountain is located on the southwest edge of town. The twentieth annual Christmas lighting of the star atop Gail Mountain was held on November 29, 2013.
Mushaway Peak, a small but conspicuous butte, is located 4 miles (6 km) southeast.
Founded in 1891 to coincide with the organization of Borden County, Gail has served as county seat for the duration of its existence. Borden County had remained quite sparsely populated until 1903, when the locally famed "War of Ribbons", inspired by a state sanctioned land grab, took place. The conflict took its name from the practice of established ranchers displaying their affiliation and identity by way of a blue ribbon on their sleeves, whereas new settlers to the area designated theirs with a similarly placed red ribbon. By 1910, Gail was home to more than 700 residents, and though this would fall to 600 by 1912, the community remained the economic and administrative hub of Borden County. Changes in agricultural practices and patterns, coupled with the impact of the Great Depression, hindered the town and county's prosperity. By 1936, Gail's population had dwindled to 250 residents, and by 1980 it had fallen to around 190. The census of 2010 counted 231 residents in Gail.
The Borden County Jail opened in 1896. Built at a cost of $4,500 by the Diebold Safe and Lock Company, it had 2-foot-thick (0.61 m) outside walls made of stone from Gail Mountain, and 0.3-foot (0.091 m) hardened steel plates in the cell walls and floor. In 1956, two prisoners objected to Sheriff Sid Reeder's attempt to place them into one of the jail's cells when they noticed a rattlesnake sleeping inside. A historic marker was placed outside the jail in 1967.
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