O. K. Hobbs Plat Book

About the Author

Oscar Knox Hobbs was born March 22, 1893 to W.D. Hobbs and Martha E. Hobbs (née Wilkinson.) He was the seventh of nine siblings. He became the assistant to Abilene's city engineer in approximately 1919 and became the city engineer between 1928 and 1933. He served in that role until sometime between 1941 and 1946 . He had at least one child with his wife Gladys, named Mack Shaw Hobbs, who was born in approximately 1930.

About the Collection

The O. K. Hobbs Plat Book offers the researcher an objective, historical reference to the layout of the city of the Abilene. Its bulk was assembled in 1927 by O. K. Hobbs and J. P. McKean, and was revised by Hobbs in May, 1930. It appears to have been compiled from many different sources (i.e., the plats in this book were traced from older plat collections). Fortunately, most pages are dated (usually both the date of the source and the date it was traced) and specify from where they were taken. While the main center section of the plat book is indexed and paginated, the first and final sections of the book appear to have been added later and are neither paginated nor included in the index. Additionally, some leaves within the main section are not paginated and may have been added later.

Most of the records within the plat book date between 1920 and 1931, however the oldest items date back to the early-1880s while the newest items date to the mid-1960s. Additionally, many items reproduce data much older than the items themselves (most commonly, as tracings of older plat records.) The vast majority of items are plat drawings of the city of Abilene. Plat drawings of surrounding areas and towns are also present. Some of the plat drawings also contain handwritten notes. Additionally, there are blueprints for architectural equipment (e.g. swimming pool pumps) and newspaper clippings advertising subdivisions.