Home of the Hereford (Albany slogan)

The city of Albany in Shackelford County has called itself “Home of the Hereford” since the 1920s. The Texas Central Railroad made a connection to Albany in December 1881 and Albany became a popular place to ship cattle (mostly Hereford cattle).
 
 
Wikipedia: Hereford (cattle)
Hereford cattle are a widely used breed in temperate areas, mainly for beef production.
 
Originally from Herefordshire, England, they are found in the temperate parts of Australia. The breed also enjoys great popularity among ranchers in the desert American Southwest of the United States, as well as in the centre and east of Argentina and in Uruguay. Herefords made up the largest percentage of registered cows among herders in New Zealand. This is a testament to the hardiness of the breed; while originating in cool, moist Britain, they have thrived in much harsher climates. The breed has adapted to a wide range of climates on nearly every continent.
 
Wikipedia: Albany, Texas
Albany is a city in Shackelford County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,921 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Shackelford County. It was named in 1873 by county clerk William Cruger after his former home of Albany, Georgia.
 
Handbook of Texas Online
ALBANY, TEXAS. Albany, the county seat of Shackelford County, is at the intersection of State Highway 6 and U.S. Highway 283, in the central part of the county. The townsite was donated by Henry C. Jacobs, the first sheriff. William Cruger named the town for his former home, Albany, Georgia. One of the town’s Bicentennial projects was a rock fountain dedicated to the memory of the Georgia volunteers killed in the Goliad Massacre during the Texas Revolution.
 
The site was selected for a county seat to supersede Fort Griffin on November 8, 1874. The public sale of town lots took place on August 2, 1875; within a few months T. E. Jackson built a general store. Cattle drivers going up the Western Trail to Dodge City soon began to use the town as a supply point. The arrival of the Texas Central Railroad in December 1881 made Albany a shipping point for cattle. An election on July 20, 1883, authorized Albany’s first public school system, which covered eight square miles; by 1986 the Albany system covered 560 square miles. In 1883 the Albany News superseded the Albany Star. The Shackelford County Courthouse was built that same year.
 
Cattle and sheep raising dominated the local economy until the emergence of the oil industry in the twentieth century. Discovery of the Cook oilfield in 1926, and later discoveries, have made Albany an oil drilling, producing, and supply center. Ranching continues to be an important part of the town’s economic life; since 1920 the town slogan has been “Albany, the Home of the Hereford.”
   
Albany, Texas
ALBANY
HOME OF THE
HEREFORD
   
Texas Heritage Trails
Cities: Albany
The townsite was selected to replace Fort Griffin in 1874 and was named for Albany, Georgia. Cattle drivers going up the Western Trail to Dodge City soon began to use the town as a supply point.
 
The arrival of the Texas Central Railroad in December 1881 made Albany a shipping point for cattle, wool, and buffalo bones, among other things. The Shackelford County Courthouse was built in 1883. In 1886, the area was ravaged by a severe drought, prompting a visit to Albany and nearby Hulltown by Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross. During these years, the farming and ranching industry dominated the economy of Albany and Shackelford County. Hereford cattle were introduced in Albany, earning the town the nickname, “Home of the Hereford”.
 
5 December 1926, Abilene (TX) Morning Reporter-News, “‘Home of Hereford’ Enjoys Era of Prosperity,” pg. 4, col. 1:
ALBANY, Dec. 4.—Albany, “home of the Hereford” and county seat of Shackelford county, has taken stock of itself, stretched its legs, and is growing like a healthy youngster.
 
19 April 1928, Lubbock (TX) Morning Avalanche, pg. 12, col. 2:
Citizens of Albany, “home of the Hereford” and one time thriving oil town, claim another oil field for their vicinity.