Hamlin, TX

Hamlin straddles Jones and Fisher counties in northwestern Texas, with the Jones County side in the Abilene metropolitan area. The city was named for W. Hamlin, a railroad official of the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway, and the 2020 census counted 1,831 residents. The town's two-county boundary is part of its geography: the city extends west into Fisher County, while its schools and civic institutions are centered in Jones County. Hamlin's name and school tradition give newcomers two immediate reference points.

Current school life is a major part of Hamlin's local map. Hamlin Collegiate Independent School District calls itself home of the Pied Pipers and offers students college coursework that can lead to an associate degree before high school graduation, plus P-TECH trade certifications. The district's 2018 model is built around hands-on learning and college pathways. City Hall, municipal services, and the town calendar connect that school-centered routine to the wider Abilene area, while the Pied Pipers keep an older local nickname visible in present-day school life.