192 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
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Terry's Texas Rangers and a One-Day Command
Thomas Saltus Lubbock, the man this county is named for, helped raise one of the most storied cavalry outfits Texas ever put in the saddle. Along with a man named Benjamin Terry, he recruited the Eighth Texas Cavalry,…
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Lubbock, TX
Lubbock rises from the South Plains like a cottonwood after a rain. It's easy to think it just *happened* here, but there's a reason this particular spot became a regional hub. Think about it: endless flat land, perfect…
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The Hometown Kid Who Changed Rock and Roll
The name Lubbock honors a nineteenth century Ranger, but the modern name that put this city on the world's radar belongs to a bespectacled kid who grew up right here. Buddy Holly was born in Lubbock on September…
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The Dryline: the Front You Cannot See
Out here on the South Plains there is a weather front you will never see on the news the way you see a cold front, because it has no rain and no clouds of its own. It is called the dryline, and it is one of the…
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The Ranger Behind the Name
Here is the honest story behind the name on the map. Lubbock is a real, documented namesake. When the Texas Legislature carved out this county on August twenty-first, eighteen seventy-six, they named it for Thomas…
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Two Brothers, One Name
Let us clear up something that trips people up. When folks hear the name Lubbock, some of them picture Governor Francis Lubbock, the wartime governor of Texas. But the city and county were named for his brother, Thomas…
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How the Texas Rangers Actually Began
The county name here comes from a Texas Ranger, so let us talk about what that title actually meant and how the Rangers got started, because the beginning is humbler than the legend. Back in the summer of eighteen…
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The Town That Rolled Across a Canyon
Here is a wild bit of how this city actually came to be. Back in the summer of eighteen ninety, there were not one but two little rival towns squaring off near Yellow House Canyon. One was called Monterey, planted by a…
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Why the Land Here Is So Flat
If you have been driving across the country around Lubbock, you have probably noticed the land is almost supernaturally flat and wide, stretching to a straight-line horizon in every direction. There is a real geologic…
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Terry Allen
Lubbock gave the world Buddy Holly. It also gave the world Terry Allen — and Terry Allen never once let the place off the hook. In 1979 he came home to cut a record with Lubbock players and called it "Lubbock (on…
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Amanda Shires
Growing up in Lubbock, Amanda Shires watched Bobbie Nelson play piano alongside Willie and the band — and then she went and built her own outlaw résumé the bold way. She climbed onstage uninvited at a Billy Joe Shaver…
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Blue Light Live
Just off the Texas Tech campus in Lubbock, the Blue Light turned its lights on in 1999 — and it's been minting West Texas songwriters ever since. Wade Bowen played it early. So did Flatland Cavalry, and a young Josh…
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Buddy Holly Center
Out on the West Texas Walk of Fame in Lubbock, there's a bronze man about your size, a Fender slung across him, frozen mid-song. That's Buddy Holly, cast in metal right where he came up. The center behind him lives in…
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City of Lubbock Cemetery
The City of Lubbock Cemetery goes back to the late eighteen hundreds and holds better than sixty thousand graves. One of them is Buddy Holly's — Charles Hardin Holley, killed in a plane crash in 1959, brought home to…
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Lubbock's Pancho Clos
In Lubbock, Santa comes in a poncho. They call him Pancho Clos — spelled without the a-u-s, so nobody mixes him up with the other fella. It started back in nineteen seventy-one, when three men, Agustin Medina, Jesse…
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Weather balloons and instrument pods
Out here in storm country, the science starts before the storm does. Twice a day, from about 100 sites across the country, the National Weather Service floats weather balloons miles into the sky. The instrument hanging…
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Flying debris, the real tornado threat
Out here in storm country, the wind itself is rarely what gets you. The real danger is what the wind picks up. A snapped board, a chunk of roof, a fence rail, all of it turns into a high-speed missile. Hit a window and…
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Hail and tornadoes share a parent storm
Out here on the High Plains around Lubbock, hail and tornadoes are cousins, born of the same engine. Both grow inside a supercell's tilted updraft, that violent column of rising air. Here's the trick to a giant…
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A Ranger's Name Under Your Wheels
So the next time the sign for Lubbock rolls past your window, you will know it is carrying more than a name. It is carrying a Texas Ranger named Thomas Saltus Lubbock, who helped raise Terry's Texas Rangers and held…
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Lubbock High School
· 0.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Lubbock, and right here is a landmark that rose from the plains' booming population in the 1920s. This is Lubbock High School, completed in 1931. Designed in a rich North Italian Romanesque style,…
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Buddy Holly Center
· 0.5 mi · Things to Do
Lubbock was a dusty cotton town when a skinny kid named Charles Hardin Holley picked up a guitar in the nineteen fifties and figured out how to make rock and…
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Cactus Theater
· 0.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Get ready to tap your toes! The Cactus Theater has been a Lubbock entertainment hub for decades. Originally built as a movie theater in the 1930s, it later fell into disrepair. In 1993, Don Caldwell purchased and…
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Bacon Home
· 0.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of the Bacon Home, built in 1916 for Warren Bacon, a major business and civic leader in early Lubbock, and his wife Myrta. She was the daughter of a pioneer family here. This two-story brick…
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Citizens National Bank of Lubbock
· 0.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of the Citizens National Bank of Lubbock, the oldest national bank still operating in the city. It opened its doors way back on May 5, 1906, when Lubbock was just a tiny town of 1,500…
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Lubbock Women's Club
· 0.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of the Lubbock Women's Club. It started in 1944 when several women's groups decided to coordinate their community improvement efforts. By 1945, 22 groups had joined, forming the Lubbock…
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First Methodist Church of Lubbock
· 0.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of the First Methodist Church of Lubbock. This congregation started in 1892 with circuit rider R.M. Morris and 12 members. They met in the schoolhouse and courthouse until their first…
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Buddy Holly
· 0.7 mi · Historical Marker
Charles Hardin “Buddy” Holley was born in Lubbock on September 7, 1936, to Ella Pauline (Drake) and Lawrence Odell “L.O.” Holley. The youngest of four children, Buddy grew up in a musical…
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Buddy Holly Center
· 0.7 mi · Historical Marker
Lubbock native Charles Hardin Holley (Buddy Holly) pioneered rock and roll before dying in a plane crash at age 22.
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The 1970 Lubbock Tornado
· 0.7 mi · Historical Marker
The major tornado that struck Lubbock on May 11, 1970 was one of the most destructive in American history. That evening there was an outbreak of thunderstorms with strong winds and hail. An initial tornado touched down…
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Buddy Holly Center
· 0.7 mi · Things to Do
Museum dedicated to Lubbock's most famous son. The day the music died.
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The Fujita Scale
· 0.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Lubbock, the site of a devastating tornado on May 11th, 1970. That storm helped confirm the work of Dr. Tetsuya Fujita, a Japanese scientist who developed the Fujita Scale to measure tornado…
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Lubbock, Colonel T. S. & Texas in the Civil War
· 0.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site associated with Colonel T. S. Lubbock, a South Carolinian who came to Texas in 1835. He was an Indian fighter and soldier who served the Confederacy. He was elected Lieutenant Colonel of the…
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Congressman George Mahon
· 0.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the legacy of George Mahon, a West Texas powerhouse who served an incredible 44 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was more than just a congressman; Mahon was instrumental in bringing…
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Nicolett Hotel
· 0.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Nicolett Hotel. In late 1888 and early 1889, Frank E. Wheelock and Rollie Burns, manager and employee, respectively, of the large Ioa Ranch, built the Nicolett Hotel on a high prairie just east of…
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The Mast House
· 0.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're cruising through Lubbock, and just ahead is a glimpse into the past: the Mast House. Built in 1925 by a top local builder for Dr. Clarence S. Mast, a founding physics professor at Texas Tech. This home shows off…
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Lubbock County
· 0.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Lubbock County. Formed from Young and Bexar territories Created August 21, 1876 Organized March 10, 1891 Named in honor of Colonel Thomas S. Lubbock 1817 - 1862 Member of the New Orleans Greys at the…
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St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church
· 0.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church. Early Catholic settlers in Lubbock and on the Texas South Plains celebrated Mass with traveling priests in private homes. Beginning in 1905, Father Joseph Keller…
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First Baptist Church of Lubbock
· 0.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of Lubbock's First Baptist Church. Organized way back in 1891, this congregation actually met in the county jail before building their first church in 1901. They grew with the town,…
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Mackenzie Scout Trail
· 0.9 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through West Texas, following a path etched into history by the Mackenzie Scout Trail. This wasn't just any trail; it was a vital artery connecting Camp Supply in Crosby County to Fort Sumner, New Mexico.…
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St. John's United Methodist Church
· 0.9 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of St. John's United Methodist Church in Lubbock. It started in 1939, serving Texas Tech faculty and students. Interestingly, the first services were held in a movie theater, the Tech…
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Texas Tech Alumni Association
· 1.0 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the heart of Texas Tech's connection to its graduates. The very first graduating class in 1927 didn't just leave campus – they immediately formed the Alumni Association to stay connected. From a…
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Lubbock's First Cotton Gin
· 1.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of Lubbock's very first cotton gin, which opened in late 1904. Before this, the closest gins were over a hundred miles away, making cotton farming nearly impossible here. This single gin,…
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New Hope Baptist Church
· 1.2 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of the New Hope Baptist Church, a historically African American congregation that organized back in 1926. Originally known as Mount Calvary Baptist, it moved to this area in 1929. Over the…
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Texas Tech Judging Pavilion
· 1.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the old Livestock Judging Pavilion at Texas Tech. Completed in the 1920s, this was one of the first four buildings on campus and the very first designed specifically for agricultural education.…
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Texas Tech University Dairy Barn
· 1.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the historic Texas Tech Dairy Barn, completed in 1927. Designed by Wyatt Hedrick in an unusual Arts and Crafts bungalow style, it was built to house the university's dairy cows. By 1930, this barn…
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Yellowhouse Canyon
· 1.5 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Yellowhouse Canyon, a place known to Spanish explorers way back in the 1600s. Albert Pike passed through here in 1832 and described it. Look around – this was the site of the last major battle in…
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Mount Gilead Baptist Church
· 1.5 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Lubbock, and you're passing the site of Mount Gilead Baptist Church, believed to be the city's oldest black congregation. It all began back in October 1917, with an organizational meeting led by…
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General Ranald Slidell Mackenzie
· 1.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through West Texas, a land shaped by conflict and resilience. Look around, and imagine the vast, unexplored Llano Estacado. In the late 1800s, this was the domain of Native American tribes. But a…
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Mary & Mac Private School
· 1.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of a Lubbock institution that defied segregation and fostered dreams. In 1954, Lucille Graves opened Mary & Mac Private School, a preschool for African-American children, named for a…
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The Free Range Era of Ranching
· 1.9 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through West Texas, where for a brief, wild time, cattle roamed free. From 1878 to 1885, this was the heart of the Free Range Era of Ranching. After the removal of Native Americans and buffalo, hundreds…
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Willie Lusk Jr.
· 2.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Lubbock, passing the spot where Willie Lusk Jr. built his legendary custom boot business. Born in 1914, Lusk apprenticed early, learning the craft from a Czech bootmaker. He eventually opened his…
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Holley, Charles Hardin [Buddy Holly]
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
Buddy Holly, rock-and-roll pioneer, was born Charles Hardin Holley on September 7, 1936, in Lubbock, Texas. He was the youngest of four children of Lawrence and Ella (Drake) Holley. His father worked as a tailor and…
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Cotton Club
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
The Cotton Club was a ballroom, concert arena, and dance hall in Lubbock, Texas. It was a venue for big bands, country and western performers, rock-and-roll artists, and all musicians who fell in between. Beyond being…
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Stubblefield, Christopher B., Sr.
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
Christopher B. Stubblefield, Sr., Lubbock restaurateur and music patron, was born in Navasota, Texas, on March 7, 1931. He was the son of Christopher Columbus and Mary Stubblefield. Stubblefield, known as "C.B.,"…
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Crickets, The
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, the birthplace of a band that helped define rock and roll: The Crickets. Formed in 1957, this group was the powerhouse behind the legendary Buddy Holly. After Holly's solo career hit a…
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Buddy Holly Center
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, and right here at 1801 Crickets Avenue stands the Buddy Holly Center. But this isn't just any museum; it's a building with a story all its own. It started life in 1928 as a grand train…
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Cawthon, Peter Willis
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through West Texas, and right here in Lubbock, you're passing through the stomping grounds of a legendary football innovator. Peter 'Pete' Cawthon took over Texas Technological College in 1930, and by…
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Chatman, Joseph Alvin
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, a city that owes a lot to Dr. Joseph Alvin Chatman. Born in Navasota in 1901, Dr. Chatman moved to Lubbock in 1939 and, right here, he established the Chatman Medical and Surgical Clinic…
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Chuck Wagon Gang
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through West Texas, maybe near Lubbock, where in 1935, a family of sharecroppers decided to turn their singing into a career. Dave and Carrie Carter, with their nine kids, started auditioning for radio.…
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Lubbock Lake National Historic and State Archeological Landmark
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving near Lubbock, and right here is a place that holds the story of Texas for over eleven thousand years. Lubbock Lake isn't just a landmark; it's a time capsule. Back in 1950, researchers found burned bone…
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Lusk, Willie, Jr.
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, Texas, a city that was once home to a bootmaker with a national reputation. Willie Lusk, Jr. was a towering figure, six-foot-six and 260 pounds, who learned his craft from a Czech…
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Overton, Marvin Cartmell
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through West Texas, and right here in Lubbock, you're passing through the legacy of Dr. Marvin Cartmell Overton. He arrived in 1901, becoming the very first physician to call this growing community home.…
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Wade, Franklin Alton
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, Texas, home of Franklin Alton Wade, a geologist and explorer who chased the polar ice. Wade first journeyed to Antarctica in 1933, accompanying Admiral Richard Byrd. He suffered severe…
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Wheelock, Frank Emerson
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, Texas, a city that owes its very existence to a man named Frank Emerson Wheelock. Originally from New York, Wheelock came west in 1887 to manage the sprawling IOA Ranch. But his real…
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Yellow House Canyon, Battle of
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through West Texas, near what is now Lubbock, and you're passing through the site of the last major fight between American Indians and settlers on the High Plains. It was March 18, 1877, during the Staked…
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Yellow House Draw
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving near Lubbock, and right here is Yellow House Draw. This canyon, carved over millions of years, was a vital landmark for early Texans. In 1877, it became the scene of a wild frontier battle. Forty-six…
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Davis, Morris Mac [Mac]
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through West Texas, not far from Lubbock, the hometown of songwriter and performer Mac Davis. He was born Morris Mac Davis in Lubbock on January 21, 1942. Young Mac was inspired to become a singer after…
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Aguero, Bidal
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, where Bidal Aguero made a huge impact, especially on the Mexican American community. Growing up on a cotton farm, he saw firsthand the struggles of farmworkers. After college, he didn't…
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Baugh, William Lofton
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, a city that owes a lot to Dr. William Lofton Baugh. He arrived here in 1906, becoming one of the first physicians on the South Plains. Back then, reaching patients meant riding horseback…
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Bledsoe, William Harrison
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, a city that owes a lot to William Harrison Bledsoe. He wasn't just a lawyer and investor; he was a key player in shaping Texas education. While serving in the Texas House of…
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Dow, James Lorenzo
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through West Texas, and right here, you're passing through Lubbock, a town that owes a lot to the vision of James Lorenzo Dow. Dow arrived in 1905, when Lubbock was just a tiny frontier settlement. He…
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Edwards, Ross
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, and you're passing through the life of Ross Edwards, a man who did it all. Born in 1884 near Granbury, Edwards was a merchant, inventor, musician, and even mayor of this city. He started…
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Graves, Lucille Sugar Barton
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, and right here is a place that made history. In 1961, Lucille Graves broke a barrier, becoming the very first African American admitted to study at Texas Tech University. She wasn't just…
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Griggs, William Frederick [Bill]
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, the hometown of rock-and-roll legend Buddy Holly. But this city is also home to Bill Griggs, a man who dedicated his life to preserving the music and stories of the 1950s. Griggs, born in…
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Iles, Ella Beth Winn
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, and right here, you're passing through a place that owes a lot to Ella Beth Winn Iles. She arrived in 1922, becoming the first long-term African-American teacher in the city. She started…
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Posey, Walter Samson
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through West Texas, and right here, in what's now Floyd County, a young Walter Posey learned the meaning of hard times. Back in 1893, a panic and drought hit his family hard. Thirteen-year-old Walter…
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Silent Wings Museum
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, and right here is the Silent Wings Museum. It's dedicated to the brave World War II glider pilots. These volunteers flew silent, unpowered aircraft deep behind enemy lines, facing a…
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Teatro Chicano (Lubbock)
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, and right here, in the early 1970s, a powerful voice for the Mexican-American community took the stage. It was the Teatro Chicano, founded by Nephtalí De León. This wasn't just theater;…
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Talkington, Margaret Weed
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, and right here is where a true West Texas style icon got her start. Margaret Talkington, born in Fort Worth, moved to Lubbock after World War II and saw a need. She traveled all the way…
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Lubbock, TX
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, a city born from a compromise. Back in 1890, two groups of town promoters, one led by Frank Wheelock and the other by W. E. Rayner, decided to join forces. They abandoned their own…
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Rath City, TX
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through what was once Rath City, a rough-and-tumble frontier town that sprung up in 1876, right here in Stonewall County. It was a hub for the booming buffalo trade, founded by Charlie C. Rath, who’d seen…
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March of Faith (Lubbock)
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
The March of Faith took place in Lubbock, Texas, on November 7, 1971, and was planned by several Chicano organizations in the city. The Mexican American activists included Lubbock youth, a Brown Beret chapter, and the…
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Crump, William Dorsey
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through West Texas, maybe near Lubbock, and you can thank William Dorsey Crump for helping put it on the map. This Confederate soldier, who rode with John Hunt Morgan and even survived prison camps during…
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Hubbard, Bess Bigham
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through West Texas, maybe near Lubbock, and you're passing through the homeland of Bess Bigham Hubbard. Born in Fort Worth in 1896, she didn't start her art career until 1925, as a hobby. But this hobby…
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Krueger, Julian Thomas
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, a city that owes much of its modern medical reputation to Dr. Julian Thomas Krueger. Arriving here in 1919, he joined the Lubbock Sanitarium and quickly became its chief of surgery.…
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Mackenzie Park
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, and right here is Mackenzie Park. It started back in 1921 with just a swimming pool, but the city had bigger plans. During the Great Depression, the American Legion pushed to develop this…
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Maedgen, Charles Ernest
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, and right here is a place that owes a lot to Charles Ernest Maedgen. He arrived in 1917 and founded the Security State Bank and Trust Company, becoming its first president. During the…
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Mullican, Clark Marion
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through North Texas, and right here in Ellis County, a young man named Clark Marion Mullican was born. He'd go on to become a decorated soldier in World War I, serving with the 144th Infantry Regiment in…
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Reese Air Force Base
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving west of Lubbock, and right here is the site of Reese Air Force Base. It started in 1941 as a crucial center for pilot training during World War II. Construction began in August of that year, and by…
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Stangel, Wenzel Louis
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, home to Texas Tech University. Right here, in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1925</say-as>, Wenzel Stangel joined the very first faculty of this new college. Known as 'Runt' in…
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Struggs, Edward Cecil
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, Texas, a city that owes a lot to the vision of one man: Edward Cecil "Prof" Struggs. For thirty-five years, starting in 1930, Struggs led the development of African-American schools here.…
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Ervin, Joan Yvonne Snell
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
Joan Yvonne Snell Ervin, community activist, education advocate, and the first African American to serve as a member of the board for the Lubbock Independent School District, was born in Waxahachie, Texas, on April 5,…
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Furr, Roy K.
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through West Texas, maybe near Lubbock, and you're passing by the legacy of Roy K. Furr. He started small, buying six grocery stores in Lubbock back in 1929. But he didn't stop there. Furr's chain grew…
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Griggs, William Clark
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Texas, and right here in Lubbock, William Clark Griggs was born in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1932</say-as>. After serving in the Army and earning his doctorate from Texas Tech, Griggs…
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Maxey, James Barney
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through West Texas, and you might be passing by a park named after a man who built much of the region. James Barney Maxey, born near Prosper in 1881, started as a carpenter and became a major contractor.…
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May, Kenneth Alton
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, a city that owes a lot to Kenneth Alton May. Born in Farmersville in 1929, May moved to Lubbock after college and became a journalist for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. He won numerous…
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Patton, Leroy Thompson
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, Texas, where Leroy Thompson Patton arrived in 1926. He was tasked with building the geology department at the brand new Texas Technical College. Imagine starting with just one professor…
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Simmons, George Albert
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, Texas, a city that owes a lot to the cotton industry. Right here, George Albert Simmons, a key figure in cottonseed processing, moved in 1930 to manage the Lubbock Cotton Oil Mill. He led…
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Simmons, Mae D. Thomas
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, a city that recognized the immense contributions of Mae D. Thomas Simmons by naming a community center and a park after her. Simmons dedicated twenty-nine years to educating Lubbock's…
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Wilson, Roscoe
· 2.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock, a city that owes a lot to the vision of Roscoe Wilson. This lawyer and businessman arrived in 1909 and immediately set to work building the community. He helped establish the local bank,…
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Monterey High School
· 2.4 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Monterey High School in Lubbock. This school opened its doors in 1955, but its name tells a story going back much further. It's named for Monterey, one of the two original townsites that vied to…
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Texas HS Baseball Leaders 2026: Monterey (Lubbock)
· 2.5 mi
Monterey (Lubbock, TX) placed on the 5A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Ashton Castillo (4 HR); Lincoln Lamm (4 HR); Dyson Quigley (3 HR).
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Grading Cotton by Machine
· 2.5 mi
Not all cotton is equal, so before it is sold it gets classed, which means graded for quality. Classers look at a handful of key traits. Staple length is how long the fibers are; longer fibers spin into finer, stronger…
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The Biggest Cotton Patch in the World
· 2.6 mi
Look out at the flat land around Lubbock and you are looking at what is often called the largest contiguous cotton patch in the world. Contiguous is the key word: it means one huge, unbroken stretch, mile after mile of…
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Every Cotton Fiber Is a Single Cell
· 2.6 mi
Here is something wild about the cotton growing all around you. A single cotton fiber, the kind that gets spun into your shirt, is actually one single plant cell. Just one. It grows straight out of the coat of the…
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Farming on a Shrinking Aquifer
· 2.6 mi
Every plant in these fields needs water, and out here most of it comes from underground. Beneath the High Plains lies the Ogallala Aquifer, a vast layer of water-soaked rock and sand that stretches under eight states.…
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City of Lubbock Cemetery
· 2.9 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the City of Lubbock Cemetery, a place that tells a big story about this city's past. Back in March of 1892, locals got five acres from a rancher for a graveyard. That very same month, the first…
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Bradford Knapp
· 2.9 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Lubbock, home of Texas Tech, a university that owes a lot to Bradford Knapp. He was a giant in agricultural education, leading the U.S. Cooperative Extension Service and helping plan food…
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Lubbock County
· 3.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock County, and right here, in Yellow House Canyon, you're passing over one of the oldest human history sites in Texas. For at least 12,000 years, people have called this place home. Imagine…
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Singer, George Washington
· 3.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through West Texas, maybe near Estacado, and right here in Yellow House Canyon, a lone store once stood. It was 1881 when George Washington Singer, a Quaker merchant, opened his doors. This wasn't just…
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Monterey, TX (Lubbock County)
· 3.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
The brief history of Monterey began in the summer of 1890, when the town was established by W. A. Rayner, a cattleman and town promoter. Rayner had previously organized the town of Rayner to be the county seat of…
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Buffalo Springs Lake
· 3.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving southeast of Lubbock, and right here is Buffalo Springs Lake. In <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1874</say-as>, this was a watering hole for buffalo hunters, and it became a flashpoint when they…
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Cone, Stephen Elsemere
· 3.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through West Texas, and right here, in what was once Yarrellton, Stephen Cone got his start. He began with bees at age ten, then sold that to pay for college. But when his father died, Cone came home and…
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IOA Ranch
· 3.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lubbock County, heading southeast of the modern city. Right here, in the late 1880s, was the headquarters of the IOA Ranch. This massive operation, owned by businessmen from Iowa and Illinois,…
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Maines Brothers Band
· 3.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
Right here in northeastern Lubbock County, you're driving through the heartland of a West Texas musical dynasty: the Maines Brothers Band. It all started in the mid-1950s with brothers Sonny, James, and Wayne, playing…
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Western Land and Livestock Company
· 3.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through West Texas, and right here in what is now Lubbock County, a huge cattle operation once tried to make its mark. In 1884, the Western Land and Livestock Company, organized in Iowa with a hefty…
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Acuff, TX
· 3.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
Acuff is on Farm roads 40 and 789 ten miles east of Lubbock in east central Lubbock County. The town is said to have been named for Michael S. Acuff, who reportedly arrived in the area in February 1891. Other early…
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Becton, TX
· 3.1 mi · Tsha Handbook
Becton is on the Burlington Northern Railroad just east of Farm Road 400 and twenty-four miles northeast of Lubbock in northeastern Lubbock County. It was first named for W. E. Bledsoe of the Three Circle Ranch, but in…
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Breedlove Airport
· 3.2 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of Breedlove Airport, a crucial World War II training ground right here in Lubbock. In 1943, this field was buzzing with activity, training thousands of cadet pilots for the war effort…
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Dagley Field
· 3.4 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of Dagley Field, a place that helped transform warfare. Back in the late 1930s, America launched the Civilian Pilot Training Program to prepare young men for the skies. Texas Technological…
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Lubbock Cotton Club
· 3.5 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Lubbock, where in 1938, the Lubbock Cotton Club opened in a renovated army hut. This massive ballroom, one of the largest in West Texas, hosted big bands like Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys.…
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Lubbock Lake Landmark
· 3.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine a place where mammoths roamed and early humans hunted – that's Lubbock Lake Landmark! For nearly 12000 years, people and animals have been drawn to this area on the Llano Estacado. Archeologists have unearthed…
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Murfee, Miss Mae
· 3.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Lubbock, and right here is a marker for Miss Mae Murfee, a true pioneer of education in this city. Born in 1888, she started teaching in Lubbock County back in 1905. She didn't just teach; she…
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Coronado High School
· 3.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Coronado High School in Lubbock. This school, opened in 1965, carries the name of a famous explorer. Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, guided by a man called 'The Turk', traversed the vast Llano…
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Site of Old Lubbock
· 3.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Lubbock County, and right here is the site of Old Lubbock, a town that barely existed! Back in 1890, three rival groups were fighting to establish the county seat. Two of them, led by W.D. Crump…
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Arnett House
· 4.5 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Arnett House, a beautiful Craftsman-style bungalow built in 1915 as a wedding gift. It later became the home of pioneer rancher and banker Sam C. Arnett. In 1956, the house was donated to Lubbock…
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Lubbock Christian - 2025 Texas TAPPS Division III state football champion
· 4.6 mi · Sports News
You're near Lubbock Christian High School in Lubbock. Last December, they took down Dallas Christian School thirty-six to thirty to win the Texas TAPPS Division III state football championship. They wear that crown…
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Isham and Texana Tubbs House
· 5.0 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Isham and Texana Tubbs House, a beautiful example of Queen Anne architecture. Isham Tubbs was a pioneer, serving as one of the first school board trustees and a founding member of Lubbock's First…
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Bledsoe Santa Fe Depot
· 5.4 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past a relic from one of America's last frontiers! Built in 1925 in Cochran County, the Bledsoe Santa Fe Depot wasn't just a stop for trains. It was a community hub. Sheepherders and cowboys would even…
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Original Lubbock Municipal Airport
· 5.5 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of the original Lubbock Municipal Airport, born from the aviation craze sparked by Charles Lindbergh. Land was purchased in 1929, and by 1930, a stylish Art Deco hangar stood ready. While it…
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South Plains Army Air Field
· 5.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the former South Plains Army Air Field near Lubbock. During World War II, this was one of the most prominent sites in the nation for training glider pilots. Opened in October 1942, the field trained…
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W. G. McMillan Construction Company
· 5.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Lubbock, and for the next thirty years, a man named W.G. McMillan shaped this city. He arrived in 1924, just in time to help build the iconic Hotel Lubbock. After that, he stayed and built over…
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Ozymandias On The Plains
· 6.0 mi · Things to Do
A pair of giant legs — and nothing else — standing in a Lubbock field. Shelley's poem made real.
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V-8 Ranch
· 6.3 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the V-8 Ranch, a place with roots stretching back to the vast IOA ranch, established in the 1880s. This land saw the collapse of the free-range cattle industry, followed by lawsuits, sheriff's sales,…
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Carlisle Cemetery
· 7.0 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through the land once owned by W. Augustus 'Uncle Gus' Carlisle. He and his wife settled here in 1890, becoming prominent landowners and contributing to the area's development, even donating land for a…
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Peaceful Gardens Memorial Park
· 8.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Peaceful Gardens Memorial Park, established in 1963 by George Assiter. It started with ten acres and a vision for individually named gardens, emphasizing a park-like atmosphere with flat markers.…
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Wolfforth, TX
· 9.9 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Wolfforth, a town that owes its existence to the railroad. It was established in 1916 and named for brothers George and Eastin Wolffarth, early ranchers in this area. But right from the start,…
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Ransom Canyon, TX
· 10.0 mi
Ransom Canyon, even though many folks drive into Lubbock for work, has a unique draw. It's not about mass production or some big industry, but more about a certain kind of peaceful living, centered on the lake. The…
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Wolfforth, TX
· 10.2 mi
Wolfforth's story is intertwined with the land itself, and the grit of the people who worked it. You can still feel that connection walking around – the dry air, a consequence of our altitude on the high plains,…
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Texas HS Baseball Leaders 2026: Roosevelt (Lubbock)
· 10.4 mi
Roosevelt (Lubbock, TX) placed on the 3A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Caleb Daniel (0.580 avg, 1 HR); Cameron Vasquez (0.455 avg, 3 HR); Ryan Bradshaw (0.443 avg).
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Ransom Canyon
· 10.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Ransom Canyon, a place that's seen it all. Spanish explorers might have crossed this very canyon as early as the 1540s. Later, Native Americans like the Jumano, Apache, and Comanche found shelter…
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New Deal, TX
· 10.7 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving past New Deal, Texas, a town whose very name tells a story. Originally founded in 1909 and named Monroe for a railroad promoter, this small settlement didn't really take off until the late 1920s. By then,…
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Immanuel Lutheran Church
· 10.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Posey. German immigrants formed this congregation in nearby Slaton in 1915, building their own church here in Posey, dedicated in 1920. The chapel was rebuilt…
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Texas HS Baseball Leaders 2026: New Deal (New Deal)
· 10.8 mi
New Deal (New Deal, TX) placed on the 2A Texas high school baseball stat leaderboards for the 2026 season: Lane Proctor (2 HR).
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Reese Air Force Base
· 10.9 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the former Reese Air Force Base, a place that trained thousands of pilots during World War II and beyond. Established in 1941 as an Army Air Corps Advanced Flying School, it officially opened in…
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West, Joe Bob [Sonny]
· 10.9 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through West Texas, a region that birthed legends like Buddy Holly. But right here, near Shallowater, is where Sonny West got his start. Though not as famous as some, West penned songs that became hits…
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Shallowater, TX
· 10.9 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Shallowater, a town founded on a bit of clever marketing! Back in 1909, folks like J.C. Bowles wanted a railroad, and they knew how to attract it. They formed the Ripley Townsite Company, and to…
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Cora Vance and Vance Hatchery
· 11.0 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the site of Vance Hatchery, a business built by Cora Vance. Born in 1905, she survived a serious car accident that left her paralyzed, but she bought this farm and started a hatchery with just 400…
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The Town That Rebranded to Survive the Depression
· 11.1 mi
You're driving through one of the few towns in America whose very name is a relic of the Great Depression. For years this was the Monroe community, named for Monroe G. Abernathy, a local landowner and railroad promoter…
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New Deal
· 11.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past New Deal. The Pecos and Northern Texas Railway, part of the Santa Fe system, extended from Plainview to Lubbock in 1909 and established new settlements along the line. Invited to name two of the…
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Shallowater, TX
· 11.3 mi
Shallowater, a town where the air's thin and dry at over three thousand feet, might seem like just another dot on the West Texas map. But if you listen close, you can hear echoes of Friday night lights and the roar of a…
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Idalou, TX
· 11.5 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Idalou, a town born from a railroad line. Back in 1911, the South Plains and Santa Fe Railway pushed its tracks through this area, and a small depot sprung up right here. The name itself is a bit…
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Idalou, TX
· 11.7 mi
Idalou, Texas, it's a place where the land stretches out forever, almost a painting in browns and blues under that big Texas sky. You can feel the peace out here, see it in the friendly waves you get driving down the…
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Idalou Cemetery
· 13.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Idalou Cemetery, established in 1920 when John and Mary Turner deeded two acres for burials. Their infant nephew was the first interred, followed by other early community members. The cemetery grew…
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Trooper Jerry Don Davis Memorial Highway
· 13.9 mi · Historical Marker
This stretch of US Highway 84 in Lubbock County is named for Trooper Jerry Don Davis. On October 5, 1980, Davis pulled over a driver for a traffic violation just outside Slaton. The driver shot him and ran. He was…
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Englewood Cemetery
· 14.5 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Englewood Cemetery. Representing the Santa Fe Railroad, W.B. Storey, Jr. bought the future townsite of Slaton on April 15, 1911. The railroad's plans included a roundhouse, switch lines, depot and…
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Slaton, TX
· 14.9 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Slaton, a town born from a railroad dream. Right here, in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1911</say-as>, the Santa Fe Railroad sent a man to lay out a brand new townsite. They even…
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Slaton, TX
· 15.2 mi
Slaton sits high on the plains, a place where you can see forever, especially at sunset. It might look like any other small town in West Texas, but it's got a story etched into its soil and sung in its music.
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Mercy Hospital
· 15.2 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Mercy Hospital. For more than 50 years, Mercy Hospital served the health needs of the Slaton community. In 1927, Msgr. Thomas D. O'Brien, then rector of St.
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Rockwell Lumber Company Office Building
· 15.5 mi · Historical Marker
You're cruising through Slaton, and right here is the old Rockwell Lumber Company office building. Back in 1911, Rockwell Brothers bought land from the railroad to set up a lumberyard for this brand new town. They built…
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Slaton
· 15.5 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Slaton, a town born from the iron horse! Its story starts in 1911 with the Santa Fe Railroad. Lubbock businessman O. L. Slaton helped secure the right-of-way, and the new town laid out that year was…
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Slaton Bakery
· 15.5 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Slaton Bakery, a community institution that's been serving up treats since 1921. It consolidated under the Slaton Bakery name in 1923, and the Wilson family took over in 1943, even overcoming…
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Slaton Harvey House
· 15.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Slaton, and right here is the historic Slaton Harvey House. This wasn't just a train stop; it was a hub of activity! Built in 1912 by the Santa Fe Railway, it was part of the famous Fred Harvey…
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Slaton Volunteer Fire Department
· 15.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Slaton, and right here is the site of the Slaton Volunteer Fire Department. Back in 1919, long before fancy trucks, residents formed a bucket brigade to fight fires. Alex DeLong led the charge,…
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Triumph Missionary Baptist Church
· 16.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past Triumph Missionary Baptist Church. In the late 1920s in the house of “Sister” Mecca Davis, Triumph Missionary Baptist Church organized as the second historically African American church…
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Abernathy, Mollie D. Wylie
· 17.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through West Texas, and right here, in what is now Lubbock County, Mollie Jarrott Abernathy made her mark. In 1901, she and twenty-three other families staked claims on a vast, empty stretch of land,…
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Abernathy, TX
· 17.2 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Abernathy, a town that owes its existence to a railroad line built back in 1909. <break time="400ms"/> The South Plains Investment Company founded this place, even moving buildings from a nearby…
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New Home Leopards — 2A DI State Champions 2026 (Bransen Beckham MVP)
· 17.5 mi
New Home High School (New Home, TX — Lynn County, south of Lubbock) won the 2026 UIL Class 2A Division I state baseball championship. Third baseman Bransen Beckham was named the championship MVP, going 3-for-3 with a…
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Texas HS Baseball Playoff Hits 2026: New Home (New Home)
· 17.5 mi
New Home, TX placed on the Texas high school baseball PLAYOFF HITS leaderboard for the 2026 postseason: Hunter Burrell (20 hits, #1 in TX); Tucker Cotton (17 hits, #8 in TX); Ryder Starkey (16 hits, #15 in TX).
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Texas HS Baseball Playoff Leaders 2026: New Home (New Home)
· 17.5 mi
New Home, TX placed on the 2026 Texas high school baseball PLAYOFF leaderboards (H=hits, HR=home runs, RBI, R=runs, SB=steals, K=strikeouts, H/IP=hits per inning): Hunter Burrell — 20 H (#1), 16 R (#11), 13 RBI (#14);…
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Balch, Arthur Chester [Ace Ball]
· 17.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lynn County, Texas, the birthplace of Arthur Chester Balch, better known as 'Ace Ball.' Born in 1922 in the New Home community, Ace Ball became a country musician, stage entertainer, and a…
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Ramsey, Kenneth Melvin [Buck]
· 17.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through West Texas, maybe near New Home, where Buck Ramsey was born in 1938. He grew up with perfect pitch, even used as a tuning fork in school! Ramsey lived the cowboy life until a riding accident left…
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Struve Family Businesses
· 17.6 mi · Historical Marker
As you drive through Abernathy, keep an eye out for the legacy of the Struve family. Fritz Struve arrived here in 1912, just three years after the town was founded, and opened a grocery store. His brother Ben joined him…
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New Home, TX (Lynn County)
· 17.6 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lynn County, and right here is the site of New Home. This tiny agricultural community started out as part of the vast Deuce of Hearts Ranch. When the ranch opened for settlement in the 1890s,…
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Abernathy
· 17.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Abernathy, a town that owes its existence to the railroad. Back in 1909, the Santa Fe line pushed south from Plainview, and right here, a new community sprang up. It was named for Monroe…
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The Hidden Ocean and the Green Circles
· 18.8 mi
Look at the farmland surrounding Abernathy. You might see massive green circles on the landscape, especially from an aerial view. These aren't natural formations; they're feats of engineering powered by a hidden…
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Abernathy, TX
· 18.8 mi
Abernathy, sitting high up here on the plains, has a certain stillness to it. You feel like you've stepped back a bit, maybe to a time when things were a little less rushed. It’s a place where Friday night lights still…
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A Town Split in Two
· 18.8 mi
Here's a curious fact about the town you're in. Abernathy is split by a county line. Most of the city sits in Hale County -- including the original townsite, laid out in 1909 when the Santa Fe pushed its line from…
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When the Antelopes Reigned
· 18.8 mi
In a small Texas town, high school sports are the stuff of legend, creating memories that last a lifetime. And in Abernathy, one of the proudest moments came not on the football field, but on the basketball court. In…
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C.W. Post's Prairie Utopia
· 19.0 mi
The man who created your breakfast cereal also created this town. C.W. Post, the millionaire founder of the Postum Cereal Company, was a visionary and an eccentric. In the early 1900s, he bought a 200,000-acre slice of…
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Circles of Green in a Dry Land
· 19.0 mi
As you drive around Wilson, look out at the fields. You might see giant metal sprinklers, some a quarter-mile long, slowly pivoting around a central point. These are center-pivot irrigation systems, and they are the…
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Enemies and Allies in the Cotton Fields
· 19.0 mi
The cotton fields around Wilson hold a surprising link to global history. During World War II, with American men fighting overseas, a severe labor shortage threatened the nation's farms. The solution here in West Texas…
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The Fight for the Mustangs
· 19.0 mi
In a small Texas town, the local school isn't just a place for learning; it's the town's heart and soul. And in the late 1970s and 1980s, Wilson almost lost its heart. Like many rural communities, Wilson faced immense…
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Spanish Explorers' Route
· 19.1 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Lynn County, on a route that's been traveled for centuries. This wasn't just any path; it was a prehistoric road used by Native Americans, Spanish explorers, U.S. Army units, and cattle drovers.…
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Site of Mackenzie Cavalry Camp
· 19.2 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through West Texas, and right around here, Colonel Ranald Mackenzie and his U.S. 4th Cavalry troops were caught in a brutal snowstorm back on December 4th, 1874. They spent the night stranded with no…
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Moore, Patsy L. Smith
· 19.4 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving near Lorenzo, Texas, home of Patsy L. Smith Moore. Born in 1924, she contracted polio as a child, facing life with leg braces and a crutch. But that didn't stop her. When Southern Methodist University Law…
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Lorenzo
· 19.4 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through Lorenzo, a town born from the railroad. The Crosbyton-South Plains Railway brought its first train here on April 10, 1911, marking the official founding. Named for Lorenzo Dow, an employee of the…
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Lorenzo, TX
· 19.4 mi · Tsha Handbook
You're driving through Lorenzo, a town born right here in Crosby County. It all started back in 1910 when Lorenzo Dow, an employee of the C.B. Livestock Company, secured the title to this very land. Just a year later,…
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Wilson Mercantile Company
· 19.5 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past the Wilson Mercantile Company, the building that served as the nucleus for this town. Founded in 1910 by William Green, this mercantile store was replaced in 1917 by the very building you see today.…
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Becton Cemetery
· 19.6 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through the South Plains farmland near Idalou, heading past Becton Cemetery. This burial ground started in 1898 when Abner Becton and his wife Cornelia settled land that had been part of the W.E. Bledsoe…
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County Line Community
· 19.7 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving past County Line Community. In 1901, W.G. Murray, John H. Pettit and the J.G. Hardy family purchased land in this area.
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Pearce Chapel - Strip Cemetery
· 19.8 mi · Historical Marker
You're driving through the old Strip Community, a place named for the 1.5 by 15-mile strip of land opened to homesteaders back in the 1890s. William Houston Pearce arrived in 1895, starting a school that also served as…