Historical Markers

Buddy Holly

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 household, with his mother and siblings singing and playing instruments. Buddy showed musical aptitude, taking violin, piano and steel guitar lessons. He took

Buddy Holly Center

This permanent exhibit is dedicated to the life and music of rock’n’roll legend, Buddy Holly. View memorabilia donated by family, friends, and fans. Hidden gem: Buddy’s glasses found at the site of the airplane crash. The Center also features a contemporary Fine Arts Gallery and Foyer Gallery.

Cactus Theater

Originally built as a move theater in 1938, this iconic venue is home to diverse concerts, shows, and performances. The Cactus Theater has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the US Department of the Interior.

Carlock Building

Art deco style office building constructed in 1930 as the new Cotton Exchange Building. Designed by J.B. Davies & Co., Fort Worth, for J.D. Doughty and J.B. Kerby of Weatherford. Now the Carlock Building, it symbolizes the rapid growth of cotton production on the South Plains during the 1920s and the establishment of allied marketing

City of Lubbock Cemetery

Colonel T.S. Lubbock

County named for Texas Confederate Colonel T. S. Lubbock – 1817 – 1862 South Carolinian. Came to Texas 1835. Indian fighter, soldier, businessman. Member Secession Convention. Went to Virginia hoping to fight for South in first battle of war. Commended for valuable volunteer service as scout and reporting enemy troop positions in First Battle of

Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients Located in Lubbock City Cemetery

Congressman George Mahon

George Herman Mahon (1900-1985) was born in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, to John Kirkpatrick and Lola Willis (Brown) Mahon. In 1908, the family moved to Loraine (Mitchell County), Texas where George grew up on a cotton farm and graduated from Loraine High School. He attended Simmons college (now Hardin-Simmons University) in Abilene and married his high

Coronado High School

Coronado High School – Dagley Field

Aircraft vastly changed the face of war and Dagley Field played a part in that transformation. As tensions mounted in the late 1930s, the United States created the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP), administered by the Civil Aeronautics Administration. This program offered college students classroom instruction and flight time. The classes eliminated those who lacked

County Line Community & Cemetery

In 1901, W.G. Murray, John H. Pettit, and the J.G. Hardy family purchased land in this area. These early farming families started a local school, built with lumber hauled from the nearest railhead at Canyon City. In 1903, Hale and Lubbock county commissioners officially established the school district. Murray donated a five-acre tract to Lubbock

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 Harvey House, making Slaton a center for area rail transport. Rail employees and others quickly populated the city, which incorporated in October 1912. By that time, residents

Estacado Cemetery

In 1878 Paris Cox (1846-1888), an Indiana Quaker, visited this area with a group of buffalo hunters. Attracted by the abundance of cheap farm land, he returned to Indiana and began advertising his plans for a Quaker colony here. Although the first colonists who arrived in 1879 were discouraged by a severe winter, other settlers,

F W & D South Plains Railway Depot

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Sixteen charter members formally organized the First Christian Church of Lubbock in the summer of 1901. For many years, members met in various homes, public buildings and other area churches. In Aug. 1908, the church announced construction of a building of its own, a 40-by-50-foot frame building at 16th street and Avenue J. In June

First Methodist Church of Lubbock

This congregation traces its history to 1892, when circuit riding minister R. M. Morris and 12 charter members organized the Lubbock Methodist Church. Early worship services were held in the schoolhouse and the Lubbock County Courthouse. In 1900 the Rev. T. W. Sharp became the city’s first resident Methodist pastor. The church’s first sanctuary, built

General Ranald Slidell Mackenzie in Mackenzie Park

Born in New York City on July 24, 1840, Mackenzie attained the rank of major general during the Civil War. On February 25, 1871, at Fort Concho, Texas, he assumed command as colonel of the 4th Cavalry, which soon became the finest regiment in the army. He commanded three expeditions into this region against the

Great Plains Life Insurance Company Building

At twenty-one stories, the Great Plains Life Building still marks the highest peak of Lubbock’s skyline. When completed, it was hailed as the tallest building between Fort Worth and Denver. Daniel Boone, the designer in Abilene-based David Castle’s office, organized the slender tower like that of the International Style PSFS Building in Philadelphia (1932, Howe

Greater Saint Luke Missionary Baptist Church

From its beginnings in 1921, Greater St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church has been a spiritual and social center in Lubbock. Organized by Rev. Wiley and originally known as Caldonia Baptist Church, the congregation first met in the neighborhood’s Masonic Lodge at 16th Street and Avenue A. Worshippers purchased a lot at 1802 Avenue A in

Idalou Cemetery

John William Turner, Jr. and his wife, Mary Alice, deeded two acres of their farm as a burial ground in January 1921. The first burial was for their infant nephew, Weldon Fred Turner, whose grave is indicated by a homemade marker. In May of that year, C.J. and Mary Hallmark buried their infant son C.J.,

Immanuel Lutheran Church

The Posey Community grew from a 1911 railroad switch on the AT&SF line to a settlement of about 70 in 1941. One of its earliest organizations was the Immanuel Lutheran Church, composed largely of German immigrants lured by railroad advertising and speculator promotion. The congregation formed in the nearby town of Slaton in 1915. Church

In Town Inn

Opened in 1964, the In Town Inn is significant to the commercial history of postwar Lubbock. The motor inn was the realization of the Chamber of Commerce to have a new hotel in downtown that would serve business travelers and provide additional meeting space to accommodate conferences and small banquets. Leading West Texas businessmen, at

Isham and Texana Tubbs House

Isham Tubbs (1852-1947) married Texana Spikes (1857-1930) in Kaufman County in 1877. They moved to the Monterey area of Lubbock County circa 1890. Isham became one of the first school board trustees and a charter member of Lubbock’s first United Methodist Church. He brought lumber from east Texas by rail and wagon in 1907-08 to

Kress Building

The Kress Building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Lubbock Cotton Club

In 1938, Clyde Trusty opened a ballroom in a renovated army quonset hut at this site. The Lubbock Cotton Club hosted well-known orchestras and big bands popular at the time. The venue expanded the following year, with room for 1600 people on one of the largest dance floors in west Texas. Bob Wills and his

Lubbock High School

The city of Lubbock experienced a significant increase in population during the 1920s as it became the agricultural, educational, service, and trade center of the South Plains. This high school was built out of the need for providing an education for the young people of the rapidly growing community. Designed by the Lubbock architectural firm

Lubbock Lake Landmark

Named one of the top five destinations to see evidence of the first Americans by Smithsonian Magazine, experience a West Texas sunset and journey through a three-mile scenic trail during one of their night hikes.

Lubbock Tornado Memorial

Lubbock Women’s Club

Starting in 1944, several women’s organizations met to coordinate their community improvement efforts. In February 1945, 22 groups became charter members of the Lubbock women’s club. After meeting at members’ homes, Texas Technological College and other sites, the club bought the former plains funeral home building as their headquarters in 1949. Built in 1941 by

Lubbock’s First Cotton Gin

The Lubbock Cotton Gin Company operated at a site 1/10 mile northeast in the 1900s and 1910s. Until 1903, the nearest gins were over 100 miles away, thus limiting any local experiments with growing cotton. However, after the first small efforts to raise cotton proved successful in 1902 and 1903, local municipal leaders recognized that

Mackenzie Scout Trail

This marks one route of the Mackenzie Scout Trail extending from Camp Supply, Crosby County to Fort Sumner, New Mexico and used by the Army, 1872-1875, by buffalo hunters, 1876-1878, and by cattlemen 1878 until the fencing of the range. Erected by Nancy Anderson Chapter, N.S.D.A.R. 1936. This block of granite is from the wall

Mary & Mac Private School

In 1954, Lucille Graves established Mary & Mac Private School as a preschool for African-American students. Named for a version of the hand-clapping song “Mary Mack,” emphasizing aspirations for the students to become contributing members of society, the institution offered an alternative to local public schools in a time when private schools for African Americans

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. Joseph’s Catholic Church, joined with a delegation of Slaton citizens to plan a new hospital. Father O’Brien invited the Sisters of Mercy, a national Catholic charity organization, to build and

Migrant Labor Camps Historical Marker – Aztlan Park

Early Hispanic residents of frontier Lubbock County included ranch hands in the 1880s. Railroad lines brought many workers to the South Plains, the majority recruited from El Paso. Rail companies built row houses near construction sites, and Lubbock’s rail labor camps became ethnic enclaves for Hispanic workers. One of the early settlements southwest of town

Monterey High School

Opened in 1955. Named for town of Monterey, one of the two original townsites for Lubbock. It was founded in present northwest Lubbock by W. E. Rayner in 1890. In a unique compromise in 1891, Rayner joined the promoters of the other townsite to establish Lubbock in its present location.

Mount Gilead Church

The organizational meeting for this congregation was held in October 1917 by the Rev. A. Wilson. Although early problems plagued the fellowship and many members left the church, a successful cotton harvest in September 1919 attracted more people to Lubbock, which helped increase membership in the church. Mt. Gilead has been host to the West

New Hope Missionary Baptist Church

Originally known as Mount Calvary Baptist, the historically African American New Hope Baptist Church organized in 1926 at 18th street and Avenue B, following a split from Caldonia Baptist Church. Under the tenure of Rev. G.H. Washington, the church moved to East 20th Street and Birch Avenue (formerly called East Avenue B) in 1929. The

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 the present Lubbock Country Club. Wheelock named the building after the Nicolett Hotel in Minneapolis, a city in which he briefly lived, studied

Ransom Canyon

Spanish explorers crossed this canyon, part of the larger Yellow House Canyon, perhaps as early as the 1540s. Jumano, Apache, and Comanche Indians camped here to take advantage of the canyon’s protective walls, fresh water springs, trees, and abundant game. In the late 1700s New Mexican traders known as Comancheros began to exchange agricultural and

Reese AFB

On 30 September 1997, Reese Air Force Base and the 64th Flying Training Wing were inactivated, culminating a tradition of “55 years of excellence” in serving our nation. Since 1942, 25,349 of the world’s greatest pilots graduated from here, and the training and support they received from Base personnel and the men and women of

Slaton Bakery

In 1923, Blue Ribbon Bakery and City Bakery, each of which had opened in 1921, consolidated. By 1925, this establishment was known as Slaton Baking Company. In 1943, the Wilson family purchased the business. The Wilson’s overcame rationing during World War II to continue a thriving business. Slaton Bakery introduced sliced hamburger and hot dog

Slaton Bakery

In 1923, Blue Ribbon Bakery and City Bakery, each of which had opened in 1921, consolidated. By 1925, this establishment was known as Slaton Baking Company. In 1943, the Wilson family purchased the business. The Wilson’s overcame rationing during World War II to continue a thriving business. Slaton Bakery introduced sliced hamburger and hot dog

Slaton Harvey House

The City of Slaton has historic ties to the railroad. For decades the site was ranchland until the Santa Fe Railway sought a location for a division point to service trains. The Santa Fe bought the land in April 1911, naming the townsite for rancher and banker O.L. Slaton. Passenger and freight service became central

Slaton Volunteer Fire Department

The Santa Fe Railroad established Slaton in 1911. In 1919, residents established a bucket brigade to help fight fires. Alex DeLong served as fire chief of the group, which used chemical tanks and buckets of water drawn from wells to extinguish fires. The following year, the city began work on a water system and fire

Slaton, Texas

The town of Slaton traces its history to the Santa Fe Railroad. O.L. Slaton, a Lubbock businessman and banker, was instrumental in securing the right-of-way for the railroad through this area. When the new town was laid out in 1911, it was named for him. The Pecos and Northern Texas branch of the Santa Fe

Snyder Chalk Martin House

South Plains Army Airfield

In memory of all World War II Glider Pilots who received advance training and silver “G” wings at South Plains Army Air Field, Lubbock Texas during the period of 13 July 1942 through 15 January 1945. These volunteers flew fragile, unarmed gliders on eight major airborne invasions of Europe and Southeast Asia. Many paid the

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 traveled from Slaton to offer mass for Catholics at the Merrell Hotel. In December 1924, Bishop Joseph Lynch and the Diocese of Dallas started Lubbock’s first Catholic Parish, dedicated to

St. John’s United Methodist Church

Established in 1939, St. John’s was at first announced by Methodist Bishop Ivan Lee Holt to be located one mile south of campus to serve faculty and students of Texas Technological College. Several Methodist faculty members, encouraged by Sallie Maud Horn, widow of Texas Tech’s first president Paul W. Horn, petitioned for a site, closer

Texas Tech Alumni Association

The first graduating class of Texas Technological College received their diplomas on May 30, 1927. Wanting to stay connected to their alma mater, these students immediately formed the Alumni Association of Texas Technological College. Offices were originally located in the Administration Building and supported by a small staff. Texas Tech Magazine, with news of current

Texas Tech Judging Pavilion

One of the first four buildings on the Texas Tech campus, the livestock judging pavilion was the school’s first structure built specifically for agricultural education. Completed in the 1920s, it was designed by the noted Fort Worth architect Wyatt C. Hedrick as part of the school’s proposed agricultural focus. It has been used for a

Texas Tech University Dairy Barn

The Dairy Barn at Texas Tech University was completed in 1927 and was built to house the cows used by the Animal Husbandry Department. The barn and adjacent silo were designed by the architectural and engineering firm of Sanguinet, Staats & Hedrick. Principal architect Wyatt Hedrick designed an Arts and Crafts bungalow barn, a style

The Arnett House

Bungalow style house built in 1915 at 1214 Ave. L in downtown Lubbock for Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Higginbotham. Designed by M.L. Waller of Fort Worth. Home of Mr. and Mrs. S.C. Arnett Sr. from 1918 to 1956. Arnett was a rancher, banker, and civic leader. Donated to Lubbock Christian College in 1956 by Dr.

The Free Range Era of Ranching

After Indians and buffalo were removed in 1870s, several hundred cattlemen with small herds came to rolling plains near site of later Lubbock, to graze free range. Vital natural water sources were found east of the Caprock, where springs and streams were fed from the Ogallala Formation of the High Plains. Here, with good years

The Mast Home

Originally located 2219 13th street, constructed 1925 by A.M. Hensley for C.S. Mast, member of the original faculty at Texas Technological College. Purchased by L.O. “Pop” and Ercil “Mom” White in 1948. Active in youth work, the Whites were instrumental in founding the Baptist Student Union for Tech students. Acquired by First Baptist Church in

The Site of Old Lubbock

A predecessor of present Lubbock, this area was, in 1890, a subject of heated dispute by three factions (led by W.D. Crump, W.E. Rayner, and Frank Wheelock) that vied in the founding of the county seat. Unlike most county seat debaters in Texas, though, these men had no long-established towns to support. Their main interest

V-8 Ranch

Nestled into a small, shallow valley created by a bend in the north fork of the double mountain fork of the Brazos River, the 1,500-acre V-8 Ranch contains the headquarters of the vast Ioa ranch, which was a 14 by 30-mile contiguous block of land covering most of the southern half of Lubbock County. The

W. G. McMillan Construction Company

W.G. McMillan came to Lubbock in 1924 to assist in the construction of the Hotel Lubbock. McMillan stayed, and over the next thirty years oversaw over 850 construction projects. Some of McMillan’s first projects included the 1926 Conoco service station, followed by completion of the Meadowbrook Golf Course. In 1930, McMillan completed the Lubbock Municipal

World War II Glider Pilots

Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927 dramatically increased worldwide interest in aviation. To participate in this new and potentially significant technology, the City of Lubbock established a municipal airport about five miles north of downtown. Land was purchased in 1929 and a brick hangar with Art Deco features was completed in

Yellowhouse Canyon

Known to Spanish explorers of the 17th and 18th centuries – Described by Albert Pike who visited the region in 1832 – The last battle in Lubbock County between white buffalo hunters and the red men who had called the plains their own occurred on this site in 1877.