Lubbock, Texas Totally Explained

Everything about Lubbock Texas totally explained

Lubbock is an American city in the state of Texas. Located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, it's the county seat of Lubbock County, and the home of Texas Tech University. According to an estimate by the U.S. Census in 2006, the city population was 212,169, making it the 90th largest city in the United States and the 12th largest in Texas. The Lubbock metropolitan area has a population of 261,411.
Lubbock's nickname is the "Hub City" which derives from being the economy, education, and health care hub of a multi-county region commonly called the South Plains. The area is the largest contiguous cotton-growing region in the world and is heavily dependent on irrigation water drawn from the Ogallala Aquifer.

History

The county of Lubbock was founded in 1876, named after Thomas Saltus Lubbock, a Confederate colonel and founder of the Texas Rangers. As early as 1884, a federal post office named Lubbock existed in Yellowhouse Canyon. However, the town of Lubbock wasn't founded until 1890, when it was formed from a unique merger arrangement between two smaller towns, "Old Lubbock" and Monterey. The terms of the compromise included keeping the Lubbock name but the Monterey townsite, so the previous Old Lubbock residents relocated South to the Monterey location, including putting Old Lubbock's Nicolette Hotel on rollers and pulling it across a canyon to its new home. (Monterey would later become the name of one of Lubbock's high schools.)
   In 1891 Lubbock became the county seat and in 1909 was reincorporated as a city.
   Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University) was founded in 1923. Its medical school, the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, was added in 1970.
   In August 1951, a v-shaped formation of lights was seen over the city. The "Lubbock Lights" series of sightings received national publicity and is regarded as one of the first great UFO cases. The sightings were considered credible because they were witnessed by several respected science professors at Texas Technological College and were photographed by a Texas Tech student. The photographs were reprinted nationwide in newspapers and in LIFE magazine. Project Blue Book, the US Air Force's official study of the UFO mystery, did an extensive investigation of the Lubbock Lights. They concluded that the photographs were not a hoax and showed genuine objects. However, they did dismiss the UFOs themselves as being either "night-flying moths" or a type of bird called a plover. The Air Force argued that the underside of the plovers or moths was reflected in the glow of Lubbock's new street lights at night. However, other researchers have disputed these explanations, and for many the "Lubbock Lights" remain a mystery. Lubbock Christian University, affiliated with the Churches of Christ, was founded in 1957.
   On May 11, 1970, the Lubbock Tornado struck the city. Twenty-six persons perished, and damage was estimated at $125 million. The downtown NTS Tower, then known as the Great Plains Life Building, at in height, is believed to have been the tallest building ever to survive a direct hit from an F5 tornado.
   Work at the Lubbock Lake Landmark, an archaeological and natural history preserve at the northern edge of the city, provides evidence of almost twelve thousand years of human occupation in the region.

Geography and climate

Lubbock is located at (33.564735, -101.877793). The official elevation is above sea level, but stated figures range from 3195 to 3281.
   According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 114.9 square miles (297.6 km²), of which, 114.8 square miles (297.4 km²) of it's land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.09%) is water.
   Lubbock has a mild, windy, semi-arid climate and dust storms are not uncommon during dry spells. On average, Lubbock receives 18.7 inches (475 mm) of rain per year, with most of the precipitation coming in summer in the form of thunderstorms.
   Summers in Lubbock are hot, typically with low relative humidity, although often winds will bring humidity in from the Gulf of Mexico. Average high temperatures are at or above 90 °F (32 °C) in June, July, and August. Temperatures above 100°F (38°C) are common, and the highest recorded temperature was in 1994. Winter days in Lubbock are typically sunny and relatively mild, but nights are cold, and temperatures below freezing are not uncommon; winter winds can also make cold weather a great deal more uncomfortable. The average annual snowfall is about 10 inches (250 mm).

Law and government

Lubbock has a council-manager government system, with all governmental powers resting in a legislative body called a city council. The current mayor of Lubbock, elected May 9, 2008, is Tom Martin.
Lubbock County and the City of Lubbock have an unusual legal situation regarding the sale of alcoholic beverages. The county allows package sales but not "by the drink" sales except at private institutions such as country clubs. Inside the Lubbock city limits, the situation is reversed with restaurants and bars able to serve alcohol but liquor stores forbidden. Lubbock remained legally dry until an election on April 9, 1972, made liquor by the drink, but not package sales, legal, and Lubbock abandoned its distinction as the largest dry city in the country. A privately owned conglomeration of liquor stores, called "The Strip", is located on U.S. Route 87. Though within city limits, "The Strip" is exempt from the city's liquor laws.
On November 21, 2006, the Lubbock City Council voted 5-1 to annex "The Strip", making package alcohol sales legal within the city limits. There exist, however, significant barriers to entry for stores outside "The Strip" area to sell packaged alcohol. The new annexation will contribute a sales tax of 1.5%, or 10 cents for every 7 dollars, to the city. Due to state law, liquor sales will be limited to the newly annexed area.

Economy

The Lubbock area is the largest contiguous cotton-growing region in the world and is heavily dependent on irrigation water drawn from the Ogallala Aquifer. However, the aquifer is being depleted at a rate that isn't sustainable in the long term. Much progress has been made in the area of water conservation and new technologies such as Low Energy Precision Application (LEPA) irrigation were originally developed in the Lubbock area. Adolph R. Hanslik, who died in 2007 at the age of ninety, was called the "dean" of the Lubbock cotton industry, having worked for years to promote the export trade. Hanslik was also the largest contributor (through 2006) to the Texas Tech University Medical Center. He also endowed the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center's capital campaign for construction of a new library museum archives building in La Grange in Fayette County in his native southeastern Texas.
   The ten largest employers in terms of the number of employees are: Texas Tech University, Covenant Health Systems, Lubbock Independent School District, University Medical Center, United Supermarkets, City of Lubbock, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Cingular, Convergys, and Lubbock County.
   Lubbock has one shopping mall, South Plains Mall, which includes two Dillard's, Mervyns, JC Penney, Sears, and Bealls.
   As of March 2007, there are four Wal-Mart Supercenters in the city, with two being recently completed.

Economic Development

Originally founded as Market Lubbock in 1997, the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance (LEDA) was established by the City to recruit new business and industry to Lubbock and to retain existing companies. LEDA's mission is to promote economic growth through the creation of high quality jobs, attract new capital investment, retain and expand existing businesses, and improve the quality of life in Lubbock, Texas.
For information on recent projects visit LEDA's website. (External Link

)

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 199,564 people, 77,527 households, and 48,531 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,738.2 people per square mile (671.1/km²). There were 84,066 housing units at an average density of 732.2/sq mi (282.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.87% White, 8.66% African American, 0.56% Native American, 1.54% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 14.32% from other races, and 2.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.45% of the population.
   There are 77,527 households, of which 30.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% are classified as non-families by the United States Census Bureau. Of 77,527 households, 3,249 are unmarried partner households: 2,802 heterosexual, 196 same-sex male, and 251 same-sex female households. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.07.
   In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 17.9% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.
   The median income for a household in the city was $31,844, and the median income for a family was $41,418. Males had a median income of $30,222 versus $21,708 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,511. About 12.0% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.9% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

People and culture

Lubbock is the birthplace of rock and roll legend Buddy Holly and features a cultural center named for him. The city previously hosted an annual Buddy Holly Music Festival. However, the event was renamed Lubbock Music Festival after Holly's widow increased usage fees for his name. Similarly, the city renamed the Buddy Holly West Texas Walk of Fame to honor area musicians as the West Texas Hall of Fame. Holly's legacy is also remembered through the work of deejays such as Bud Andrews and Virgil Johnson on radio station KDAV-AM. The city has also been the birthplace or home of several country musicians including Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock and Joe Ely (collectively known as The Flatlanders), Mac Davis, Terry Allen, Lloyd Maines and his daughter, Dixie Chicks singer, Natalie Maines, Texas Tech alums Pat Green and Cory Morrow, and Coronado High School graduate Richie McDonald (lead singer of Lonestar until 2007). Pete Orta from the Christian rock group Petra and basketball players Craig Ehlo and Daniel Santiago have also called Lubbock home.
   The National Cowboy Symposium and Celebration, an annual event celebrating the prototypical Old West cowboy, takes place in Lubbock. The event is held in September and features art, music, cowboy poetry, stories, and the presentation of scholarly papers on cowboy culture and the history of the American West. A chuckwagon cookoff and horse parade also take place during the event.
   Every year on July 4, Lubbock hosts the 4th on Broadway event, an Independence Day festival. The event is entirely free to the public, and is considered the largest free festival in Texas. The day's activities usually include a morning parade, a street fair along Broadway Avenue with food stalls and live bands, the Early Settlers' Luncheon, and an evening concert/fireworks program. Broadway Festivals Inc., the non-profit corporation which organizes the event, estimates a 2004 attendance of over 175,000 people. Additionally, the College Baseball Foundation holds events relating to its College Baseball Hall of Fame during the 4th on Broadway event.
   Lubbock's main newspaper is the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, which is owned by Morris Communications. Texas Tech University publishes a student-run daily newspaper called, The Daily Toreador.
   According to a study released by the non-partisan Bay Area Center for Voting Research, Lubbock is the second most conservative city in the United States with a population over 100,000.

Attractions

The National Ranching Heritage Center, a museum of ranching history, is located in Lubbock. It features a number of authentic early Texas ranch buildings as well as a railroad depot and other historic buildings. There is also an extensive collection of weapons on display. Jim Humphreys, late manager of the Pitchfork Ranch east of Lubbock, was a prominent board member of the center.
   The Southwest Collection, an archive of the history of the region and its surroundings which also works closely with the College Baseball Foundation, is located on the campus of Texas Tech University, as are the Moody Planetarium and the Museum of Texas Tech University.
   The Depot District, an area of the city dedicated to music and nightlife, is located in the old railroad depot area and boasts a number of theatres, upscale restaurants, and cultural attractions. The Depot District is also home to several shops, pubs and nightclubs, a radio station, a brewery, a magazine, a winery, a salon, and other establishments. Many of the buildings were remodeled from the original Fort Worth & Denver South Plains Railway Depot which originally stood on the site. The Buddy Holly Center, a museum highlighting the life and music of Buddy Holly, is also located in the Depot District.
   Lubbock is also home to the Silent Wings Museum. Located on North I-27, Silent Wings features photographs and artifacts from the World War II era glider pilots.
   The Science Spectrum is an interactive museum and IMAX Dome theatre with a special focus on children and youth.

Mackenzie Park

Mackenzie Park is home to Joyland Amusement Park, Prairie Dog town, and both a disc golf and regular golf course. The park also holds the American Wind Power Center which houses over 100 historic windmills on 28 acres. The Brazos river winds through Mackenzie Park. It is collectively part of the rather extensive Lubbock Park system.
In March 1877, Mackenzie Park was the site of the Battle of Yellow House Canyon, which occurred during the Buffalo Hunters' War.

Sports

The Texas Tech Red Raiders field 15 teams in ten sports. The football program has been competing since October 3, 1925. The Red Raiders have won eleven conference titles and been to 31 bowl games, winning five of the last six (as of January 1, 2008).
   The men's basketball program, started in 1925 and presently coached by Pat Knight, son of hall-of-famer and former Texas Tech coach Bob Knight, has been to the NCAA Tournament 14 times—advancing to the Sweet 16 three times.
   Of the varsity sports, Texas Tech has had its greatest success in women's basketball. Led by its star player Sheryl Swoopes and head coach Marsha Sharp, the Lady Raiders won the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship in 1993. In early 2006, Lady Raiders coach Marsha Sharp resigned and was replaced on March 30, 2006 by Kristy Curry, who had been coaching at Purdue.
   Other sports at Tech include cross country, baseball, golf, tennis, track, ice hockey, soccer, softball, and volleyball.
   High school athletics also feature prominently in the local culture. In addition, Lubbock is the home of the Chaparrals of Lubbock Christian University. In 2007, the Lubbock Renegades began play as a member of the af2, a developmental league of the Arena Football League.
   In 2007, the Lubbock Western All-Stars Little League Baseball team made it to the final four of the Little League World Series.

National Register of Historic Places

Further Information

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