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| The city has had only one saloon, and that only very briefly soon after the town was founded. 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. (See {{handbookoftexas|id=LL/hdl4|name=Lubbock}}.) | The city has had only one saloon, and that only very briefly soon after the town was founded. 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. (See {{handbookoftexas|id=LL/hdl4|name=Lubbock}}.) | ||
| == Economy == | == Culture and Economy == | ||
| ==Culture and Economics== | |||
| Many people believe that Big Spring is representative of the social rot that Republicanism has wrought upon Texas. The school system is appalling, from kindergarten through Howard College, the local community college. In the local high school, football takes precedence over any pretense of education. | |||
| The economic base of Big Spring consists largely of low-wage, unskilled and semi-skilled work. One of the major career opportunities in Big Spring is prison guard, working in one of the numerous local prisons. A high percentage of the local population lives in poverty, and would be eligible for public assistance if the Republicans had not gutted social safety net programs. Upon visiting Big Spring, the poverty and lack of medical care will be readily evident as soon as a local smiles, showing off a mouth full of the rotting stumps of what were once teeth. Obesity and diabetes are also at epidemic levels in Big Spring. The teen pregnancy rate is astounding, and in fact it is not uncommon to meet young women in Big Spring, as young as 20, who have 3 children, each with a different father. This is especially ironic considering the dedication to fundamentalist, evangelical Christianity displayed by most residents of Big Spring. There is something of a racial divide in Big Spring between the majority white population and the large hispanic population. The municipal water in Big Spring emits a quite unpleasant odor and is not recommended for actual drinking. The downtown improvement plan for Big Spring has consisted of periodically knocking down abandoned buildings, turning what was once a prosperous downtown into vacant lots overgrown with weeds and filled with trash. The city of Big Spring does not have a single general interest bookstore (non-Christian), which says quite a bit about the local literacy rates. The class structure in Big Spring is third-world like, with a small number of well connected and well off business people ruling over the 90% of the population who are poor. | |||
| There are also many positives about Big Spring. The people are the friendliest you'll meet! And if you like barbecue and Tex-Mex food Big Spring has some outstanding restaurants. Brenda’s Barbecue is highly recommended, although residents of Big Spring are quite opinionated when it comes to a discussion of barbecue or Tex-Mex food. There is one truly amazing display of Christmas lights at the Partee residence. The "Live Drive Through Nativity" is one of a kind. Housing costs are unbelievably inexpensive and many people have adapted to the arid climate by xeriscaping their lawns. | |||
| Lubbock, Texas is the economic hub (hence its nickname, the "Hub City") of a multi-county agricultural region commonly called the "]." The area is the largest contiguous ]-growing region in the world and is heavily dependent on ] water drawn from the ]. Unfortunately, the water is being depleted at a rate which is not ] for the long term. Much progress has been made in the area of ] and new technologies such as ] or LEPA irrigation were originally developed in the Lubbock area. | Lubbock, Texas is the economic hub (hence its nickname, the "Hub City") of a multi-county agricultural region commonly called the "]." The area is the largest contiguous ]-growing region in the world and is heavily dependent on ] water drawn from the ]. Unfortunately, the water is being depleted at a rate which is not ] for the long term. Much progress has been made in the area of ] and new technologies such as ] or LEPA irrigation were originally developed in the Lubbock area. | ||
Revision as of 22:46, 27 February 2006
- For other uses, see Lubbock (disambiguation).
Lubbock is the ninth-largest city in the state of Texas, located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 199,564, with a metropolitan population of 256,081. It is the county seat of Lubbock County.
History
The county of Lubbock was founded in 1876, named after Thomas Saltus Lubbock, a Confederate colonel and Texas Ranger, but the town of Lubbock was not 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.
In 1891 Lubbock became the county seat and in 1909 was reincorporated as a city.
Texas Technological College was founded in 1923, later renamed Texas Tech University. 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. 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. However, other researchers have disputed these explanations, and for many the "Lubbock Lights" remain a mystery.
Lubbock Christian University was founded in 1957.
On May 11, 1970 an unusually severe tornado struck Lubbock killing 26 people and doing about $125 million damage. Downtown's NTS Tower, then known as the Great Plains Life Building, is, at 271 feet in height, believed to be the tallest building ever to survive a direct hit from an F-5 tornado (see Lubbock Tornado).
Ongoing work at the Lubbock Lake Landmark, an archaeological and natural history preserve located at the northern edge of the city, has resulted in documented evidence of almost twelve thousand years of human occupation in the region.
Flag
The current flag replaced the previous one at an unknown date.
Civics
Lubbock, like Dallas, Plano and other cities in Texas, has a council-manager government system.
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, thus making Lubbock the largest "dry" city in the United States. Ironically, the Lubbock area boasts an award-winning wine industry.
The city has had only one saloon, and that only very briefly soon after the town was founded. 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. (See Lubbock from the Handbook of Texas Online.)
Culture and Economy
Culture and Economics
Many people believe that Big Spring is representative of the social rot that Republicanism has wrought upon Texas. The school system is appalling, from kindergarten through Howard College, the local community college. In the local high school, football takes precedence over any pretense of education.
The economic base of Big Spring consists largely of low-wage, unskilled and semi-skilled work. One of the major career opportunities in Big Spring is prison guard, working in one of the numerous local prisons. A high percentage of the local population lives in poverty, and would be eligible for public assistance if the Republicans had not gutted social safety net programs. Upon visiting Big Spring, the poverty and lack of medical care will be readily evident as soon as a local smiles, showing off a mouth full of the rotting stumps of what were once teeth. Obesity and diabetes are also at epidemic levels in Big Spring. The teen pregnancy rate is astounding, and in fact it is not uncommon to meet young women in Big Spring, as young as 20, who have 3 children, each with a different father. This is especially ironic considering the dedication to fundamentalist, evangelical Christianity displayed by most residents of Big Spring. There is something of a racial divide in Big Spring between the majority white population and the large hispanic population. The municipal water in Big Spring emits a quite unpleasant odor and is not recommended for actual drinking. The downtown improvement plan for Big Spring has consisted of periodically knocking down abandoned buildings, turning what was once a prosperous downtown into vacant lots overgrown with weeds and filled with trash. The city of Big Spring does not have a single general interest bookstore (non-Christian), which says quite a bit about the local literacy rates. The class structure in Big Spring is third-world like, with a small number of well connected and well off business people ruling over the 90% of the population who are poor.
There are also many positives about Big Spring. The people are the friendliest you'll meet! And if you like barbecue and Tex-Mex food Big Spring has some outstanding restaurants. Brenda’s Barbecue is highly recommended, although residents of Big Spring are quite opinionated when it comes to a discussion of barbecue or Tex-Mex food. There is one truly amazing display of Christmas lights at the Partee residence. The "Live Drive Through Nativity" is one of a kind. Housing costs are unbelievably inexpensive and many people have adapted to the arid climate by xeriscaping their lawns.
Lubbock, Texas is the economic hub (hence its nickname, the "Hub City") of a multi-county agricultural 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. Unfortunately, the water is being depleted at a rate which is not sustainable for the long term. Much progress has been made in the area of water conservation and new technologies such as Low Energy Precision Application or LEPA irrigation were originally developed in the Lubbock area.
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.
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.
The Southwest Collection, an archive of the history of the region and its surroundings, 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 Science Spectrum is an interactive museum and IMAX Dome theatre with a special focus on children and youth.
The American Wind Power Center and Windmill Museum houses over 100 historic windmills on 28 acres. Official Site
Lubbock is also home to Joyland Amusement Park, which is located in Mackenzie Park.
Education
- Lubbock Christian University
- Texas Tech University
- Texas Tech University School of Law
- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
- Lubbock High School
- Coronado High School
- Monterey High School
- Estacado High School
- Trinity Christian High School
- Lubbock Christian High School
Culture
Lubbock is the birthplace of Rock and Roll legend Buddy Holly, and the city hosts both a cultural center and annual music festival named for him.
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, Natalie Maines (singer for the Dixie Chicks).
Lubbock also hosts the National Cowboy Symposium and Celebration, an annual event celebrating the prototypical Old West cowboy. 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.
Lubbock remains one of the largest US cities to ban the sale of packaged alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, and liquor) within its city limits. A privately owned conglomeration of liquor stores (the "strip") is located just outside of the city limit on US87.
Sports
The Texas Tech University NCAA division I football(which has been a member of the Big XII Conference since 1996) team and the men's and women's basketball teams are immensely popular. High school athletics (all sports) also feature prominently in the local culture. In addition, Lubbock is the home of the Cotton Kings, a hockey team in the Southwest Division of the Central Hockey League, and the Chaparrals of Lubbock Christian University.
Non-college sports such as bicycling (WTCA), disc golf, and in-line skating are popular.
Transportation
- Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport
- Citibus, the city-wide public bus system
- The city is the southern terminus of Interstate 27, which links it to Interstate 40, a transcontinental route.
Geography
Lubbock is located at 33°33'53" North, 101°52'40" West (33.564735, -101.877793)Template:GR. The average elevation is 3,256 feet above sea level.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 297.6 km² (114.9 mi²). 297.4 km² (114.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.09% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 199,564 people, 77,527 households, and 48,531 families residing in the city. The population density is 671.1/km² (1,738.2/mi²). There are 84,066 housing units at an average density of 282.7/km² (732.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 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. 27.45% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 77,527 households out of which 30.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% are married couples living together, 12.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% are non-families. 28.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.47 and the average family size is 3.07.
In the city the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 30 years. For every 100 females there are 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $31,844, and the median income for a family is $41,418. Males have a median income of $30,222 versus $21,708 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,511. 18.4% of the population and 12.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 21.9% of those under the age of 18 and 10.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
- City of Lubbock Official Site
- Lubbock, Texas from the Handbook of Texas Online
- Lubbock Chamber of Commerce
- Lubbock Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- Lubbock Economic Development Alliance
- Hub City Online - Forums and articles about Lubbock and all it has to offer
- Virtualubbock: Art, Music and Culture of Lubbock
- Life in Lubbock
- Lubbock Hospitality Guide
- Lubbock Area Parks
Cultural Attractions
- Lubbock Lake Landmark
- Museum of Texas Tech University
- National Ranching Heritage Center
- The Science Spectrum
Entertainment
Travel
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