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History in a Pecan
Shell
Settlement began in the 1850s but nothing jelled until the arrival
of the railroad in 1881. The
town’s namesake is said to be Lorena Westbrook, a local girl. A post office was
granted in 1882 and two years later the population was up to 150. By 1890 the
town had 250 people served by three stores and most essential businesses. By 1896
the population had doubled to 500.
Several small banks merged into one
– which closed in the late 1920s. An attempt at reorganization failed in 1931.
The town managed to hold its population of 342 through the 1930s and during the
war years, although it’s businesses were reduced by 2/3rds.
The building
of Interstate 35 gave the town a much-needed boost in the late 50s, allowing it
to incorporate. By the 1970s the population had reached 516 and 1,158 by 1990.
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