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LORENZO, TEXAS
Crosby
County, Texas Panhandle
33°40'18"N 101°32'10"W (33.671618, -101.536233)
US 62, 82, TX Hwy 114, and FM 378
20 Miles E of Lubbock
17 Miles W of Crosbyton the county
seat
ZIP code 79343
Area code 806
Population: 1,138 Est. (2019)
1,147 (2010) 1,372 (2000) 1,208 (1990)
Lorenzo Area Hotels › Lubbock
Hotels |
Mural of Lorenzo
street scene with hotel, barber shop and church
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, July 2009 |
History in
a Pecan Shell
Lorenzo Dow is
the namesake of Lorenzo. Although he is mentioned as "an employee
of the C. B. Livestock Company" he somehow managed to buy the land
which soon became the town. Lorenzo's purchase was made one day after
April Fool's Day, 1910. In July that year the Crosbyton-South Plains
Townsite Company bought Lorenzo out and the town was platted the next
year. The first train didn't arrive in 1911 - but it did pass through.
Classes (taught in a store) began in September of 1911 and the town's
post office also opened that year.
Incorporated one day after April Fool's Day in 1924, Lorenzo had a
population of just over 700 by 1930. Most towns in Texas were decimated
by The Great Depression which was surprisingly kind to Lorenzo. When
the dust had settled (literally) after the Depression, the town had
managed to retain 616 people. The population had increased to 935
people by 1950.
Consolidations combined the school districts of Pleasant Hill, Estacado,
Robertson, and Farmer and eventually Lorenzo's District increased
to 226 square miles.
The town's population has remained over 1,000 since the 1950s with
the latest figure being 1,147. |
Historical Marker:
Lawn of Community Center, 409 Van Buren, Lorenzo
Lorenzo
Founded when Crosbyton-South
Plains Railway ran first train here, April 10, 1911. Named for Lorenzo
Dow, employee of C. B. Livestock Company, which promoted the town,
and in 1914 encouraged area to plant cotton.
Incorporated in 1924. Now a center of cotton growing, with fine churches,
school, businesses.
1966 |
Photographer's
Note
One of those nice lazy West Texas Town one passes through without
even realizing that people live there and call it home. - Barclay
Gibson, August 03, 2009 |
Mural of Corner
Grocery Market
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, July 2009 |
Painted Wall
Mural street scene- helicopter over post office, old gas statiion,
water tower
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, July 2009 |
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Historical Marker:
FM 378, 1.8 miles N of US 82/114, at CR 105
Lorenzo Cemetery
In 1876, the Texas
Legislature created the Crosby Land District, which included several
present-day Panhandle counties. Ranchers soon began establishing large
ranches throughout the region, and in 1890, brothers Avery, John Stuart,
Howard and Prentiss Coonley of Chicago joined with Julian Bassett
of New York to form the C.B. Livestock Company.
In 1910, the company planned a rail line from Crosbyton
to Lubbock, with towns platted
along the route. It named the one here for Lorenzo Dow, a company
attorney, and in 1916 it deeded land at this site to the county for
a community cemetery. The first burial in Lorenzo Cemetery was reportedly
that of a child who died of whooping cough in 1916. The first marked
grave, dating to 1918, is that of W.A. Greenhill.
Over the years, volunteers and local groups, including a cemetery
association, have provided maintenance, helping to preserve th collective
history of Lorenzo. The county sold the property in 1995 to the City
of Lorenzo, and today the cemetery is a link to generations of men,
women and children who made unique and lasting contributions to the
community.
Historic Texas Cemetery - 2003 |
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| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
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