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| | Library
Patrons of the Idalou Branch of the Lubbock Library system c. 1936
Photo
courtesy Texas State Archives |
History
in a Pecan Shell
Another town with a disputed name, Idalou was
either named after early settlers Lou Bacon and his wife, Ida or after the daughters
of Julian M. Bassett who was the vice president of the Crosby-Bassett Livestock
Company. The daughters were Ida and Lou.
In 1911 when the South Plains
and Santa Fe Railway connected Lubbock
and Crosbyton, Idalou
was given it's own depot on the line. I t became a shipping point for cotton and
maize. The town was well established by 1916 and it received its post office the
next year. A brick shool replaced the previous one-roon schoolhouse in 1919.
In 1925, Idalou incorporated by 1930 there were over 500 Idalouans and nearly
30 businesses. By 1940 the population remained over 500, but barely. The number
of businesses actually increased during the Depression - by five. From 1960 to
1980 the population doubled from 1,274 to 2,348. In 1990 the population in Idalou
was 2,074 and growth continues at manageable pace. | |
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