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Dawson County TX
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LOS YBANEZ, TEXAS

Dawson County, Texas Panhandle / West Texas

32°43'5"N 101°55'9"W (32.717986, -101.919052)
1 Mile off U.S. Highway 87
1 Mile S of Lamesa
Population: 19 Est. (2016)
19 (2010) 32 (2000) 83 (1990)

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History on a Pinhead

A recent town in Texas history, Los Ybanez only appeared in 1980. The core of the community was built around what was left of a government CCC camp built in the 1930s. The town founder was Israel Ybanez who purchased the property and rehabilitated the buildings as rental properties.

The town incorporated in 1983 and the town’s “business district” consisted of a single beer store – operated by Israel and Mary Ybanez. The 1985 population was given as 300 people – many of them related to the founder. The 1990 census reported just 83 people which has since declined to a mere 19 people.

See
Lamesa Farm Workers Community Historical Marker
Los Ybanez Tx Housing
Los Ybanez
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, April 2015
Photographer's Note:
"This was a very depressing visit. In the heat of the dusty afternoon, there was nothing but dirt streets and dilapidate houses. A few were occupied, but most were in various stages of decay; none well cared for. I only saw people in one house. It was originally a planned government housing project, but time and neglect have taken a toll. There were 30-35 houses. I looked for some kind of central building like chapel or community center. The store looks to be of 1950's vintage." - Barclay Gibson, April 18, 2015
Los Ybanez Tx store
The store
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, April 2015
Los Ybanez Tx store sign

"Free Bible"
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, April 2015

Los Ybanez Tx Main St sign
Main St. sign
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, April 2015
Los Ybanez Tx welcome sign
Welcome to Los Ybanez
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, April 2015
TX - Lamesa Farm Workers             Community Historical Marker
Lamesa Farm Workers Community Historical Marker
1919 County Rd M

Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, April 2015

Lamesa Farm Workers Community

By the 1920s, Dawson County’s rapidly expanding cotton economy was outgrowing its labor supply. Like other areas of the country, Lamesa began to rely on migrant laborers from Mexico to increase the available pool of seasonal workers. One effort to federally regulate migrant labor was the creation of farm labor communities to ensure a dependable source of labor for farmers and to provide safe and sanitary living facilities for migrant workers and their families. The Lamesa Farm Workers Community, present day Los Ybanez, operated from 1942 until 1980.

In 1941, the Farm Security Administration approved an application for a migrant labor camp on 50 acres of land southeast of Lamesa. The first families moved in on August 17, 1942. The Lamesa Complex consisted of 50 residential buildings, a gate house, manager’s residence, and a community center. Unlike other labor communities, Lamesa provided its residents with indoor plumbing and running water. Additionally, Lamesa offered a medical clinic, educational programs, nursery, recreational activities, and religious services.

The families who lived at Lamesa harvested cotton, worked in cotton gins, cotton oil mills, feed mills, and egg processing plants. They did not pay rent for their homes but were expected to perform maintenance work around the camp and contribute to the camp welfare fund. The little time available for social activities included traditional Mexican entertainment and reflected their bicultural background. Residents played baseball, observed Mexican and U.S. Holidays, and enjoyed Conjunto music. In 1980, the Ybanez family bought the community to provide low-income housing for Hispanic families.
(2010)
TX Dawson County 1940s Map
1940s Dawson County map
From Texas state map #4335
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

Take a road trip

Los Ybanez, Texas Nearby Towns:
Lamesa the county seat
See Dawson County

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