Page 33 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2026 - Online Magazine
P. 33
THE STORY OF
Levelland
From Open Prairie to
Enduring Community
by Iris Keeling
here was a time when no one A Land of Uncertainty—and One of the most influential figures
believed a town could exist Opportunity in this transformation was C. W.
There. Post, a businessman best known
For decades, the land that would for founding the Postum Cereal
Well into the late 1800s, this stretch become Hockley County remained Company. In 1906, Post purchased
of the South Plains was described largely untouched, used primarily the remaining portion of the
as too dry, too remote, and too for ranching. Life on the plains Oxsheer Ranch, sight unseen, and
unforgiving to sustain life. Early was unpredictable at best. Years of designated a central location as the
reports claimed it would never drought could wipe out herds, while site of a future county seat, naming
support a population. seasons of abundance often flooded it Hockley City. It was a bold act
the market and drove prices down. of confidence in a place that, at
And yet, over time, people came. Ranching was a constant gamble the time, offered little evidence of
And more remarkably, they stayed. against nature and economics alike. promise.
The story of Levelland is not simply But as railroads expanded across A City Before Its Time
one of settlement. It is a story of Texas in the early 20th century, the
vision, resilience, and a belief in region began to shift. Land once In 1912, surveyors placed a marker
possibility strong enough to take considered marginal started to attract in the open prairie to designate the
root in a most unlikely place. attention. Slowly, the possibility of site of Hockley City. For years, it
settlement began to take hold. stood alone surrounded by miles
Lubbock Senior Link 33
