The city of Lubbock is located within the heart of the South Plains within the northwest part of Texas and currently has a population of about 212,000. Permian Basin lies to the south and the Texas Panhandle is north of the city. The elevation of the city is 3,256 feet.
The city was named after Thomas S. Lubbock, who was a former Texas Ranger and Confederate during the Civil War. During this time Francis R. Lubbock, his brother, served as the governor of the state of Texas.
During the year 1876, Lubbock County was formed, even though the present-day city wasn't founded until the year 1890. The settlement of Lubbock was formed by the amalgamation of Monterey and Old Lubbock, that were two separate settlements within the county. During the year 1891 the city of Lubbock was called the county seat and the city of Lubbock was incorporated on March 16, the year 1909.
Soon after Lubbock town was incorporated, the rail service was established. because of these railroads, agriculture in the area grew quickly. The area soon became the county's marketing hub. As such they were known as the "Hub of the Plains."
Because several more opportunities were presented to the city it continued to develop. An important boost to the economy of the city came from the opening of Texas Technological College during 1925. The effects of the Great Depression were countered by the development of two military training bases throughout WWII. The population of the city expanded quickly as soon as the war ended. All through the '40's, the growth rate was only second to Albuquerque throughout the whole nation.
The worst disaster which the Lubbock City went through was a tornado that hit on May 11,the year 1970. It is considered one of the strongest tornadoes in history and caused 26 fatalities. It led to more than $135 million in damages across more than three square miles of Lubbock City. Together with the repairs carried out on the buildings that were damaged, they created the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center as a tribute to people who were victims of this devastating natural disaster.
The economy of the city is still based primarily on the agricultural business with supplementary income coming from a variety of manufacturing facilities. Lubbock continues to diversify the economy within fields including government, retail trade, health care and education. The agricultural trade draws in about $22 billion dollars on an annual basis with cotton being the primary crop. Cotton is not just a profitable commodity. It likewise provides help to support other companies, including gins, compresses, cottonseed meal, lint, a denim plant and several processing plants.