You'll recall that day one of this trip covered over 500 miles and ended in Lubbock, on the Llano Estacado, or the Caprock in the panhandle of Texas. I spent a restful night in a Holiday Inn on Avenue Q near downtown and on Friday morning I was at the Lubbock County courthouse by 8:30 AM. The courthouse, circa 1950, is a large, blocky modern office building in the center of a city block bounded by Broadway, Texas, Main and, my favorite, Buddy Holly Avenue. At 8:30 Friday morning the streets were relatively quiet. I walked around the building and ended up at the front, which faces west, towards Texas Avenue, and an alley! Here's the shot:
View from the west side of the Lubbock County courthouse.
The NTS building in the background is, at 20 stories, the tallest building in Lubbock. Built in 1955 and designed by Abilene architect David Castle, it was originally known as the Great Plains Life Building. On May 11, 1970 an F5 tornado struck downtown Lubbock. The building was actually twisted by the tornado, and was damaged so badly, many thought it would collapse; several radio towers on the roof were twisted or broken off. Much of the plaster in the stairwell walls between the 4th and 16th floors had cracked, and 60% of the building's windows were shattered. A foot of permanent deformation damage occurred at the steel frame on the south side, and three of the building's four elevators were damaged with the support rails bent. In spite of the severity of the damage and amid cries to demolish, the owners chose to repair it instead, and it still stands; this building is believed to be the tallest building to survive a direct hit from an F5 tornado. It re-opened in 1975. Now you know.
The west facade of the courthouse is the front. BTW, that's a cotton bale monument on the left.
While I was photographing this side of the courthouse I saw a family arriving for a wedding, and then a young couple approached me, and asked if I would take their photograph on the courthouse steps. The woman was holding a baby in her arms. I asked them what was the occasion and learned that they had come from Minnesota to adopt this child and were due in court in a few minutes to formalize the adoption. I used their camera to take some photographs and then wished them the best for their new family. That's a first for my courthouse project! All of this before 9:00 AM .
I left Lubbock and headed northwest on US 84. My next stop was Littlefield, seat of Lamb County.
I left Lubbock and headed northwest on US 84. My next stop was Littlefield, seat of Lamb County.
Lamb County courthouse, 1953.
Littlefield is the home of Waylon Jennings. I know that because I passed the Waylon Jennings RV Park on the way into town. Lamb County is also home to Earth, a small town north and west of Littlefield. My family lived in Earth, and on Earth, from 1962 to 1964. Lamb County is one of 7 Texas counties I've called home over the years. The others are Taylor, Tarrant, Bexar, Brazos, Walker and Harris.
On the road to Muleshoe. Another grain silo in my rearview mirror.
Continuing northwest on US 84 my next stop was Muleshoe, seat of Bailey County. And, yes, there is a statue of a mule in Muleshoe.
Bailey County courthouse, 1925.
My last Texas county on Friday, May 18 was Parmer (like "farmer" but with a "p"). Farwell, the county seat is on the Texas-New Mexico state line. So much for locating the county seat in the geographic center of the county. The Parmer courthouse dates from 1916. It's a beautiful little building facing a shady grove of mature trees; a veritable oasis in the relentless panhandle landscape. Oddly, the front of the building faces west, towards New Mexico.
Don't try to enter the courthouse through those "front" doors, however. They're permanently closed: there's an elevator shaft directly behind the doors! Where else would you install an elevator but in the one open area of the courthouse? So, now the entrance to the courthouse is on the south side of the building.
The original front doors to the courthouse are now behind the elevator shaft.
Inside the courthouse I was given a tour of the county clerk's offices and found these original 1916 brass file cabinets along one wall. They are truly built to last.
A few minutes later I crossed the state line and entered New Mexico, gaining an hour in the process. From there it was a scenic drive through Clovis, Fort Sumner, and Santa Rosa to my destination: Albuquerque. No courthouses, but lots of the Land of Enchantment, including this view on US 84 west of Clovis.
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