Lubbock, Texas

==History==
[[File:Texas - Lubbock - NARA - 68149542 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Lubbock in 1928]]
{{see also|Timeline of Lubbock, Texas}}
In 1867, the land that would become Lubbock was the heart of [[Comancheria]], the shifting domain controlled by the [[Comanche]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Comanche Empire |last=Hamalainnen |first=Pekka |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2009 |location=New Haven |pages=316}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Holmes |first=Mikayla |date=2023-10-09 |title=Lubbock once territory for Indigenous tribes, non-profit says |url=https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/local-news/lubbock-once-territory-for-indigenous-tribes-non-profit-says/ |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=KLBK {{!}} KAMC {{!}} EverythingLubbock.com |language=en-US}}</ref> [[File:Lubbock April 2022 48 (First Baptist Church).jpg|thumb|Lubbock has a large number of churches, including the downtown First [[Baptist]] congregation.]]

Lubbock County was founded in 1876. It was named after [[Thomas Saltus Lubbock]], former Texas Ranger and brother of [[Francis Lubbock]], governor of Texas during the Civil War.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hdl04 |title=Handbook of Texas Online |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |access-date=February 17, 2020 |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803172426/https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hdl04 |url-status=live }}</ref> As early as 1884, a [[United States Post Office Department|U.S. post office]] existed in [[Yellow House Canyon]]. A small town, known as Old Lubbock, Lubbock, or North Town, was established about three miles to the east. In 1890, the original Lubbock merged with Monterey, another small town south of the canyon. The new town adopted the Lubbock name. The merger included moving the original Lubbock's [[Nicolett Hotel (Lubbock, Texas)|Nicolett Hotel]] across the canyon on rollers to the new townsite. Lubbock became the county seat in 1891,<ref>Paul H. Carlson, "The Nicolett Hotel and the Founding of Lubbock", ''[[West Texas Historical Association|West Texas Historical Review]]'', Vol. 90 (2014), pp. 8-9, 11.</ref> and was incorporated on March 16, 1909. In the same year, the first railroad train arrived.

Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University) was founded in Lubbock in 1923. A separate university, [[Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center]], opened as Texas Tech University School of Medicine in 1969. Both universities are now overseen by the [[Texas Tech University System]], after it was established in 1996 and based in Lubbock. [[Lubbock Christian University]], founded in 1957,  affiliated with the [[Churches of Christ]], has its main campus in the city. [[South Plains College]] and [[Wayland Baptist University]] operate branch campuses in Lubbock.

At one time, Lubbock was home to [[Reese Air Force Base]], located {{convert|6|mi|km|0|abbr=on}} west of the city. It was established in August 1941, during the defense build-up prior to [[World War II]] (1941–1945), by the [[United States Department of War]] and the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] as Lubbock Army Airfield. It served the old [[United States Army Air Forces|U.S. Army Air Forces]], and later the [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]] (USAF), after reorganization and establishment in 1947. The USAF base's primary mission throughout its existence was pilot training. The base was closed 30 September 1997, after being selected for closure by the [[Base Realignment and Closure]] Commission in 1995, and is now a research and business park called [[Reese Technology Center]].

The city is home to the [[Lubbock Lake Landmark]], part of the [[Museum of Texas Tech University]]. The landmark is an archaeological and natural-history preserve at the northern edge of the city. It shows evidence of almost 12,000 years of human occupation in the region. The [[National Ranching Heritage Center]], also part of the Museum of Texas Tech University, houses historic ranch-related structures from the region.

During World War II, airmen cadets from the Royal Air Force, flying from their training base at Terrell, Texas, routinely flew to Lubbock on training flights. The town served as a stand-in for the British for Cork, Ireland, which was the same distance from London, England, as Lubbock is from Terrell.

In August 1951, a V-shaped formation of lights was seen over the city. The "[[Lubbock Lights]]" series of sightings received national publicity and is regarded as one of the first great "[[UFO]]" cases. The sightings were considered credible because they were witnessed by several respected science professors at Texas Technological College and were photographed by a Texas Tech student. The photographs were reprinted nationwide in newspapers and in ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]''. [[Project Blue Book]], the USAF's official investigation of the UFO mystery, concluded the photographs were not a hoax and showed genuine objects, but dismissed the UFOs as being either "night-flying moths" or a type of bird called a [[plover]] reflected in the nighttime glow of Lubbock's new street lights.

In 1960, the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]] reported Lubbock's population as 128,691 and area as {{convert|75.0|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}}.<ref name="census"/>

On May 11, 1970, the [[Lubbock Tornado]] struck the city. Twenty-six people died, and damage was estimated at $125 million. The [[Metro Tower (Lubbock)|Metro Tower]] (NTS Building), then known as the Great Plains Life Building, at {{convert|274|ft|m|abbr=on}} in height, is believed to have been the tallest building ever to survive a direct hit from an [[Fujita scale|F5]] tornado.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lub/climate/Local_interest_events/LUB_tornado/lubtor.html |title=Lubbock, Texas |publisher=[[National Weather Service]] Forecast Office |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061009180854/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lub/climate/Local_interest_events/LUB_tornado/lubtor.html |archive-date = October 9, 2006}}</ref>

During the late 1970s to mid-1980s, [[Texas Instruments]] was a major Lubbock employer, manufacturing consumer electronics — including early calculators, digital watches, and [[TI-99/4|TI-99 series]] home computers. In the early 1980s, shipping up to 5,000 computers a day from the Lubbock factory, TI briefly dominated the U.S. home computer market.<ref name="death_1984_04_texasmonthly">[https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/death-of-texas-instruments-home-computer/ "Death of a Computer,"] April 1984, ''[[Texas Monthly]],'' retrieved September 20, 2023</ref>

In August, 1988, tens of thousands of people came to Lubbock, drawn by an [[1988 Lubbock apparition of Mary|apparition of Mary]].

On August 12, 2008, the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce announced they would lead the effort to get enough signatures to have a vote on allowing county-wide packaged alcohol sales.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chamber to Lead Alcohol Petition Effort |url=http://www.myfoxlubbock.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=7191012&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1 |publisher=My Fox Lubbock |access-date=2009-05-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714142817/http://www.myfoxlubbock.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=7191012&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1 |archive-date=July 14, 2011}}</ref> The petition effort was successful and the question was put to the voters. On May 9, 2009, Proposition 1, which expanded the sale of packaged alcohol in Lubbock County, passed by a margin of nearly two to one, with 64.5% in favor. Proposition 2, which legalized the sale of mixed drinks in restaurants county-wide, passed with 69.5% in favor.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lubbock County voters approve alcohol sales issues |url=http://lubbockonline.com/stories/051009/loc_438243037.shtml |work=Lubbock Avalanche Journal |access-date=2010-06-24 |archive-date=May 13, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090513043225/http://lubbockonline.com/stories/051009/loc_438243037.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> On September 23, 2009, The [[Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission]] issued permits to more than 80 stores in Lubbock.<ref name="state-clear-stores-alcohol">{{cite web |title=State will clear stores to sell alcohol today |url=http://lubbockonline.com/stories/092309/loc_496216511.shtml |work=Lubbock Avalanche-Journal |access-date=2009-09-23 |archive-date=May 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527124350/http://lubbockonline.com/stories/092309/loc_496216511.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> Prior to May 9, 2009, Lubbock County allowed "package" sales of alcohol (sales of bottled liquor from liquor stores), but not "by the drink" sales, except at private establishments such as [[country club]]s. Inside the city limits, the situation was reversed, with restaurants and bars able to serve alcohol, but liquor stores forbidden.

After news broke about Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas hiring for a Lubbock location, Senator [[Charles Perry (Texas politician)|Charles Perry]] started a petition to keep Planned Parenthood out of Lubbock.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dotray |first=Matt |title=Planned Parenthood hiring for new Lubbock location |url=https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/coronavirus/2020/08/03/planned-parenthood-hiring-for-new-lubbock-location/113838598/ |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=Lubbock Avalanche-Journal |language=en-US |archive-date=August 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220810182709/https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/coronavirus/2020/08/03/planned-parenthood-hiring-for-new-lubbock-location/113838598/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On September 9, 2020, Senator Perry held a press conference with Representative [[Dustin Burrows]] and Representative [[John Frullo]] in support of Lubbock becoming a "sanctuary city for the unborn" through the passage of an ordinance, written by anti-abortion activist [[Mark Lee Dickson]], which would outlaw abortion within the city limits.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dotray |first=Matt |title=Lubbock's state lawmakers push city council to adopt anti-abortion ordinance |url=https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/coronavirus/2020/09/09/lubbockrsquos-state-lawmakers-push-city-council-to-adopt-anti-abortion-ordinance/113729674/ |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=Lubbock Avalanche-Journal |language=en-US |archive-date=April 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418002625/https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/coronavirus/2020/09/09/lubbockrsquos-state-lawmakers-push-city-council-to-adopt-anti-abortion-ordinance/113729674/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On November 17, 2020, the Lubbock City Council voted 7–0 against the ordinance outlawing abortion, leading the "sanctuary city for the unborn" initiating committee to file for the ordinance to be placed on the May ballot.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-11-18 |title=City Council rejects proposed ordinance declaring Lubbock a 'sanctuary city for the unborn' |url=https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/local-news/city-council-rejects-proposed-ordinance-declaring-lubbock-a-sanctuary-city-for-the-unborn/ |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=KLBK {{!}} KAMC {{!}} EverythingLubbock.com |language=en-US |archive-date=January 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126162603/https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/local-news/city-council-rejects-proposed-ordinance-declaring-lubbock-a-sanctuary-city-for-the-unborn/ |url-status=live }}</ref>  Planned Parenthood began offering abortion services on April 15, 2021, with early voting taking place on April 19, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dotray |first=Matt |title=Abortion services now being offered at Lubbock's Planned Parenthood |url=https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/2021/04/18/abortion-services-now-being-offered-lubbocks-planned-parenthood/7264526002/ |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=Lubbock Avalanche-Journal |language=en-US |archive-date=April 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418002626/https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/2021/04/18/abortion-services-now-being-offered-lubbocks-planned-parenthood/7264526002/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On May 1, 2021, the citizens of Lubbock voted on the ordinance with 62% in favor and 38% against, becoming the largest "sanctuary city for the unborn" in the nation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Najmabadi |first=Shannon |date=2021-05-02 |title=Lubbock votes to become the state's largest "sanctuary city for the unborn" |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2021/05/01/lubbock-abortion-vote-sanctuary-unborn/ |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=The Texas Tribune |language=en |archive-date=May 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502163615/https://www.texastribune.org/2021/05/01/lubbock-abortion-vote-sanctuary-unborn/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit in an attempt to stop the ordinance from going into effect,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Najmabadi |first=Shannon |date=2021-05-18 |title=Lawsuit seeks to block Lubbock's ordinance aimed at outlawing abortions |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2021/05/17/lubbock-abortion-ban-lawsuit/ |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=The Texas Tribune |language=en |archive-date=May 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220508052551/https://www.texastribune.org/2021/05/17/lubbock-abortion-ban-lawsuit/ |url-status=live }}</ref> but lost their case after the ordinance went into effect on June 1, 2021, and a federal judge dismissed the case.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Najmabadi |first=Shannon |date=2021-06-02 |title=Lawsuit to block Lubbock's abortion ban is dismissed in court as the ordinance takes effect |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2021/06/01/abortion-planned-parenthood-lubbock/ |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=The Texas Tribune |language=en |archive-date=April 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418003801/https://www.texastribune.org/2021/06/01/abortion-planned-parenthood-lubbock/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Planned Parenthood later appealed the decision to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, but in January 2022 withdrew their appeal.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Klibanoff |first=Eleanor |date=2022-01-25 |title=Planned Parenthood drops challenge to Lubbock's abortion ban |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2022/01/25/planned-parenthood-appeal-lubbock-abortion/ |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=The Texas Tribune |language=en |archive-date=April 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220422123650/https://www.texastribune.org/2022/01/25/planned-parenthood-appeal-lubbock-abortion/ |url-status=live }}</ref>