Lubbock County Is One of Texas's Top Cotton Producers

The first successful cotton crop in Lubbock County was grown in 1901, just 30 bales. By the 1930s, cotton had become the dominant crop. By 1981 the county had 33 cotton gins and ranked among the top cotton-producing counties in Texas. The flat, dry High Plains turned out to be ideal for dryland and irrigated cotton once farming techniques improved.

Cotton still defines the economy and the look of the landscape each summer. Fields stretch to the horizon. Drive any county road in August and you will see the cotton bolls opening. The industry also drove food processing, and Lubbock became a major center for cottonseed oil production.