Levelland, Texas, Hockley County seat. (original) (raw)

Levelland is geographically descriptive of the region.

History in a Pecan Shell

We were told by someone at the chamber of commerce that the city has no ties whatsoever to Post, Texas, but according to The Handbook of Texas C. W. Post is the founder of both towns. Post bought the Oxsheer Ranch in Hockley County in 1906, a year before he founded Post. Oxsheer Ranch was surveyed by Post in 1912, two years before his death.

Lleveland is also home to South Plains College, located south of town on Hwy 385.

Historical Marker on Courthouse Square, Hwy 114

City of Levelland

Surveyed and platted in 1912 as "Hockley City" by cereal magnate C. W. Post. Although only a barren townsite, place won race for county seat in 1921. The first meeting of county officers was held at future courthouse site -- in a Cadillac automobile. Soon city square boasted a temporary courthouse (16 by 32 feet), a well, and a community black-eyed pea patch. When a post office opened, in 1922, city was renamed Levelland, for its topography. Prosperity arrived with the coming of the railroad in 1925 and discovery of oil in the county in 1937.

Levelland, Texas Landmarks

"Through The Ages"
Photo courtesy Barbara Brannon, March 2013

"Installing a giant arrow sculpture by artist Charles A. Smith to mark the Quanah Parker Trail in Levelland, Texas, Mar 15, 2013. The QPT, a project of the Texas Plains Trail Region, honors sites of Comanche history throughout the region." - Barbara Brannon

Levelland, Texas Forum

• Levelland and Hockley County Update
  "...The installation of their Quanah Parker Trail arrow in 2013 and the recent completion of their amazing courthouse grounds micro-mosaics by John and Bette Hope...." - Barbara A. Brannon, PhD, Executive Director, Texas Plains Trail Region, May 06, 2013
• Subject: What Leveland is best known for
  Levelland Sightings of 1957
  Dear TE, Believe it or not, Levelland is probably best known internationally for the Levelland Sightings of 1957. I have traveled far and wide from the area where I was raised (graduated from Pettit H.S, 1953). At the time of the sightings, I had just returned from a three-year tour in Europe and was staying with my parents awaiting my discharge from Reese AFB near Lubbock. They lived on an isolated farm on Oklahoma Flat Road in northern Hockley County. I saw some things that made my hair stand on end, some things I never mentioned to my parents.
  In my author's biography at the end of my most recent novel, The Ghost of Mount Chinati I mention my presence during the "sightings." It is relevant to the theme of the novel. - Walter LeCroy, No Town Provided, December 01, 2006
• Levelland (my home town) was owned at one time by Mr. Post, however according to my Grandmother, Mr. Post's daughter is the one who name the town. - Jeremy L. McCulloch, December 27, 2004
• Country Singers, and "City of Mosaics."
  Several popular country singers including Natalie Maines (Dixie Chicks) and LeeAnn Womack have attended school at South Plains College in Levelland. They were part of the Country & Bluegrass music department. See http://www.levelland.com/mus.html for more information or confirmation.
  Levelland has nine fine mosaics throughout the city and is known as a "City of Mosaics." A mosaic is a 6000-year-old art technique in which cubes of glass tile are fixed in a pattern to make a work of art. The mosaics in town can be found at the Fine Arts Building, Student Services Building, and Science-Agriculture Buildings at South Plains College, Methodist Hospital, Levelland Clinic, Adult Learning Center, Hockley County Library and the Levelland Area Chamber of Commerce. - Shannon Prothro, August 30, 2003
• High School Ghosts in Levelland
  "... we went to the janitors for answers.
  Their stories started the biggest ghost hunt Levelland has ever seen."
  My name is Adam Wood. I was a senior at Levelland High School in 2001. I was in theater and we were soon going to competition so we were rehearsing 6 until 9 in the evening. Well as kids do we started telling ghost stories and before you knew it there were stories about the school. Someone said that a student had died in auto-machenics in around '96 so we went to the janitors for answers. Their stories started the biggest ghost hunt Levelland has ever seen.
  We were told that it was true that a boy had died there. He was electrocuted; and that someone had died in the gym as well when the school was being built. They had seen a tall man dressed in black wondering the halls. A teacher's husband had seen a girl in the library and then two cheerleaders said they heard the sound of little feet chasing them in the library one night.
  Every night about 9:30 about 15 of us would walk all the way around the school. No one was there but the 3 janitors and us. We had their permission to go find anything. We took a video camera and something happened on the fifth night. We saw nothing. I heard a piano music but no one else did. When we watched the video we saw a man at the end of the hallway in a white shirt and the piano music showed up. It consumed our lives for 2 months and we never saw anything again. I go back every now and then late at night and walk around but nothing ever happens. - Adam Wood, May 25, 2002

	Tumbleweed in Levelland Photo courtesy Shannon Prothro

	"Sunset" - taken just north of Levelland Photo courtesy Shannon Prothro

Levelland Tourist Information
Levelland Chamber of Commerce
1101 Ave. "H". 806-894-3157
Website: www.levelland.com
Book Hotel Here > Levelland Hotels

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