Littlefield, Texas
Encyclopedia
Littlefield is a city in and the county seat
of Lamb County, Texas
, United States
. The population was 6,507 at the 2000 census. It is located in a significant cotton
growing region, northwest of Lubbock
on the Llano Estacado
just south of the beginning of the Texas Panhandle
. Littlefield has a large denim
manufacturing plant operated by American Cotton Growers.
Littlefield is named for George W. Littlefield
(1842–1920), a Mississippi
native, Confederate States of America
officer, rancher, banker, and benefactor of the University of Texas at Austin
.
Littlefield houses the Bill Clayton Detention Center, a 310-bed medium-security facility, which is named for the former Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
, who resided in Springlake
.
Near Littlefield is the Triple Arrow Ranch
, known for its historical remnants, owned by Lamb County Commissioner's Court Judge and Mrs. William A. Thompson, Jr.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 6 square miles (15.5 km²). None of the area is covered with water.
Much like nearby Lubbock
, Littlefield has a mild, semi-arid climate. On average, Littlefield receives 18 inches of precipitation per year. Summers in Littlefield are hot, with high temperatures in the 90s °F (32 - 37 °C) and dropping into the 60s °F (15 - 20 °C) at nights. The highest recorded temperature was 112 °F (44 °C) in 1994.
Winter days in Littlefield are typically sunny and relatively mild in the mid 50s °F (13 °C), but nights are cold with temperatures dipping to the mid 20s °F (-4 °C) . The lowest recorded temperature was -6 °F (-21 °C) in 1979.
. It was formerly the home of the Vertical Turbine Specialists, which since relocated to Lubbock
. The city is also headquarters to Lowe's Market
, a grocery store chain in the American Southwest. In August 2008, Littlefield was selected as the new location for a biodiesel
plant.
Waylon Jennings
. The Waylon Jennings Boulevard is named in his honor. A celebration of Jennings' 73rd birthday was held on June 18, 2010, to raise funds for the Lands Duggan House Museum in Littlefield.
Bull Lake is located about five miles (8 km) west of town. There is a municipal campground located on Highway 385.
The world's tallest windmill
was said to be below Yellow Houses Bluff at nearby Yellow House Ranch from the early 1900s until 1926, when the 128 feet (39 m)-high structure was blown over.
Roy Hunt and his wife, the former Mae Frank. Hunt, a Lubbock
native, graduated from the University of Texas Medical School at Galveston
and opened the Littlefield Clinic in 1937. While Dr. Hunt died of a gunshot wound, Mrs. Hunt was bludgeoned to death by a gun. Their bodies, bound together, were found in bed by the couple's five-year-old daughter, who ran screaming to neighbors for help. An estimated 1,500 mourners attended the funerals in the First Methodist Church of Littlefield, which seated only 300. Some 1,200 hence stood outside the overflowing church to pay respects. A $15,000 reward was offered, and Governor
Coke R. Stevenson
took a personal interest in the case.
An investigation revealed that Dr. Hunt had also been shot twice in May 1942 by Dr. W.R. Newton, a former medical school classmate who claimed that Hunt was showing an interest in Newton's wife, Ruth. Another suspect, Jim Clyde Thomas, was gunned down in a personal disagreement on August 22, 1951, in Durant
, Oklahoma
. The murders, called the "most heinous on the Texas South Plains
", hence remain unsolved. The Hunts are interred at the City of Lubbock Cemetery. Their two young daughters were reared by Mrs. Hunt's sister.
Clovis Road - The Dr. Roy Hunt Murder - Littlefield, Texas 1942 - 1943 was written in 2009 by Dana Middlebrooks Samuelson and Robert Samuelson, M.D. about the Hunt murders. Jerry Scott Hughes wrote the foreword; the book is dedicated to Judge Harold LaFont and his son, Bill LaFont. Christena Stephens of the Llano Estacado Heritage Foundation is also writing a book on the Hunt case. At a time when forensic science was hardly known in Texas, Stephens has uncovered clues to solving the case, including tire tracks and black tennis shoes.
of 2000, there were 6,507 people, 2,390 households, and 1,699 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,085.4 people per square mile (419.4/km²). There were 2,784 housing units at an average density of 464.4 per square mile (179.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.10% White, 5.38% African American, 0.69% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 14.62% from other races
, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 45.83% of the population.
There were 2,390 households out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples
living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,271, and the median income for a family was $29,842. Males had a median income of $25,978 versus $20,160 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,018. About 18.8% of families and 20.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.5% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.
Lubbock International Airport is served by:
.
The City of Littlefield is also served by an off branch of South Plains College
.
was found in a field here.
Ralph Elmer Maurer (November 15, 1907—February 23, 2007) was a physician
and surgeon
, with a speciality in orthopedics
, who practiced in Littlefield from 1945 until his retirement in 1993. Maurer was born in Zborov, now part of the Ukraine
, to a businessman-landowning father. The senior Maurer, concerned about political turmoil in what was then Austria-Hungary, immigrated alone to the United States in 1913. He intended to bring his family to the United States the next year, but World War I
broke out in Europe, The Maurer family was not able to join the elder Maurer, who lived in New York City
, until 1920.
Maurer's boyhood years corresponded with the Great War. In late 1915, German and Austrian armies forced the Russian army to withdraw to a line near Zborov. Maurer remembered having seen the Russians dig defensive trenches through his family's land. He and his brother played in the trenches and once constructed a slingshot and hurled rocks at Russian soldiers. After the war, the family left by wagon for the nearest railroad line, having reached Rotterdam
in the Netherlands
, where they boarded a steamship and arrived in New York City in August 1920 to reunite with the father.
Maurer was then twelve years of age and spoke no English. He learned the language quickly in school and attended DeWitt Clinton High School, named for the former New York governor and father of the Erie Canal. He then attended New York University
and in 1937 earned his M.D.
degree from the University of Berne
in Switzerland
. Maurer, who was of Austro-Hungarian ethnicity, was inducted as a captain into the United States Army
Medical Service and participated in the North African Campaign
, the invasion of Italy
, and the battle of Anzio
. His military tenure introduced him to new orthopedic techniques learned from a German
surgeon in a captured field hospital
. He applied this knowledge to improving the surgical care of Allied soldiers and his subsequent patients in Littlefield. On leaving the military, Maurer accepted a position at the Payne-Shotwell Hospital. He recalled having arrived in Littlefield on the last day of 1945 during a blinding sandstorm
.
Maurer was married to the former Ethel Virginia Tweedy of Lynchburg
, Virginia. He died of a sudden illness at the age of ninety-nine. In addition to his wife, he was survived by two sons and two daughters. Another son, Dr. Ralph Gerald Maurer (1943–2006) preceded him in death by nine months.
Flannery Lamar Newton (January 14, 1914—June 26, 2009) was a Littlefield businessman and civic leader who was born in Rule
in Haskell County
and reared near Anton
in Hockley County. From 1933-1940, he was an independent poultry
processor. Thereafter, he was a machinist at the former Reese Air Force Base
in Lubbock. From 1945-1995, he and his wife, Verna Mae "Mary" Newton, owned the State Farm Insurance
agency in Littlefield, In 1951, Newton was recognized for having sold the most automobile
policies in a single day in the history of State Farm. The couple also operated Newton's Ladies' Apparel from 1968-1981. Newton was a member of the Lion's Club for sixty-five years. He was active in the First United Methodist Church. He also served on the Littlefeld School Board. In addition to his wife, he was survived by a son, Alan Newton of Littlefield. Another son, Roger Newton, died in 2003. Interment was at the Anton Cemetery.
James Edwin Shotwell (August 14, 1920 - August 2008) was a Littlefield dentist
, a captain in the United States Air Force
, and a former member of the Littlefield City Council. A native of Jacksonville
, Texas, and a graduate of the Loyola University
Dental School in New Orleans, he was an active member of Rotary International
and the United Methodist Church. Shotwell is interred at Resthaven Cemetery in Lubbock.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Lamb County, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 6,507 at the 2000 census. It is located in a significant cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
growing region, northwest of Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
on the Llano Estacado
Llano Estacado
Llano Estacado , commonly known as the Staked Plains, is a region in the Southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas, including the South Plains and parts of the Texas Panhandle...
just south of the beginning of the Texas Panhandle
Texas Panhandle
The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a rectangular area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east...
. Littlefield has a large denim
Denim
Denim is a rugged cotton twill textile, in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. This produces the familiar diagonal ribbing identifiable on the reverse of the fabric, which distinguishes denim from cotton duck. Denim has been in American usage since the late 18th century...
manufacturing plant operated by American Cotton Growers.
Littlefield is named for George W. Littlefield
George W. Littlefield
George Washington Littlefield was a Confederate officer, cattleman, banker, and regent of the University of Texas. Born in Mississippi, Littlefield moved to Texas with his family as a boy.-Early life:George W...
(1842–1920), a Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
native, Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
officer, rancher, banker, and benefactor of the University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
Littlefield houses the Bill Clayton Detention Center, a 310-bed medium-security facility, which is named for the former Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
, who resided in Springlake
Springlake, Texas
Springlake is a town in Lamb County, Texas, United States. The population was 135 at the 2000 census. The community is known for its agricultural processing.It was the hometown of the late Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, Bill W...
.
Near Littlefield is the Triple Arrow Ranch
Triple Arrow Ranch
The Triple Arrow Ranch is a ranch north of Spade near Littlefield, Texas, owned by Lamb County Commissioner's Court Judge William A. Thompson, Jr. , and his wife LeNora Jo Thompson. On June 18, 2008, the Thompsons received an "Historic Texas Lands Plaque" in recognition of their efforts to...
, known for its historical remnants, owned by Lamb County Commissioner's Court Judge and Mrs. William A. Thompson, Jr.
Geography and climate
Littlefield is located at 33°55′10"N 102°19′58"W (33.919561, -102.332660).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 6 square miles (15.5 km²). None of the area is covered with water.
Much like nearby Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
, Littlefield has a mild, semi-arid climate. On average, Littlefield receives 18 inches of precipitation per year. Summers in Littlefield are hot, with high temperatures in the 90s °F (32 - 37 °C) and dropping into the 60s °F (15 - 20 °C) at nights. The highest recorded temperature was 112 °F (44 °C) in 1994.
Winter days in Littlefield are typically sunny and relatively mild in the mid 50s °F (13 °C), but nights are cold with temperatures dipping to the mid 20s °F (-4 °C) . The lowest recorded temperature was -6 °F (-21 °C) in 1979.
Economy
The economy of Littlefield is diverse but traditionally depends on cottonCotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
. It was formerly the home of the Vertical Turbine Specialists, which since relocated to Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. The city is also headquarters to Lowe's Market
, a grocery store chain in the American Southwest. In August 2008, Littlefield was selected as the new location for a biodiesel
Biodiesel
Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
plant.
Tourism
Littlefield is the hometown of singer/songwriterSongwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
. The Waylon Jennings Boulevard is named in his honor. A celebration of Jennings' 73rd birthday was held on June 18, 2010, to raise funds for the Lands Duggan House Museum in Littlefield.
Bull Lake is located about five miles (8 km) west of town. There is a municipal campground located on Highway 385.
The world's tallest windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
was said to be below Yellow Houses Bluff at nearby Yellow House Ranch from the early 1900s until 1926, when the 128 feet (39 m)-high structure was blown over.
Unsolved murder case
On October 26, 1943, Littlefield was shocked by the murder of physicianPhysician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
Roy Hunt and his wife, the former Mae Frank. Hunt, a Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
native, graduated from the University of Texas Medical School at Galveston
University of Texas Medical Branch
The University of Texas Medical Branch is a component of the University of Texas System located in Galveston, Texas, United States, about 50 miles southeast of Downtown Houston...
and opened the Littlefield Clinic in 1937. While Dr. Hunt died of a gunshot wound, Mrs. Hunt was bludgeoned to death by a gun. Their bodies, bound together, were found in bed by the couple's five-year-old daughter, who ran screaming to neighbors for help. An estimated 1,500 mourners attended the funerals in the First Methodist Church of Littlefield, which seated only 300. Some 1,200 hence stood outside the overflowing church to pay respects. A $15,000 reward was offered, and Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
Coke R. Stevenson
Coke R. Stevenson
Coke Robert Stevenson was the 35th Governor of Texas from 1941 to 1947. He was the only 20th century Texan politician to serve as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, as Lieutenant Governor, and then as governor...
took a personal interest in the case.
An investigation revealed that Dr. Hunt had also been shot twice in May 1942 by Dr. W.R. Newton, a former medical school classmate who claimed that Hunt was showing an interest in Newton's wife, Ruth. Another suspect, Jim Clyde Thomas, was gunned down in a personal disagreement on August 22, 1951, in Durant
Durant, Oklahoma
Durant is a city in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 15,877 at the 2010 census. Durant is the principal city of the Durant Micropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 42,416 in 2010...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. The murders, called the "most heinous on the Texas South Plains
South Plains
South Plains is a vernacular term that refers to a region in West Texas consisting of the portion of the Llano Estacado extending south of the Texas Panhandle, centered at Lubbock. While prominent in the area of petroleum production, the South Plains is mainly an agricultural region, producing a...
", hence remain unsolved. The Hunts are interred at the City of Lubbock Cemetery. Their two young daughters were reared by Mrs. Hunt's sister.
Clovis Road - The Dr. Roy Hunt Murder - Littlefield, Texas 1942 - 1943 was written in 2009 by Dana Middlebrooks Samuelson and Robert Samuelson, M.D. about the Hunt murders. Jerry Scott Hughes wrote the foreword; the book is dedicated to Judge Harold LaFont and his son, Bill LaFont. Christena Stephens of the Llano Estacado Heritage Foundation is also writing a book on the Hunt case. At a time when forensic science was hardly known in Texas, Stephens has uncovered clues to solving the case, including tire tracks and black tennis shoes.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 6,507 people, 2,390 households, and 1,699 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,085.4 people per square mile (419.4/km²). There were 2,784 housing units at an average density of 464.4 per square mile (179.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.10% White, 5.38% African American, 0.69% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 14.62% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 45.83% of the population.
There were 2,390 households out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 24.1% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,271, and the median income for a family was $29,842. Males had a median income of $25,978 versus $20,160 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,018. About 18.8% of families and 20.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.5% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.
By Air
- Littlefield is served by Lubbock International Airport, which is in Lubbock, TexasLubbock, TexasLubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
, and Littlefield Municipal AirportLittlefield Municipal AirportLittlefield Municipal Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located three nautical miles west of the central business district of Littlefield, a city in Lamb County, Texas, United States.Although most U.S...
, a general aviation airport which can accommodate small jets, located roughly two miles outside of the Littlefield city limits.
Lubbock International Airport is served by:
- American AirlinesAmerican AirlinesAmerican Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
operated by American Eagle - Southwest AirlinesSouthwest AirlinesSouthwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
- Continental AirlinesContinental AirlinesContinental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
operated by Continental Express
By Car
-
U.S. Highway 385 -
U.S. Highway 84 -
U.S. Highway 70
Education
The City of Littlefield is served by the Littlefield Independent School DistrictLittlefield Independent School District
Littlefield Independent School District is a public school district based in Littlefield, Texas .In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.-Schools:** * *...
.
The City of Littlefield is also served by an off branch of South Plains College
South Plains College
South Plains College is a community college located in Levelland, Texas. It operates satellite branches in Plainview and at the Reese Technology Center, formerly Reese Air Force Base, in Lubbock. SPC also has many classes in the Byron Martin Advanced Technology Center in Lubbock, as part of a...
.
Notable events
The most westerly piece of debris (a Thermal Protection System tile) from the Feb 1, 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia disasterSpace Shuttle Columbia disaster
The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in the death of all seven crew members...
was found in a field here.
Notable residents and natives
- Billy HowtonBilly HowtonWilliam Harris "Billy" Howton is a former American football end who played 12 seasons in the National Football League . He played college football at Rice University. He caught a total 503 career passes for a total of 8,459 yards...
(born 1930), NFL player for the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and the Dallas CowboysDallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
- Waylon JenningsWaylon JenningsWaylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
(1937–2002), country singer
- Tom JonesTom Jones (writer)Tom Jones is a lyricist of musical theatre. His best known work is The Fantasticks, which ran off-Broadway from 1960 until 2002, and the hit song from the same, Try to Remember. Other songs from "The Fantasticks" include "Soon It's Gonna Rain", "Much More" and "I Can See It"...
(born 1928), BroadwayBroadway theatreBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
playwrightPlaywrightA playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
- Gene MayfieldGene Mayfield-Further reading:...
(1928–2009), high schoolHigh school footballHigh school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
and college footballCollege footballCollege football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coachCoach (sport)In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
, began his career in Littlefield.
- Lisa WhelchelLisa WhelchelLisa Diane Whelchel is an American actress, singer, ventriloquist, and writer best known for her role in the television series The Facts of Life as the preppy and wealthy Blair Warner.-Life and career:...
(born 1963), actress
Ralph Elmer Maurer (November 15, 1907—February 23, 2007) was a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
, with a speciality in orthopedics
Orthopedics
Orthopedics is the study of the musculoskeletal system. The Greek word 'ortho' means straight or correct and 'pedics' comes from the Greek 'pais' meaning children. For many centuries, orthopedists have been involved in the treatment of crippled children...
, who practiced in Littlefield from 1945 until his retirement in 1993. Maurer was born in Zborov, now part of the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, to a businessman-landowning father. The senior Maurer, concerned about political turmoil in what was then Austria-Hungary, immigrated alone to the United States in 1913. He intended to bring his family to the United States the next year, but World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
broke out in Europe, The Maurer family was not able to join the elder Maurer, who lived in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, until 1920.
Maurer's boyhood years corresponded with the Great War. In late 1915, German and Austrian armies forced the Russian army to withdraw to a line near Zborov. Maurer remembered having seen the Russians dig defensive trenches through his family's land. He and his brother played in the trenches and once constructed a slingshot and hurled rocks at Russian soldiers. After the war, the family left by wagon for the nearest railroad line, having reached Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, where they boarded a steamship and arrived in New York City in August 1920 to reunite with the father.
Maurer was then twelve years of age and spoke no English. He learned the language quickly in school and attended DeWitt Clinton High School, named for the former New York governor and father of the Erie Canal. He then attended New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
and in 1937 earned his M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
degree from the University of Berne
University of Berne
The University of Bern is a university in the Swiss capital of Bern and was founded in 1834. It is regulated and financed by the Canton of Bern. It is a comprehensive university offering a broad choice of courses and programmes in eight faculties and some 160 institutes. The university is an...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Maurer, who was of Austro-Hungarian ethnicity, was inducted as a captain into the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Medical Service and participated in the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
, the invasion of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and the battle of Anzio
Anzio
Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
. His military tenure introduced him to new orthopedic techniques learned from a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
surgeon in a captured field hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
. He applied this knowledge to improving the surgical care of Allied soldiers and his subsequent patients in Littlefield. On leaving the military, Maurer accepted a position at the Payne-Shotwell Hospital. He recalled having arrived in Littlefield on the last day of 1945 during a blinding sandstorm
Dust storm
A dust / sand storm is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Particles are transported by saltation and suspension, causing soil to move from one place and deposition...
.
Maurer was married to the former Ethel Virginia Tweedy of Lynchburg
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
, Virginia. He died of a sudden illness at the age of ninety-nine. In addition to his wife, he was survived by two sons and two daughters. Another son, Dr. Ralph Gerald Maurer (1943–2006) preceded him in death by nine months.
Flannery Lamar Newton (January 14, 1914—June 26, 2009) was a Littlefield businessman and civic leader who was born in Rule
Rule, Texas
Rule is a town in Haskell County, Texas, United States. The population was 698 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rule is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
in Haskell County
Haskell County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, 6,093 people, 2,569 households, and 1,775 families resided in the county. The population density was 7 people per square mile . There were 3,555 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...
and reared near Anton
Anton, Texas
Anton is a city in Hockley County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,200 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Anton is located at ....
in Hockley County. From 1933-1940, he was an independent poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
processor. Thereafter, he was a machinist at the former Reese Air Force Base
Reese Air Force Base
Reese Air Force Base was a base of the United States Air Force located 6 mi west of Lubbock, Texas, about 225 mi WNW of Fort Worth...
in Lubbock. From 1945-1995, he and his wife, Verna Mae "Mary" Newton, owned the State Farm Insurance
State Farm Insurance
State Farm Insurance is a group of insurance and financial services companies in the United States. The company also has operations in Canada....
agency in Littlefield, In 1951, Newton was recognized for having sold the most automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
policies in a single day in the history of State Farm. The couple also operated Newton's Ladies' Apparel from 1968-1981. Newton was a member of the Lion's Club for sixty-five years. He was active in the First United Methodist Church. He also served on the Littlefeld School Board. In addition to his wife, he was survived by a son, Alan Newton of Littlefield. Another son, Roger Newton, died in 2003. Interment was at the Anton Cemetery.
James Edwin Shotwell (August 14, 1920 - August 2008) was a Littlefield dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
, a captain in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, and a former member of the Littlefield City Council. A native of Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Texas
Jacksonville is located in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,868 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Cherokee County and part of the larger Tyler-Jacksonville Combined Statistical...
, Texas, and a graduate of the Loyola University
Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans is a private, co-educational and Jesuit university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the name of the Jesuit patron, Saint Ignatius of Loyola...
Dental School in New Orleans, he was an active member of Rotary International
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
and the United Methodist Church. Shotwell is interred at Resthaven Cemetery in Lubbock.
External links
- Littlefield in The Handbook of TexasHandbook of TexasThe Handbook of Texas is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association .-History:...