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History in
a Pecan Shell
Rancher C.C. Slaughter
named a pasture on his huge ranch after the white faced cattle he
grazed there.
The community didn’t get started until the mid 1920s when it was platted
just a few miles from the present town of Pettit
(in neighboring Hockley County). The town-builder was Ira DeLoach,
who lured potential land buyers with a huge barbeque. Initial businesses
included a hotel and grocery and the community built a school.
In 1925 with the arrival of the South Plains and Santa Fe Railway,
the fledgling town moved to be alongside the tracks. The new site
had been the headquarters of the J.C. Whaley ranch. Whaley donated
land for the town while the railroad
built a depot and provided housing for selected employees.
Whaley also was responsible for the community’s first school (also
1925). A post office opened in the final days of 1925 and three years
later a hard surface road was completed – connecting Whiteface to
Levelland.
The town reached its zenith in the early 1940s with 600 residents.
After WWII a
new brick high school was constructed and a few years later Girlstown,
U.S.A. moved to Whiteface from its former home in Buffalo
Gap, Texas.
The population declined through 1950s and 1960s, reaching 463 by 1980,
increasing slightly to 512 for the 1990 census and then declining
to 465 by 2000.
(See 1940s Cochran County Vintage
Map) |
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Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
us. |
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