LUBBOCK

city, seat (1891) of Lubbock County, northwestern Texas, U.S., 122 miles (196 km) south of Amarillo; it is the commercial hub of the South Plains. Formed in 1890 from Old Lubbock and Monterey and named for Colonel Tom S. Lubbock, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, it developed as a ranching centre, but artesian well water brought mixed farming to the plains that now support cotton and grain as well as cattle. Incorporated in 1909 when the Santa Fe Railroad arrived, Lubbock has become one of the nation's leading inland cotton markets and is the centre of a highly diversified agriculturalindustrial complex. Petroleum, agricultural, and earth-moving equipment, cottonseed oil, and engineering products are major commodities. Educational institutions include Texas Tech University (1923), with a museum and the Ranching Heritage Center on its campus, and Lubbock Christian University (1957). Mackenzie State Park and Buffalo Lakes provide recreational facilities. Lubbock experienced rapid postwar growth, its population increasing nearly fivefold from 1940 to 1970. One of the costliest tornadoes in Texas history hit the city in May 1970, causing widespread damage and rendering thousands homeless. The annual Panhandle South Plains Fair is a notable regional event. Pop. (1990) city, 186,206; Lubbock MSA, 22,636; (1994 est.) city, 194,467; (1995 est.) Lubbock MSA, 232,276.