History of my hometown,( Lamesa, Texas), historical interest, Research Paper

History of my hometown,( Lamesa, Texas), historical interest, agriculture wise - Research Paper Example Under the leadership of William Shafter, the company noted that the area was favorable for grazing except that the Indian tribes were a menace. The Indian tribes were later driven away, mainly by buffalo hunters and to a limited extent by white soldiers. As of 1875, Lamesa was known to be a habitat to thousands of Buffaloes and a preference for hunters. With time, the place served as a route for travelers and ranchers en-route to Big Spring’s railhead. Cattlemen learnt that Lamesa had plenty of grass that was good for cattle. Soon Ranchmen moved into the place, establishing at least four ranches before the end of the 1880s. The four main ranches included the Bartow, Lazy S, C. C. Slaughters, the TJF, and the Fish (The History of Dawson County par 2). Lamesa settlers later started growing cotton, which became the main crop for the town until 1915 (The History of Dawson County par 4). The production of cotton increased during the First World War due to good prices. The thriving agriculture encouraged more settlers to purchase newly partitioned ranches; this led to high prices of land in Lamesa. Most of the lands owned by the settlers were used for the production of cotton. In the 1930s, agriculture in the area was affected by adverse farming conditions and high prices. The settler farms were being operated by tenants, since most of them were affected by economic depression. The Great Depression further led to the failure of several agricultural businesses. The settlers in Lamesa contributed greatly to the development of agricultural industry in Dawson County. In 1930, the first powder milk plant was established in the area to exploit the booming dairy industry. In addition, development of oil refineries began in the region as early as in 1934. Agriculture was the main economic activity for the settlers; apart from cotton, the settlers also engaged in the farming of sorghum in much larger farms