Cora Vance and Vance Hatchery

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Cora Vance and Vance Hatchery, out there in Lubbock County. Now let me set the scene for you. October 1929.

A young woman named Cora Lee Stapleton — born October 26, 1905, in Center, Shelby County, daughter of Sidney Clay and Kathleen Gathwright Stapleton — has just married a man named Clinton Vance. Folks called him Turk. They'd met out in the Hardy community, ten miles north of Shallowater.

Seemed like a fine start to a fine life. Then, one month after the wedding — one month — Cora and her brother-in-law were involved in a serious car accident in Lubbock. Left her paralyzed on the right side of her body.

Now here is where the story either ends or begins, depending on the kind of person you are. Cora Vance was a particular kind of person. She slowly regained use of her limbs.

Slowly. And while she was doing that slow, hard work, she was also thinking. See, Cora had grown up on a family farm, fascinated since childhood by baby chicks and egg production.

That curiosity never left her. So two years after that accident, she heard about a farm for sale. And one day, when Turk left for work, Cora used her good arm to drive herself to Lubbock and bought the property.

Just like that. Turk took on the cotton crop. Cora started a hatchery and began selling eggs locally.

That was the seed. In 1938, she entered the commercial hatchery business proper — four hundred chickens, one incubator. Two years after that, she enlarged the operation and relocated it right out to the highway.

By 1953, Vance Hatchery was producing a hundred and eighty to two hundred dozen eggs a day. And here's what set her apart: Cora raised white leghorn chickens in-house and hatched only her own eggs. That was a rarity at the time.

She insisted on the highest standards of cleanliness and health for her birds, and that reputation spread. Other farmers started coming to her for advice. That led to a radio show.

That led to expansion into poultry farm implement sales. She was a member of the Texas Poultry Improvement Association and the American Hatchery and Poultry Federation, and she was often the only woman in the room at industry events. Often the only woman in the room.

Still showed up every time. By 1965, the landscape was shifting. Hatcheries were moving away from West Texas, and larger enterprises were underselling operations like hers.

Cora began scaling down. She died on March 25, 1967. The Vance family continued running the hatchery until all remaining eggs and assets were sold.

The marker calls her story one of independence and determination. And honestly, from that car accident to that solo drive to Lubbock to buy a farm with one good arm — I don't think you could find a better two words for it if you tried.

What the marker says

Born in Center, Shelby County, on October 26, 1905, hatchery industry pioneer Cora Lee Stapleton was the daughter of Sidney Clay and Kathleen (Gathwright) Stapleton. Growing up on the family farm, she was fascinated by the baby chicks and egg production. Cora met Clinton “Turk” Vance in the Hardy community, ten miles north of Shallowater. They married on October 19, 1929. A month later, Cora and her brother-in-law were involved in a significant car accident in Lubbock, leaving her paralyzed on the right side of her body. Cora slowly regained use of her limbs. Two years later, Cora heard about a farm for sale, and one day when Turk left for work, Cora used her good arm to drive to Lubbock and purchase the property. Turk oversaw their new farm’s cotton crop and Cora began a hatchery, selling eggs locally. In 1938, she entered the commercial hatchery business with 400 chickens and one incubator. Two years later, Cora enlarged and relocated the hatchery to the highway. By 1953, Vance Hatchery produced 180 to 200 dozen eggs a day. Cora raised white leghorn chickens in-house and hatched only her own eggs, a rarity at the time. She insisted on the highest standards of cleanliness and health for her chickens. She was a member of the Texas Poultry Improvement Association and the American Hatchery and Poultry Federation. She was often the only woman at industry events. Other farmers sought her advice, leading to a radio show and expansion into poultry farm implement sales. By 1965, she was scaling down her business because hatcheries were moving away from West Texas and being undersold by larger enterprises. Cora died on March 25, 1967. The Vance family ran the hatchery until all remaining eggs and assets were sold. The story of Cora Vance is one of independence and determination. (2023)