Lockett Community

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm going to do it justice. Now, there are communities out on the Texas plains that seem like they just rose up out of the soil along with the first crop of cotton, and Lockett, out in Wilbarger County, is one of those places. It all started in 1888, when the T.

J. and J. B. Lockett families settled here.

The community derived its name from those two families, and it carries that name to this day. But here's the thing about 1888. It was Christmas Eve, December the twenty-fourth, when Wm.

Lockett, the father of T. J. and J. B., passed away while visiting here.

He was among the very first to be buried in the East View Cemetery. A community was barely drawing its first breath, and already it was learning what it meant to hold both a beginning and an ending at the same time. The two brothers went different directions eventually.

The J. B. Lockett family pulled up stakes and moved to California in 1904.

But the T. J. Lockett family stayed.

Stayed on that original homestead section of land, and the major part of it is still owned by descendants today. That is a particular kind of rootedness that the Texas plains either demands or denies, and the T. J.

Lockett line answered the demand. Now, in those first three years of farming operations, they worked the land with a yoke of oxen. Just a yoke of oxen and whatever grit a person could carry.

Years later, that same land would be worked with eight-row tractor equipment. The marker lets those two images sit side by side, and they say everything that needs saying about the arc of this place. Before the Locketts ever settled, though, other families were already putting down roots in this corner of Wilbarger County.

The Lowe and Streit families came in 1882. Hofmann, Krebs in 1883. Davenport in 1884.

And from there the roll call just keeps building: Bunker and the Locketts themselves in 1888, McKee and Lewis in 1889, McGill and Wiseman and Keltz in 1890, Guggisberg in 1893, Lehman in 1896, Cato in 1897. Then Leverett and Weekley in 1898. Kencheloe and the Foerster, Haseloff, and Schoppa families all arriving in 1900 and 1901.

Obenhaus in 1902. Frank in 1905. Then a whole wave in 1906: Karcher, Kretschmer, Gloyna, Wenzel, Darsey.

And 1907 brought Schmoker, Standlee, Fluhman, Schur, Middleton, Wiederanders, and Bruns. Milner came in 1909, Keschnick and Gfeller in 1910, Bodling in 1911, Graf in 1916, and Roberson as late as 1923. Every one of those families sent members and descendants into the story of this community, making noteworthy contributions to its development.

That is not a town. That is a congregation of purpose. Now education out here didn't wait for anyone to get comfortable.

Mr. I. Davenport established the first school in 1885, right there on his Section No. 112.

The very next year, 1886, the Lockett School District No. 11 was created, and the Davenport School building was physically moved to the J. B. Lockett Section No. 35, about a mile and a half east of the marker site, where it carried on as the one-teacher Lockett School.

One teacher. One building. Hauled across the prairie to where it needed to be.

Then in 1936, the South Lockett School District No. 49 was formed, and through consolidation of the Lockett, Paradise, Brown, Union, and South Vernon districts, a modern twelve-room school system came into being. That consolidation kept growing until 1969, when the Lockett Independent School District was annexed to the Vernon Independent School District. By that point, all of the original school districts in the southwest part of Wilbarger County were included in the Lockett District, which had become a fully accredited school system through the high school grades.

From one moved schoolhouse to full accreditation through high school. That is a long road traveled with intention. The churches came early and kept comin'.

The Methodists organized the first congregation in 1887, meeting in the Davenport and Paradise school buildings because that's what you did out here, you used what was there. Then in 1898 the first Wesley Chapel building was built, about a mile and a quarter to the southwest. A new building followed in 1934, about a half mile to the west.

The Baptists used the Lockett and Highland school buildings until the Highland Baptist Church building was constructed in 1909, a mile and a quarter to the northeast. The name changed to the Lockett Baptist Church in 1915, and the First Baptist Church of Lockett was established at its present location in 1924. The Zion Lutheran Church and School came in 1910.

The Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1922. And the Lockett Church of Christ as late as 1965. This community built churches the way it built everything else: steadily, persistently, across decades.

The cemeteries tell their own story. The Zion Church cemetery is still in use. But the old Lockett Cemetery at the former location of the Highland Church and the Paradise Cemetery at the old Paradise School location have ceased to be used.

And the Wilbarger Memorial Park and Mausoleum was established in 1952, about a mile and three-quarters to the northeast. Now commerce had its chapter too. The community's first cotton gin was owned and operated by Frank Weiss in 1908, about a mile and a half to the west.

Other early ginning facilities were provided by E. M. Keenan, J.

H. Kincheloe, and F. S.

Lockett. The first blacksmith shop was operated by John Kreschemer at his farm home, a mile and a half to the southwest. Later shops were run here by C.

Dale and W. W. Ashcraft.

And for many years, C. Schoppa operated an early-day Beef Club out of his farm home. Davenport Bros. owned and operated the first general store in 1911, about a mile and three-quarters to the southeast.

Another general store was established in 1918, this one by Lockett Bros. That store was later sold to Kern Bros. and combined with their oil and gas business, then later still owned and operated by J. W.

Solomon. F. S.

Lockett created the first subdivision in the Lockett, Texas town site in 1930. And out of this community grew some significant enterprises. The headquarters offices for the Aubrey L.

Lockett Gins, dated to 1924, the Lockett Farms of 1934, and the Lockett Seed Company of 1947, were all maintained here until 1976. Then in 1975, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. acquired the Lockett Seed Company properties, and those facilities became the headquarters for Pioneer's cotton breeding and cotton planting seed operations. The Greenbelt Alfalfa Dehydrating Company was established here in 1964.

And in 1972, dedication services were held for the Texas A&M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, which serves as headquarters for research facilities in Chillicothe, Iowa Park, Throckmorton, Munday, and Spur, as well as the entire Rolling Plains extension service area. This marker itself was provided by the Lockett Foundation, a charitable organization established in 1976 as a memorial for Frank Scott Lockett and Ida Lowe Lockett, in cooperation with the Texas Historical Commission and the Texas Highway Department. The land for the marker site was furnished by the Sue Virgie Lockett Cato family from the original T.

J. Lockett homestead tract. So the land that Wm.

Lockett came to visit in 1888, the land where he was buried on Christmas Eve, is the same land where his descendants' story is still being told. Some places just hold on.

What the marker says

Derived its name from the T. J. and J. B. Lockett families who settled here in 1888. On Dec. 24, 1888, Wm. Lockett, their father, died while visiting here and was among the first to be buried in the East View Cemetery. The J. B. Lockett family moved to California in 1904. The T. J. Lockett family remained here on this original homestead section of land and the major part of it is still owned by descendants. A yoke of oxen was used the first 3 years in the farming operations and now 8-row tractor equipment is used predominately. Other early settler families whose members and descendants have made noteworthy contributions in the development of the community include the following: Lowe-1882, Streit-1882, Hofmann-1883, Krebs-1883, Davenport-1884, Bunker-1888, McKee-1889, Lewis-1889, McGill-1890, Wiseman-1890, Keltz-1890, Guggisberg-1893, Lehman-1896, Cato-1897, Leverett-1898, Weekley-1898, Kencheloe-1900, Foerster-1901, Haseloff-1901, Schoppa-1901, Obenhaus-1902, Frank-1905, Karcher-1906, Kretschmer-1906, Gloyna-1906, Wenzel-1906, Darsey-1906, Schmoker-1907, Standlee-1907, Fluhman-1907, Schur-1907, Middleton-1907, Wiederanders-1907, Bruns-1907, Milner-1909, Keschnick-1910, Gfeller-1910, Bodling-1911, Graf-1916, Roberson-1923. The first school was established in the community by Mr. I. Davenport in 1885 on his Section No. 112. In 1886 the Lockett School District No. 11 was created and the Davenport School building was moved to the J. B. Lockett Section No. 35 (1.5 mi. E. of here) where the one-teacher school was continued as the Lockett School. In 1936 the South Lockett School District No. 49 was formed and the modern 12-room school system was provided by consolidation of the Lockett, Paradise, Brown, Union and South Vernon districts. Through later consolidation by 1969, when the Lockett Independent School District was annexed to the Vernon Independent School District, all of the original school districts in the southwest part of Wilbarger County were included in the Lockett District which was then a fully accredited school system through high school grades. The first church was organized by the Methodists in 1887, with the congregation meeting in the Davenport and Paradise school buildings until 1898 when the first Wesley Chapel building was built (1.25 mi. SW). In 1934 a new building was erected (.5 mi. W). Baptists used the Lockett and Highland school buildings until the Highland Baptist Church building was constructed in 1909 (1.25 mi. NE). The name was changed to the Lockett Baptist Church in 1915 and the First Baptist Church of Lockett was established at the present location in 1924. The Zion Lutheran Church and School was established in 1910, the Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1922 and the Lockett Church of Christ in 1965. The Community's first cotton gin was owned and operated by Frank Weiss in 1908 (1.5 mi. W) and other early ginning facilities were provided by E. M. Keenan, J. H. Kincheloe and F. S. Lockett. The first blacksmith shop was operated by John Kreschemer at his farm home (1.5 mi. SW). Other shops were operated here later by C. Dale and W. W. Ashcraft. An early day Beef Club was operated by C. Schoppa at his farm home for many years. Davenport Bros. owned and operated the first general store in 1911 (1.75 mi. SE) and another general store was established here in 1911 (1-3/4 mi. S.E.) and another general store was established here in 1918 by Lockett Bros. It was later sold to Kern Bros. and combined with their oil and gas business; then still later it was owned and operated by J. W. Solomon. The Wilbarger Memorial Park an Mausoleum was established in 1952 (1-3/4 mi. N.E.). The Zion Church cemetery is still used but the old Lockett Cemetery at the former location of the Highland Church and the Paradise Cemetery at the old Paradise School location have ceased to be used. The first subdivision in the Lockett, Texas town site was created by F.S. Lockett in 1930. The headquarters offices for the Aubrey L. Lockett Gins -1924; the Lockett Farms-1934; and the Lockett Seed Company -1947, were maintained here until 1976. Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. acquired the Lockett Seed Company properties in 1975 and these facilities now constitute the headquarters for Pioneer's cotton breeding and cotton planting seed operations. The Greenbelt Alfalfa Dehydrating Co. was established here in 1964. The Texas A&M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, with dedications services held in 1972 is serving as headquarters for the Chillicothe, Iowa Park, Throckmorton, Munday and Spur research facilities and the entire Rolling Plains extension service area. This marker was provided, in cooperation with the Texas Historical Commission and the Texas Highway Department, by the Lockett Foundation (a charitable organization established in 1976 as a memorial for Frank Scott Lockett and Ida Lowe Lockett) to furnish an example of its purposes to provide perpetuity for worthy causes. The land for the marker site was furnished by the Sue Virgie Lockett Cato family from the original T.J. Lockett homestead tract. (1983)