Lometa

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Lometa, out there in Lampasas County. Now settle in, because this is a town that had to find its name twice before it could get down to business. In 1885, the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway was pushing its tracks northwest out of Temple, and when they needed a spot for their first station west of Lampasas, they looked out at open ranch land and said, that'll do.

A man named Frank Longfield conveyed the right-of-way in June of 1885. The following month, the GC&SF bought another two hundred acres and built themselves a small depot. That was the beginning of Lometa, though nobody called it that yet.

The new town got platted in May of 1886 and they named it Montvale, on account of the hills and valleys rolling through that part of the country. Sounded fine. Looked good on paper.

There was just one problem. Texas already had a Montvale Post Office. So the name had to go.

They landed on Lometa, a variation of lomita, the Spanish word for little mountain. Close enough to the landscape, and nobody else had claimed it. Two names, one town.

Not a bad start. Now, a railroad station has a way of rearranging a community's priorities. The nearby settlement of Senterfitt, sitting about two and a half miles to the west, watched those business opportunities pile up near the tracks and made a practical decision.

Many of Senterfitt's residents packed up and moved to the new town. Can't fault the logic. By 1892, an area directory was listing a cotton gin, a grist mill, three churches, a school, telegraph service, and a population of two hundred people.

Two hundred people. That's not a wide spot in the road, that's a town with opinions. The 1910s brought more prosperity when the GC&SF's Eden Branch and the Scholten Railroad developed and trade increased right along with them.

Lometa incorporated in July of 1919, with a mayor and five aldermen steering the ship. Then in 1939, the Lower Colorado River Authority came in and provided efficient electrical service. The town became a major shipping point for cattle, wool, and mohair, and livestock and agriculture ran the show for decades.

The highways that came through kept the trade and travel moving, same as the earlier roads and rail lines had done before them. And Lometa is still out there today, still active, still hosting the annual Diamondback Jubilee, with its school system, churches, civic organizations, and a regional park keeping the community life full. It took two names and more than a few relocated neighbors to get this town on its feet.

But once it found its footing, it didn't much care to sit back down.

What the marker says

In 1885, the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway (GC&SF) extended its tracks northwest from Temple. For its first station west of Lampasas, a site in open ranch land was chosen. Frank Longfield conveyed right-of-way in June 1885. The GC&SF bought another 200 acres the following month and built a small depot. This was the beginning of Lometa. The new town was platted in May 1886 and named Montvale for the area's hills and valleys. Because Texas already had a Montvale Post Office, the name was changed to Lometa, a variation of lomita, Spanish for little mountain. Because of business opportunities near the railroad, many residents of Senterfitt (2.5 mi. w) moved to the new town, and Lometa became a thriving trade center. An 1892 directory lists a cotton gin and grist mill, three churches, a school, and telegraph service in a town of 200 people. Development of GC&SF's Eden Branch and the Scholten Railroad brought prosperity and increased trade in the 1910s. Lometa incorporated in July 1919 with a municipal government led by a mayor and five aldermen. In 1939, the Lower Colorado River Authority provided efficient electrical service. Lometa became a major shipping point for cattle, wool and mohair, and livestock and agriculture dominated the economy for decades. The town's location on state and federal highways has continued the steady stream of trade and travel established by earlier roads and rail lines. Lometa is still an active town hosting the annual Diamondback Jubilee. The school system, churches, civic organizations and a regional park continue to enrich community life.