DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker says about the W. G. McMillan Construction Company out of Lubbock.
Now, every city has a builder — not just a man who swings a hammer, but somebody whose whole life becomes the skyline around him. Lubbock had W. G.
McMillan. He showed up in 1924 with a specific job to do: help get the Hotel Lubbock built. And he could have packed his bags when the last brick was mortared.
He didn't. He stayed. And over the next thirty years, he oversaw more than 850 construction projects in and around that city.
Eight hundred and fifty. You start countin' and you run out of fingers pretty quick. His early work gives you the shape of a city on the rise.
There was the 1926 Conoco service station — the kind of thing that tells you a town is ready to move. Then the Meadowbrook Golf Course. And in 1930, he completed the Lubbock Municipal Airport, which — and here's the part that ought to make you sit up straight — still exists today.
But the story takes a heavier turn when the world went to war. In 1942, W. G.
McMillan built 220 structures at South Plains Army Air Field. Two hundred and twenty buildings, raised up fast, with purpose, because there were glider pilots on that field preparing for D-Day and other invasions. Think about that the next time somebody mentions D-Day — somewhere in the chain of events that made it possible, there were men training in structures that McMillan built right there on the Texas plains.
The marker doesn't call that a small thing, and neither should we. Under McMillan and his son — the company eventually became McMillan and Son Construction Company — the work kept spreading. Military bases, airfields, schools, hospitals, churches, grocery stores, sporting venues, public buildings.
And numerous buildings on the Texas Tech campus. But W. G.
McMillan wasn't just pouring concrete and moving on. He was woven into the community itself. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club and the Methodist Church.
He helped form the Plains Museum Society, which later became the West Texas Museum Association, and in 1936 he constructed the original museum building with his own company. He went on archaeological digs. He joined hunting expeditions.
He showed up for community service. The marker puts it plainly: the W. G.
McMillan Construction Company performed a significant and contributing role in the economic, physical, and commercial development of Lubbock. He came for one hotel in 1924. He ended up building the bones of a city.
What the marker says
W.G. McMillan came to Lubbock in 1924 to assist in the construction of the Hotel Lubbock. McMillan stayed, and over the next thirty years oversaw over 850 construction projects. Some of McMillan’s first projects included the 1926 Conoco service station, followed by completion of the Meadowbrook Golf Course. In 1930, McMillan completed the Lubbock Municipal Airport that still exists today. During World War II, McMillan played a significant role in the local war effort and the wartime history of Texas. In 1942, McMillan built 220 structures at South Plains Army Air Field, where glider pilots prepared for D-day and other invasions. Under McMillan and his son, numerous additional buildings were constructed on military bases and air fields in the area. The McMillan Construction Company (later known as McMillan and Son Construction Company) completed a multitude of projects, including airports, schools, public buildings, hospitals, grocery stores, churches, sporting venues, and numerous buildings on the Texas Tech campus. In addition to construction projects, W.G. McMillan also served the community through social, educational, and political organizations. McMillan was a member of the Kiwanis Club and Methodist Church, helped form the Plains Museum Society (later called the West Texas Museum Association) and constructed the original museum building in 1936. He participated in archeological digs, hunting expeditions, and community service projects. The W.G. McMillan construction company performed a significant and contributing role in the economic, physical, and commercial development of Lubbock. 175 Years of Texas Independence * 1836-2011