April 12, 2026
This story, eventually, will be about Ralls, Texas, which is about 30 miles east of Lubbock on Highway 114. It begins however, with an $8 antique shovel.
For the stories on this site, I always try to keep a light hand editorially, and let the stories reveal themselves. So far, I’ve found that if I stay engaged and curious, serendipity will usually intervene, to bring unexpected connections and stories into focus, and so it was with Ralls.
For this project so far, I’ve been working my way westward from Dallas, to Jacksboro, Olney, Seymour, McAdoo, etc. The high plains towns of Crosbyton, Ralls, and Idalou were next on the list to explore. This past weekend (April 10-11, 2026), at the annual meeting of the West Texas Historical Association in Lubbock, I met someone with a connection to Ralls, all the way back to the original founders of the town, and I’ve made plans to follow up. Coincidence? Perhaps. We’ll see.
On the way back to Dallas, I stopped in Ralls (of course), just to snoop around a bit; to begin to get a feel for the place. Unfortunately, it was late Saturday afternoon, and the museum and many of the shops were already closed–except for Tumbleweed Market.
They had a nice collection of new and antique items, but for some reason, what caught my eye was: an old rusty shovel. Just $8. Stamped “USA”–making it certifiably antique. It’s smaller than the new ones you find today, as if it was designed for lighter or closer work? But the blade is well-worn from use. The handle is shorter, and with a comfortable taper–a design detail long-since sacrificed for cost control purposes.
In addition to the basic facts of the town, past and present, which of course we’ll cover, what other stories from Ralls will reveal themselves?
Will this small old shovel figure in? Perhaps not. Unless we use it figuratively, to see what we can dig up.
The Basics
April 17, 2026
According to the town’s website: “Ralls is an agricultural community located on the level plains of the Llano Estacado between Lorenzo to the west and Crosbyton to the east. Ralls is surrounded by productive farm lands that primarily produce cotton and grains, with lesser amounts of soybean, sunflower seed, and vegetables.” The town was founded by John Robinson Ralls, who, along with W. E. McLaughlin, platted the townsite in July of 1911.
OK, so far, so good.
But we also read here that “Ralls is the largest town in Crosby County.”
Hmm. ‘Largest town in Crosby County.’ You don’t say. Because I know that Ralls feels/looks bigger than Lorenzo. But bigger than Crosbyton too? Hmm.
So I pause here, and do some research and find, according to January, 2024 estimates by the Texas Demographic Center, under the direction of Lloyd Potter, Texas State Demographer, that Ralls, Texas is indeed larger than Crosbyton, Texas.
By a margin of: 138 people (about 9.5%, using the midpoint method).
Now, far be it from me to want to dig up any dormant controversy, but, well, here we are, just the second installment of our exploration of Ralls, and already we have…well, let’s just say, I have questions.
Do I, perchance, detect the scent of rivalry? Because when given the task of describing Ralls, the author lunged for a comparative measure, drawing nearby Crosbyton into the fray, by staking a claim of superiority over them, based on a difference of just 138!
Oh, what troubled times are these, when neighborly bonds are carelessly cast asunder! I’ll be digging into this further with the next installment.