Burgess, Hubert 1995-09-25

Hubert Burgess, retired Texas Tech Business Office manager, reminisces about his family and early life and the growth and changes that occurred in Lubbock over the years.

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: Hubert Burgess

Additional Parties Recorded:

Date: September 25, 1995

Location: Lubbock, Texas

Interviewer: Sandra D. Harvey

Length: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Abstract

Tape 1, Side 1: Family history, Parents--James A. and Anna Margaret Burgess, Settled in Grayson County, Moved to Washington, Washington, Homesteaded near Seattle, Difficult farming area, Returned to Texas, Coleman, Texas, Moved to in 1900, Hubert Burgess born in 1901, Description of Coleman, Activities, Saturday night parties, Education, Attended one-room school, School destroyed in 1902 by tornado, Lubbock, Texas, 1907 family decided to move to Lubbock, Travel, Burgess and Green families moved together, Four wagons headed for Lubbock, Shipped some items to Plainview, Traveled 30-35 miles a day

Tape 1, Side 2: Lubbock, Texas (again), Few businesses in 1907, Downtown consisted of shotgun houses, Family life, Purchased land six miles outside of town, Stayed in old school house until home built, Received goods from Plainview, Business, Farming went well, Several ranches in area, Sold crops in Lubbock, Family life (again), Heating house, Coyotes attacked chickens, Relied on kerosene lamps, Prairie fires threatened the house, Attended church at old Canyon School in afternoon, Education, One teacher taught all grades, Cattle drives came by school, Transferred to Lubbock High School, Took an hour to get to school, Railroad, 1909 entered Lubbock, Lubbock paid bonus to attract railroad company, Recollection of first train

Tape 2, Side 1: Education (again), Graduated in 1920 and brother in 1923 from Lubbock, High School, Size of classes, Lubbock, Texas (again), Railroad brought people into area, Biggest growth in population after Texas Tech opened, Family life (again), Bought staple goods at grocery store, Dated in buggies, 1923 worked for First National Bank, World War I, Rationed items, News reached citizens through local press, Texas Tech, Campus out in country, Roughly 2,000 acres purchased, Hog farm existed on campus before college built

Tape 2, Side 2: Great Depression, WPA programs, Homes, Dugouts used in the beginning, Replaced by wooden structures, Prairie dogs a nuisance, Harley Sadler, Traveling tent show, Arrived in summertime stayed a week, Epidemics, 1918-19 flu epidemic, Doctors assisted but families relied on themselves, Activities (again), Walk around downtown and window shop, Dust storms, Lasted couple of days, Visibility limited, Dirt in all the houses

Range Dates: 1900-1940

Bulk Dates: 1907-1940

Access Information

Original Recording Format:

Recording Format Notes:

Transcript:

---

Thank you for your interest in this oral history interview. Our oral history collection is available to patrons in the Southwest Collection's Reading Room, located on the campus of Texas Tech University. For reading room hours, visit our website. Please contact Reference Staff at least one week prior to your visit to ensure the oral history you are interested in will be available. Due to copyright issues, duplications of our oral histories can only be made for family members. If an oral history transcript has been made available online, the link will be provided on this page. More information on accessing our oral histories is located here. Preferred citation style can be found here.