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C−History
History · Littlefield

Littlefield dates to 1912

More historic than 16% of U.S. towns · #365 of 642 in Texas. What drives it

Most of Littlefield was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1968. Below: maps from 1964 on and the census since 1930.

1912founded
0on the National Register
8%homes built before 1940
9famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answers

How Littlefield began

When was Littlefield founded?

1912

Littlefield dates its founding to 1912 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1930.

First census: 3,218 in 19302020 census: 5,943114 years

How historic is Littlefield?

C−

More historic than 16% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1913.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Littlefield’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Littlefield is more historic than 16% of U.S. towns, #365 of 642 in Texas. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Littlefield’s overall grade.
Founding era1912, from Wikidata: founded 1900–1944, an older era than 9% of U.S. townsDHomes built before 19407.6% of homes (±4.1) · typical TX town 1.6% · U.S. 8.4%C+National RegisterNo listings counted · typical TX town 0.0 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 16%
NewerOlder
Texas towns of 2,500+ (642)Ahead of 43%

Few Texas towns list much on the Register (a typical Texas town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Littlefield’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (34% of Texas towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.1 points). Two sources give 1912.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Littlefield’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Littlefield are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Famous sons and daughtersWaylon Jennings, Richard E. Nisbett and 7 more were born here.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Littlefield’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Littlefield’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Famous people

9 famous people were born in Littlefield

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Waylon JenningsAmerican country musician · b. 1937
R
Richard E. NisbettAmerican psychologist · b. 1941
T
Tom JonesAmerican lyricist and librettist of musical the… · b. 1928
Eric MorrisAmerican football player and coach · b. 1985
Billy HowtonAmerican football player · b. 1930
D
Dirk WestAmerican cartoonist · b. 1930
The story

How Littlefield came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Littlefield.

Read it all →

Littlefield is named for George Washington Littlefield. In July 1901, Littlefield purchased the southern, or Yellow Houses, division of the XIT Ranch, forming the Yellow House Ranch. At that time, the ranch covered 312,175 acres (126,333 ha) in Lamb, Hockley, Bailey, and Cochran Counties. In 1912, when surveys showed that a new rail line from Coleman, Texas, to Texico, New Mexico, would pass through his property, Littlefield formed the Littlefield Lands Company to sell the northeastern corner of the Yellow House Ranch, a total of 79,040 acres (31,990 ha), to settlers and to establish the town of Littlefield in Lamb County. Littlefield became a stop on the Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway in 1913.

Chapters1973 train accident

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Littlefield, 1912 to 1985

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 20th century
  2. 1912
    FoundingLittlefield is established
  3. 1913Post officeThe Littlefield post office opens
  4. 1928Born hereTom Jones is born here
  5. 1937Born hereWaylon Jennings is born here
  6. 1941Born hereRichard E. Nisbett is born here
  7. 1964On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 1985Born hereEric Morris is born here
By decade

Littlefield, decade by decade

Today12 recent
Littlefield grain elevator, Littlefield, TX IMG 47652010Littlefield grain elevator, Littlefield, TX IMG 4765Littlefield Texas Train Station2010Littlefield Texas Train StationLittlefield Lands-Duggan House Museum, Littlefield, TX IMG 47902010Littlefield Lands-Duggan House Museum, Littlefield, T…Lamb County, TX, Courthouse IMG 47662010Lamb County, TX, Courthouse IMG 4766Lamb County, TX Leader News IMG 47832010Lamb County, TX Leader News IMG 4783Lamb County Library, Littlefield, TX IMG 47722010Lamb County Library, Littlefield, TX IMG 4772George Littlefield monument IMG 47742010George Littlefield monument IMG 4774G's Drive-In Restaurant in Littlefield, TX IMG 47822010G's Drive-In Restaurant in Littlefield, TX IMG 4782First Baptist Church, Littlefield, TX IMG 47702010First Baptist Church, Littlefield, TX IMG 4770Lamb County Veterans Memorial Texas2008Lamb County Veterans Memorial TexasHome Town of Waylon Jennings (Water tank in2008Home Town of Waylon Jennings (Water tank inTXMap-doton-Littlefield2004TXMap-doton-Littlefield
On the map

Littlefield on the map, 1964 to 1981

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Littlefield. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Littlefield on the 1964 USGS mapLittlefield on the 1981 USGS map1964Littlefield sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Littlefield.

People over time

Littlefield, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00019401960198020002020Peak: 7,409

Between 3,218 and 7,409 people in every census since 1930.

10 censuses, 1930–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Littlefield’s Wikipedia page.

Questions about Littlefield’s history

What year was Littlefield founded?

In 1912, according to Wikidata. Littlefield’s post office opened in 1913, and the census of 1930 counted 3,218 people here.

How does Littlefield rank for history?

Littlefield is more historic than 16% of U.S. towns, #365 of 642 in Texas. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Littlefield?

8% of Littlefield’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.1 points), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 1968.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (12), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.