Levelland, Texas

Levelland

LEVELLAND MOSAIC

For thousands of years, natural springs, draws and lakes attracted hunters

and other passers-through to the area that today is Hockley County. Where farms now occupy much of the land, vast herds of bison once roamed a grassy plain. The bison and other game and the presence of water drew nomadic hunter-gatherers, including the Comanche, to the area.

Yellow House Canyon River once cut across the terrain. Yellow House Draw remains, marking the route. Springs in Yellow House Canyon were important watering spots for the bison and other creatures and for people passing through.

    In 1877, amid a drought, a lack of water doomed the Nolan Expedition, a misdirected effort of the U. S. Army to chase down renegade Comanches who had left the Fort Sill Reservation. Four soldiers did not survive the trek in the July heat. The event is also known as the Buffalo Soldier Tragedy. The ill-fated expedition looped through present-day Hockley County, camping one night near present-day Levelland and another night at a site close to the border between Hockley and Cochran counties. Ultimately, Quanah Parker led the wayward Comanche contingent back to the reservation.

Yellow House Ranch

Whitharral

Anton