History of Wolfforth

Wolfforth is located on Marsha Sharp Freeway (US Hwy 62/82), Farm Road 179, and the Santa Fe Railroad in southwestern Lubbock County of the southern High Plains of Texas. Like many towns of the region, it evolved when the Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway built through the area. It was established in 1916 and named for two brothers, George C. (Tildy) and Eastin (Easty) Wolffarth. George Wolffarth, an early rancher in the 1880’s, held various county offices and was later President of the Citizens National Bank of Lubbock. Eastin, a Lubbock County Sheriff around 1900, had also ranched in the area. Almost immediately confused resulted over the spelling of the settlement’s name. For a time, the post office and the railroad depot (both established in 1923) had different versions. Eventually the misspelled post office version was adopted. Wolfforth was near the Spade Ranch and profited when the ranchlands were sold for farming in the 1920’s and 1930’s. The Wolfforth school was combined with three other rural districts in 1935 and renamed Frenship School. A population of around 100 was reported in 1940, when the town had three churches, a school, and a branch library. Five years later, the community reported fourteen businesses, five school buildings, and a population of 150. After incorporating in 1950 the town instituted water and sewer service and street paving programs. The population grew to 597 in 1960, 1,090 in 1970 and 1,701 in 1980. Over the next decades, Wolfforth has grown an average of 6% per year.