Lockett Community

Derived its name from the T. J. and J. B. Lockett families who settled here in 1888. On Dec. 24, 1888, Wm. Lockett, their father, died while visiting here and was among the first to be buried in the East View Cemetery. The J. B. Lockett family moved to California in 1904. The T. J. Lockett family remained here on this original homestead section of land and the major part of it is still owned by descendants. A yoke of oxen was used the first 3 years in the farming operations and now 8-row tractor equipment is used predominately.

Other early settler families whose members and descendants have made noteworthy contributions in the development of the community include the following: Lowe-1882, Streit-1882, Hofmann-1883, Krebs-1883, Davenport-1884, Bunker-1888, McKee-1889, Lewis-1889, McGill-1890, Wiseman-1890, Keltz-1890, Guggisberg-1893, Lehman-1896, Cato-1897, Leverett-1898, Weekley-1898, Kencheloe-1900, Foerster-1901, Haseloff-1901, Schoppa-1901, Obenhaus-1902, Frank-1905, Karcher-1906, Kretschmer-1906, Gloyna-1906, Wenzel-1906, Darsey-1906, Schmoker-1907, Standlee-1907, Fluhman-1907, Schur-1907, Middleton-1907, Wiederanders-1907, Bruns-1907, Milner-1909, Keschnick-1910, Gfeller-1910, Bodling-1911, Graf-1916, Roberson-1923.

The first school was established in the community by Mr. I. Davenport in 1885 on his Section No. 112. In 1886 the Lockett School District No. 11 was created and the Davenport School building was moved to the J. B. Lockett Section No. 35 (1.5 mi. E. of here) where the one-teacher school was continued as the Lockett School. In 1936 the South Lockett School District No. 49 was formed and the modern 12-room school system was provided by consolidation of the Lockett, Paradise, Brown, Union and South Vernon districts. Through later consolidation by 1969, when the Lockett Independent School District was annexed to the Vernon Independent School District, all of the original school districts in the southwest part of Wilbarger County were included in the Lockett District which was then a fully accredited school system through high school grades.

The first church was organized by the Methodists in 1887, with the congregation meeting in the Davenport and Paradise school buildings until 1898 when the first Wesley Chapel building was built (1.25 mi. SW). In 1934 a new building was erected (.5 mi. W). Baptists used the Lockett and Highland school buildings until the Highland Baptist Church building was constructed in 1909 (1.25 mi. NE). The name was changed to the Lockett Baptist Church in 1915 and the First Baptist Church of Lockett was established at the present location in 1924. The Zion Lutheran Church and School was established in 1910, the Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1922 and the Lockett Church of Christ in 1965.

The Community's first cotton gin was owned and operated by Frank Weiss in 1908 (1.5 mi. W) and other early ginning facilities were provided by E. M. Keenan, J. H. Kincheloe and F. S. Lockett. The first blacksmith shop was operated by John Kreschemer at his farm home (1.5 mi. SW). Other shops were operated here later by C. Dale and W. W. Ashcraft. An early day Beef Club was operated by C. Schoppa at his farm home for many years. Davenport Bros. owned and operated the first general store in 1911 (1.75 mi. SE) and another general store was established here in 1911 (1-3/4 mi. S.E.) and another general store was established here in 1918 by Lockett Bros. It was later sold to Kern Bros. and combined with their oil and gas business; then still later it was owned and operated by J. W. Solomon.

The Wilbarger Memorial Park an Mausoleum was established in 1952 (1-3/4 mi. N.E.). The Zion Church cemetery is still used but the old Lockett Cemetery at the former location of the Highland Church and the Paradise Cemetery at the old Paradise School location have ceased to be used.

The first subdivision in the Lockett, Texas town site was created by F.S. Lockett in 1930. The headquarters offices for the Aubrey L. Lockett Gins -1924; the Lockett Farms-1934; and the Lockett Seed Company -1947, were maintained here until 1976. Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. acquired the Lockett Seed Company properties in 1975 and these facilities now constitute the headquarters for Pioneer's cotton breeding and cotton planting seed operations. The Greenbelt Alfalfa Dehydrating Co. was established here in 1964. The Texas A&M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, with dedications services held in 1972 is serving as headquarters for the Chillicothe, Iowa Park, Throckmorton, Munday and Spur research facilities and the entire Rolling Plains extension service area.

This marker was provided, in cooperation with the Texas Historical Commission and the Texas Highway Department, by the Lockett Foundation (a charitable organization established in 1976 as a memorial for Frank Scott Lockett and Ida Lowe Lockett) to furnish an example of its purposes to provide perpetuity for worthy causes. The land for the marker site was furnished by the Sue Virgie Lockett Cato family from the original T.J. Lockett homestead tract