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JUDKINS, TEXAS. Judkins, on U.S. Highway 80 and the Missouri Pacific Railroad in southwestern Ector County, was established as a station on the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1880 and named for Frank Judkins, an early landowner. Several German farm families moved from East Texas, and in 1905 Judkins had a post office, a gin, and several buildings. But a scarcity of rain was a constant threat to local farmers. After the drought of 1910 ended cotton and corn farming, Judkins was practically deserted. In 1920 the town had a population of fifteen and one business. The 1920 oil boom brought in a few more residents, but by the 1980s many of the people had moved to Penwell four miles away. By 1980 no population was reported for Judkins.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Finas Wade Horton, A History of Ector County, Texas (M.A. thesis, University of Texas, 1950).

William R. Hunt

The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this article.

Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "," http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/JJ/htj8.html (accessed November 22, 2008).

(NOTE: "s.v." stands for sub verbo, "under the word.")

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Last Updated: January 17, 2008
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