Lamesa Farm Workers Community

By the 1920s, Dawson County’s rapidly expanding cotton economy was outgrowing its labor supply. Like other areas of the country, Lamesa began to rely on migrant laborers from Mexico to increase the available pool of seasonal workers. One effort to federally regulate migrant labor was the creation of farm labor communities to ensure a dependable source of labor for farmers and to provide safe and sanitary living facilities for migrant workers and their families. The Lamesa Farm Workers Community, present day Los Ybanez, operated from 1942 until 1980. In 1941, the Farm Security Administration approved an application for a migrant labor camp on 50 acres of land southeast of Lamesa. The first families moved in on August 17, 1942. The Lamesa Complex consisted of 50 residential buildings, a gate house, manager’s residence, and a community center. Unlike other labor communities, Lamesa provided its residents with indoor plumbing and running water. Additionally, Lamesa offered a medical clinic, educational programs, nursery, recreational activities, and religious services. The families who lived at Lamesa harvested cotton, worked in cotton gins, cotton oil mills, feed mills, and egg processing plants. They did not pay rent for their homes but were expected to perform maintenance work around the camp and contribute to the camp welfare fund. The little time available for social activities included traditional Mexican entertainment and reflected their bicultural background. Residents played baseball, observed Mexican and U.S. Holidays, and enjoyed Conjunto music. In 1980, the Ybanez family bought the community to provide low-income housing for Hispanic families. (2010)

Lamesa Farm Workers Community is a historical marker in Lamesa, Dawson County, dedicated in 2010. It is one of 6 historical markers documented in Dawson County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 9 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.7174, -101.9203 near Lamesa. The nearest cataloged historic site is Dawson County (historical marker), about 1.1 miles away. Others within a short drive include Pioneer Cemetery, Dawson County Courthouse, and M.C. Lindsey House.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507016680. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.