One Side Trip at a time!

Where Bison Roamed - Lubbock Lake Landmark

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Written by Jonathan Redd

Taking a right hand turn at the intersection of Clovis Highway and Landmark Drive, I paused to think about the previous cultures that used to walk the same ground that I am currently driving.  History has been preserved through many millennia at the Lubbock Lake Landmark site:  as far back as 11,000 years.

On an unusually warm day in late October my kids and I drove up and parked in the Lubbock Lake Landmark parking lot.  The parking area was once a marsh land that allowed many now extinct animals to flourish.  What greets us is a 15 foot Bison made of bronze, staring at our car. 

We walk down a sloping staircase and enter the Robert “Bob” Nash Center.  After taking a few pamphlets and talking with a fellow Texas Tech University graduate, my kids lead the way into a historical review of the landmark site.  We saw early man set in scenes from his time, many finely shaped arrowheads, and spear points.  My kids enjoyed the exhibits with buttons that lit up pictures and told stories; while I stared at the history lesson and pondered the vocabulary strain my mind was taking. 

Pushing open a set of double doors, we embarked on a three mile trek through Yellowhouse Draw.  The lay of the land allowed me to easily visualize a marsh land with giant bison and armadillos three feet tall.  The clouds were wispy, the sun was hot, and reality struck when a jet left a trail across the sky.  There was still beauty left in the hardened shells of the cactus blossom. 

Finishing our hike, and drinking a lot of water, we walked the one mile perimeter trail.  The trail follows the perimeter of the actual archeological digs that occur annually.  Just active in the summer months, the site draws many volunteers and serious archeologists.  Admit it, it is fun saying archeology!  The digs have uncovered: many bison bones, evidence of mass slaughters, ceramics, arrowheads, and other extinct animals.  The evidence dates back five major periods – beginning with the Paleoindian period, through the age of the Apaches, and ending with a trading post.  As we were leaving, my son and daughter enjoyed our time and thought the landmark site was totally cool.  I would have enjoyed a guided tour more, but the October day was beautiful. 

Side note – the one mile walk was easy but the three mile Nature Trail takes some energy and a good shoe. 

The Lubbock Lake Landmark (LLL) is located in Lubbock Texas and is a division of the Texas Tech University Museum.  People have occupied and lived in West Texas for 12,000 years and the LLL contains archaeological evidence that demonstrates this fact.

Volunteers from all over the world converge on Lubbock during the summer months to actively explore, collect and excavate the site.  The LLL is located on 3 plus acres in the Yellowhouse Draw.  Tours can be guided with someone associated with the site, or self guided.  First explored in 1939, the LLL is listed on the National Register of historic places. 

Visit www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/lll for more information, pictures and other useful facts.  LLL is open: Tuesday – Saturday from 9am-5pm, Sunday 1-5pm, and closed Monday.  The phone number is 806-742-1116