LORAINE, TEXAS

Mitchell County, Texas Panhandle

32°24'25"N 100°42'51"W (32.407039, -100.714098)

Highway 20/80, and FM 644
10 miles E of Colorado City the county seat
48 miles E of Big Spring
58 miles W of Abilene
ZIP code 79532
Area code 325
Population: 564 Est. (2019)
602 (2010) 656 (2000) 731 (1990)

Book Hotel Here › Colorado City Hotels

Cotton Gin in Loraine
Postcard courtesy Dan Whatley Collection

History in a Pecan Shell

Loraine has three stories in connection to its name. One states that it was named in honor of the wife of a railroad officer, another claims the French provence of Lorraine and a third says it was to honor Loraine Crandall, the wife (or daughter) of local landowner Parson Crandal.

Established on the Texas and Pacific Railway in the 1880s, Loraine was first a cotton and cattle shipping point and development was slow. The town was granted a post office in 1890, and a school was constructed three years later. In 1905, the aforementioned Parson Crandall bought land from the railroad and had the town platted. With its streets laid out, the town grew rapidly. It's first paper was published in 1906 and by 1914 the population was estimated as 800 citizens with more than forty businesses.

The 1920s saw the installation of its own public water system, as well as high school and grade school facilities and by the 1930s the population was thought to be between 700-750 people.

Loraine's hospital opened in 1938, and throughout the 1940s the Loraine Cooperative Association handled the dairy interests for several nearby counties. The population increased to over 1,000 in the 1950s but industry and businesses declined. By 1986 only six businesses were still solvent. The population had been in a decline but has rebounded in recent years to the present 656.

Loraine, Texas Landmarks / Images

Loraine Texas closed gas station and downtown

View of downtown Loraine
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2007
More Texas Gas Stations

Downtown Loraine
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2007

Loraine Methodist Church
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2007
More Texas Chuches

Loraine Texas underpass and train Union Pacific

Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2007

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Loraine Fina Gas Station
Jimmy Dobson Photo, July 2017

Adventures with my 1972 Plymouth Cuda and
67 Ford Mustang Fastback ›
by Jimmy Dobson

Cotton Gin in Loraine
Postcard courtesy Dan Whatley Collection
More Texas Cotton Gins | Texas Cotton

Mitchell County Towns

County Seat - Colorado City
Book Hotel Here - Colorado City Hotels

Buford
Car ghost town
Colorado City
Cuthbert ghost town
Hyman
Iatan ghost town
Loraine
Link ghost town
Spade ghost town
Westbrook

Contiguous Counties:
Scurry County (N) Nolan County (E) Coke County (SE)
Sterling County (S) Howard County (W) Borden County (NW)

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