How Did Lubbock, Texas Pick Up Such A Terrible Nickname?

Sometimes history happens in our time.

So What Is It?

I think you know by now that many people refer to Lubbock as "Dirt City". I hear this term used as much as I hear the more acceptable "Hub City". "Hub City" is a good and accurate nickname, but you'd be surprised how many towns refer to themselves as "The Hub City". There are towns in South Carolina, New Jersey, and even Canada that call themselves "The Hub City".

It's Accurate

I'm not going to deny that "Dirt City" is not spot-on. The problem is that a lot of people only look at the negative aspects, such as the dust storms that we get in this area. I think the term also applies to all of the farmland around the city, as well as the unused land where very little grows. Then again, check your windowsills if you don't think Lubbock is the "Dirt City".

One Educated Guess

I believe that the term "Dirt City" actually comes from skate/punk culture and it may not even have originated here. If I were a betting man, I'd bet that the term originated from the more robust punk scene in Amarillo back in the day. I believe they started calling Amarillo "Bomb City" and when it came time to refer to Lubbock, someone started saying "Dirt City".

I Could Be Wrong

The cross-pollination between Amarillo and Lubbock skate culture seems obvious, so at what point did Austin become "Bat City" (of course due to all of the flying mammals)? I know there are other Texas towns with these types of nicknames as well, they are just very hard to research and document.

Reach Out

I would love to hear if anyone has any stories as to how all of this came to be, and/or nicknames of other towns. You can hit me here.