Close City, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Close City, Texas
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Close City school built 1919, abandoned 1965
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 Close City, Texas
Location in Texas
Close City, Texas
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| County | Garza |
| Region | Llano Estacado |
| Established | 1906 |
| Founded by | C. W. Post |
| Elevation | 2,933 ft (894 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| ZIP code |
79343
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| Area code | 806 |
Close City is a small, quiet community in western Garza County, Texas. It's not a big city, but rather an unincorporated community. This means it doesn't have its own local government like a city does. You can find Close City about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) west-northwest of a town called Post. It sits on the High Plains, which is a flat, elevated area in West Texas known as the Llano Estacado.
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How Close City Began
Close City has an interesting history. It was originally chosen as the spot for a brand new, planned community. This idea came from C. W. Post, a famous American businessman. He was known for making breakfast cereals like Grape Nuts and Post Toasties.
C.W. Post's Big Idea
C.W. Post made a lot of money from his food businesses. He had a dream of building a perfect town with well-designed homes and industries. He wanted to create a "model community" where everything was planned out. His success in the food industry gave him the money to start this big project.
Why the Town Moved
Post started building his dream town on the Llano Estacado. But then, surveyors made an important discovery. The chosen spot was about 11 miles (17.7 km) away from the exact center of Garza County. This was a problem because state law said that a county seat (the main town of a county) had to be within 5 miles (8 km) of the county's center.
Because of this law, Post had to stop construction at the original site. He decided to move his project to a new location. This new spot was closer to the center of the county and is where the town of Post, Texas, is located today.
Close City Today
The original town site, which was first called Ragtown, was renamed Close City. It was named after Edward Bennett "E.B." Close. He married C.W. Post's daughter, Marjorie Merriweather Post, in 1905. Even though the main town moved, some people decided to stay in Close City.
Farming in Close City
Close City grew slowly and stayed a small, rural community. Today, it's mostly a farming area. The main crop grown here is cotton. Farmers also grow smaller amounts of grain sorghum and winter wheat.
The farms use different methods to grow crops. Some farms are "irrigated," meaning they get water from pipes and sprinklers. This water is pumped from a huge underground water source called the Ogallala Aquifer. Often, farmers use large circular sprinklers called center-pivot irrigation systems. Other farms are "dryland farms," which means they rely only on rainfall.
The Close City School
In 1909, students in Close City went to school in a simple one-room wooden building. Later, in 1919, a new brick schoolhouse was built by George Samson and Jimmie Napier. This school served the community for many years. However, in 1965, the Close City School joined with the schools in Post, Texas. This meant students from Close City started going to school in Post instead.
Getting Around Close City
The only paved road that goes through Close City is Farm to Market Road 399. Close City is about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of U.S. Highway 380. It's also about 3 miles (4.8 km) west of U.S. Highway 84. A train track, the BNSF Railway, passes about 5 miles (8 km) to the east. This railway connects Post to Lubbock.
