Slide, Texas: The Tiny High Plains Town That ‘Moved’ Its Way Into History

Slide is an unincorporated community in southern Lubbock County, Texas, located on the Llano Estacado. The settlement began in the 1890s under the name Block Twenty, a designation used by early settlers on the Southern High Plains.

In 1903, a resurvey by county surveyor W. R. Standefer revealed that many residents had built homes and structures about two miles off their proper land plots. To correct this, settlers physically moved their buildings to the correct location. This unusual “sliding” of houses inspired the new name, Slide.

A post office was established in 1904, operated until 1915, reopened in 1917, and remained in service until 1929. From the beginning, Slide functioned as a small agricultural community, supporting the farms and ranches of the surrounding plains.

Location and Roads

Slide is situated at the junction of Farm to Market Road 1730 (known locally in Lubbock as Slide Road) and Farm to Market Road 41. FM 1730 runs directly through the community and carries the town’s name north into the city of Lubbock. Its placement made Slide a recognizable stop on the otherwise open plains of southern Lubbock County.

The community lies squarely within the Llano Estacado, one of the largest tablelands in North America, known for its flat terrain and role in West Texas agriculture.

Population and Community Life

Slide has always been a small settlement, and its population has fluctuated with changes in the local farm economy.

• In 1942, the population was about 10.

• By 1961–62, it had grown to about 40, with two businesses operating in town.

• By 1970–71, the businesses had closed, but residents remained.

• From the late 1980s through 2000, Slide’s population stabilized at 44, where it was officially recorded in census estimates.

By the turn of the 21st century, Slide had no remaining businesses. However, the community continued to be inhabited, and its persistence gave it a reputation as a semi-ghost town—not abandoned, but reduced to a few dozen residents.

Present Character

Today, Slide remains a small but distinct community within Lubbock County. Many of its original businesses and structures are gone, yet the area retains traditional country homes and open agricultural land. A simple arena, used for local events, also reflects its rural character.

While Slide is not incorporated as a city, it continues to stand as a marker of early settlement on the Llano Estacado and illustrates the persistence of small communities in the High Plains of Texas.