Circle Back, also Circleback, is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Bailey County,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, United States. According to the

Handbook of Texas The ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). History The original ''Handbook'' was the brainchild of TSHA President Wal ...

, the community had a population of 10 in 2000.

History

The community was named after the circle-shaped

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...

used by a cattle ranch to the south. At one time, Circle Back had around a dozen houses, a

filling station A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Gasoli ...

, and a combination store/post office. The community had four different postmasters: Gordon A. Sharman on February 25, 1931, Leaburn H. Harper on January 18, 1944, Bulah L. Harper on September 19, 1951, and Nella Boyce on August 26, 1953. The post office shut down that next year and got its mail from nearby

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

. The community had around 100 residents in 1949 and served

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

and

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...

ranches. Raymond and Elizabeth Gage were members of a local

Independent Order of Odd Fellows The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political and non-sectarian international fraternal order of Odd Fellowship. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Evolving from the Order of Odd ...

from the late 1940s to the 1960s. Local store owner Sarah "Zue" Smart managed it until it burned around 1965. The population plunged to 49 in 1980 and the only residents left were the pastor of the local

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

church, his wife, and their two children by the middle of the decade. Its population was 10 from 1990 through 2000 but was reduced by two in 2014.

Geography

Circle Back is located at the intersection of Farm to Market Roads 298 and 3397, northwest of

Lubbock Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northwe ...

and some away from Needmore in eastern Bailey County.

Education

Circle Back had a school that hosted six grade levels from 1918 to 1956. The Circle Back school district then joined with the

Sudan Independent School District Sudan Independent School District is a public school district based in Sudan, Texas (USA). The district includes portions of three counties – Lamb, Bailey, and Cochran. Sudan ISD has two campuses - Sudan High (Grades 8-12) and Sudan Elementa ...

in 1957, after the division of

Lamb Lamb or The Lamb may refer to: * A young sheep * Lamb and mutton, the meat of sheep Arts and media Film, television, and theatre * ''The Lamb'' (1915 film), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in his screen debut * ''The Lamb'' (1918 ...

and Bailey counties. The community continues to be served by the Sudan ISD today.

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Bailey County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas