Crowley

Crowley. . , Times of Thriving, Times of Striving , Fertile soil and plenty of irrigation water set the stage for farms that thrived for forty years, beginning in 1919. The area around Crowley was bursting with orchards, vegetable farms, an alfalfa mill and a tomato canning factory. Melons, the lead crop, were stored on ice awaiting shipment in three sheds built along the railroad. , In 1924, the Missouri Pacific Railroad shipped 1,032 rail cars of agricultural products: , - 407 railcars of beets , - 247 railcars of cantaloupes , - 152 railcars of alfalfa meal , - 72 railcars of alfalfa hay , - 32 railcars of cattle , - 23 railcars of hogs , O.P. Adkinson's Market functioned as the core of the community, selling everything from shoes to horse harness. Most customers had charge accounts, and farmers paid their grocery bill once a year when their crops sold. Groceries came in bulk: potatoes, beans, sugar, onions and vinegar. , Hopeful settlers from Japan and Mexico made their way to Crowley County to work at the National Sugar Company, farms, ranches and a welcoming community fostered a gentleness between all immigrant groups. Crowley School reunions still beckon generations back to this place that keeps its character despite hardship, a place where neighbors are still connected to the land.