Shafter Lake

The town of Shafter Lake was on the shores of Shafter Lake, four miles west of U.S. Highway 385 in north central Andrews County. It developed as part of a turn-of-the-century boom in West Texas. J. F. Bustin, a local entrepreneur, persuaded the firm of Pierce and Powers to establish a village on the north shore of a shallow alkali lake lying fifty feet below the elevation of the surrounding countryside. Originally the town was named Salt Lake. Later the town and lake were named after William R. Shafter, an army officer who had discovered the lake in 1875.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.