Punkin Center Gin is celebrating its 100th anniversary, the oldest in West Texas

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – A cotton gin in Dawson County marked a major milestone this year and surprised the owner.

It was only after some research that Al Crisp discovered the true age of Punkin Center Gin.

When he bought the company in 1999, he was believed to have started ginning cotton in 1926.

“I went to the courthouse and half looked and everything I found said 1926, so I have several things in the office that still say 1926,” Crisp said.

He started preparing for the big day, thinking he had more than enough time to get it done.

Little did he know that he would have been two years late.

“I called a friend and she said, ‘You should really go to the abstract office.’ And so I went in and the girl opened it and it was right on the first page. There were all the transactions and it started on June 11, 1924,” Crisp said.

That’s a milestone in itself, but it also means the gin is the oldest in West Texas and the second oldest in operation in the state.

West Portland Gin in South Texas is said to have started in 1922.

“It hasn’t been checked,” Crisp said.

For him, this is just another chapter in his family’s deep-rooted history here.

His ancestors lived in Texas before it became a state and fought for it in the Civil War.

“I’m a Texan through and through, so having a 100-year-old agribusiness in Texas is a big deal,” he said.

Although it’s a time of celebration, Crisp worries about the future of the cotton gin.

When he took over Punkin Center, there were 12 gins in Dawson County.

“At this stage there will be five gins on offer this season. I think a gin says this will be their last year,” Crisp said.

Crisp attributes the closures to failed harvests and low commodity prices.

Unlike farmers, gins are not covered by crop insurance. He assumes that his output will be well below initial forecasts.

“At first I really thought we would do somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 (bales of cotton), then I went back to 12 to 15, and now I think we’ll be lucky to get eight,” Crisp said.

As someone who loves machines, Crisp takes pride in having an efficient gin, something he considers essential to survival.

The Punkin Center has undergone numerous automations in recent years.

“So many things have changed, and it has made things much quicker and more enjoyable,” he said.

Crisp is postponing the celebration until the end of this season. He’s considering a big dinner.

In the meantime, he looks forward to continuing to do what he loves most.

“Our plan is to stay here and keep going. “I’m 51 years old.”

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