In 1938, Clyde Trusty opened a ballroom at this site in a renovated army quonset hut. The Lubbock Cotton Club hosted well-known orchestras and big bands popular at the time. The venue expanded the following year, with room for 1600 people on one of the largest dance floors in west Texas. Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys were among the first western swing bands to play there. In 1952, Ralph Lowe bought the business and brought in national acts including Elvis Presley, who met Buddy Holly during a 1955 show. African American musicians including Charles Brown also played there. In 1958, fire destroyed the club and Lowe sold the business. The Cotton Club continued at a new site until 1980, when it closed for good.