BIOGRAPHY

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The story of Laura Lynch is one that begins in far west Texas in the late 1950s. I like to imagine Laura’s life as a constellation of stars. Two stars in particular shine more brightly than the others, but the entire story is made from stars. She was the fifth child born to Jack and Pona Lynch who had moved to Dell City, Texas from Southern California in 1952 having learned of a giant aquifer in that grand valley. The young couple joined Jack’s brothers, Jim and Michael, and their father in a venture that would become known as the CL Ranch. Dell City, with a population of 200 people was primarily a farming and ranching community that showed promise of a boom. Laura’s mother, Pona, gave Dell City the motto that is still used today, “The Valley of Hidden Waters.”

 

Growing up in a house full of siblings that ultimately grew to seven, Laura fell inline with the activities of a robust and active farming and ranching family. She became involved in 4H and FFA and was happiest tending and showcasing her champion lambs. She quickly realized that, to distinguish herself in such a large family or in the larger world, excellence, perseverance, and diligence were going to be paramount.

 

Music and song always played an important role throughout Laura’s lifetime. While attending Coronado High, she sang in a band and graduated academically at the top of her class. Just out of high school, Laura attended the University of Texas at Austin where she continued to cultivate her musical talents appearing in theater productions. In 1979 she was a representative of Texas upon the USS Universe when she attended a semester at sea. In 1980 she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Communications and Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. She then returned to El Paso Texas, and became a general assignment reporter with a local NBC affiliate.

 

In the early 1980s along came Laura’s daughter Asia. In pursuit of new beginnings Laura moved to Houston. She was nothing if not intrepid — fearless when it came to learning new things. She became a securities broker after passing her Series 7 exam. But it was her love of music that was a constant tug on her sleeve. Laura wasn’t cut out for a9-5 desk job. She began to develop her skills as an upright bass and guitar player. She fell into the company of a group of musicians named the Texas Rangers. In 1988, the band moved to Japan to tour and showcase bluegrass and country music and “Cowboy Culture” for six months. Upon her return to Texas, Laura threw caution to the wind and transplanted herself to Dallas, where she began jamming with highschooler Emily Erwin, college kid Martie Erwin, and friend Robin Macy. Being over ten years older than the Erwin sisters, Laura recognized that their combined talents, along with the compilation of traditionally bluegrass instruments, had the potential to create a new mainstream country sound. They moved out of the garage and onto the Dallas street corners of Deep Ellum playing to the crowds. It was only when those same crowds asked, that they realized they had not yet chosen a name. Collectively they would become known as the Dixie Chicks.

 

It wasn’t long until they were spotted by nearby bar and restaurant owners and were booked as the regular weekend entertainment. Consistently, the Dixie Chicks drew crowds and followers with their angelic voices and unmistakable compilations. In the early 1990s there were no other ALL female bluegrass/country bands. To boot, they were extremely talented instrumentalists, vocalists and harmonists. The combination of all of these attributes drew crowds to their shows and their fan base began to grow exponentially.

 

Being a ranch kid from the 1950’s, Laura was heavily influenced by the cowgirl spirit and style. She leaned into the distinctive style of the Dale Evans and Patsy Cline cowgirl era. She would costume herself and her bandmates with chaps or fringe skirts and inlaid western boots for their stage attire. Laura was the engine that drove the band’s direction. She oversaw bookings, wardrobe, communications, and musical direction. As the band evolved, Laura became convinced that to become a country band they needed a drummer. After hiring drummer Tom Van Schaik, Robin Macy departed the band to pursue other musical interests. The Dixie Chicks were booked nearly every weekend and had a large, loyal and growing following. They were a wholesome musical act that appealed to a very broad audience and were very family/children inclusive. They were women empowering women and inspiring little girls to be their own bosses and to be bold in a time before women empowering women became the movement it is today. They were groundbreaking on so many levels.

 

The Dixie Chicks to this point had already released two complete CDs and one retro style holiday 45 record. Laura wrote, printed, and mailed the band’s newsletter, ChickChat. It was mailed quarterly from their office headquarters nicknamed “the BunkHouse”. From State Fairs to Rangers baseball games, Laura kept the band’s mailing list members abreast of their scheduled shows to ensure big turnouts. ChickChat would also call their readers to action with messages like “Y’all call your radio stations like YoungCountry 214-787-1053 and request us! You can make a difference.” Laura was tireless in fanning the flames of Dixie Chick news for their fanbase. The newsletters were personable, lighthearted and engaging. Remember, this era had no social media. This was all before the internet. Laura left no one out in her community communication outreach efforts. She had Dallas cartoonist George Toomer draw a multi-page coloring book for the young children who were some of the most ardent fans of the Dixie Chicks. She worked the traditional channels of direct mail, radio and television appearances to reach their fans, and the fans continually responded. This bootstrap effort helped in getting the Dixie Chicks to a level of regional fame not previously seen. They got the attention of Nashville Now, a television show of the 1990’s. It was irregular, to say the least, that such a show would feature a regional band. The Dixie Chicks went on to play at President Bill Clinton’s Inaugural Ball in 1993 and George W. Bush’s Texas Governors Inaugural Ball in 1995 and appeared in concert at the Grand Ole Opry. These were just a few of their notable engagements during that early stage.

 

During their climb to national fame, one would think that their journey was powered by rocket fuel. But, in fact, their unmatched talents were strategically marketed through the tireless planning and the big vision that Laura had. She knew that honey would draw more bees than vinegar, and she used her kindness and strong principles to guide the band. Large record labels began to court the band and Laura, Martie, and Emily signed their first major record label deal with Sony Records. By late 1995, the winds had shifted within the band, and the young Erwin sisters asked Laura to leave. At almost 40 years old, and nearly as many years dreaming of musical fame, Laura knew that those dreams were dashed.

 

What would come next for Laura Lynch? Combine growing fame with the weight of disappointment of her band departure, and that is a burden few could surmount. But Laura was never one to rest on her laurels or allow setbacks to keep her down. Having more time on her hands, Laura began to play a more active and vocal role in the management of the CL Ranch back in Dell City. Since arriving in 1950, the Lynch family had become one of the largest historical landowners in Dell Valley. With land holdings both in and outside the boundary of Water District 1.

 

In the early 2000’s, the abundant groundwater under the valley drew the attention of nearby El Paso, which was looking for water to sustain its growth into the future. Some landowners in Dell Valley had begun negotiations with El Paso to sell their water rights. In Texas, groundwater rights are determined by the “rule of capture.” For over 100 years, the rule has allowed landowners who first find groundwater to own it. Water districts began to make desperate attempts to block private landowners from making large sales and transfers of their water rights. “The grand rewrite” of the law happened in Texas in mid-2002. The Hudspeth County Underground WaterConservation District 1, based in Dell City, created a new interpretation that only allowed certain landowners, who could prove historic water use within the past 10years, the right to produce and transfer groundwater. In addition, the District also, under questionable circumstances, expanded the District’s borders fivefold. (The attached Water Legislation Outline provides a detailed account of this huge battle.) The Water District’s actions, both creating the new historic use rule and greatly expanding the District’s boundaries, were strategically aimed towards wresting control of water rights from unsuspecting landowners like the Lynches.

 

The Lynches along with other families, aggrieved by the district's favoritism, launched a legal crusade against these discriminatory water rules. The ensuing legal battle lasted more than ten years and involved the Texas legislature and the TexasSupreme Court. Laura, who had developed and maintained a vast network of contacts in both business and government was the Lynch family’s stealth weapon. Being armed with an arsenal of knowledge about Dell City, the law, the water district rules, geological and geographical scientific data, and the impact on landowner and water rights, she was able to speak articulately and knowledgeably on her endless trips to the courthouse, chambers of Texas Government, and the Texas Supreme Court.

 

Laura was always a connector of people. Her genuine smile and outgoing, friendly personality allowed her to deliver the message of property and water rights to key lawmakers and lobbyists. With her command of the details and her ability to speak bluntly when needed, she concisely and clearly laid out the facts and what action she was asking of them. The Texas Supreme Court ultimately found in favor of the land owners like the Lynches who were part of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Their historical water rights were recognized, and the Water District could not deprive them of those rights.That was a HUGE restoration of power to the landowners. Recognizing the conservation efforts through the CRP while also allowing the landowners to keep their claim on the groundwater is a significant and enduring right Texas landowners now have without cloud or question about their entitlement.

 

From 2008 to the time of her passing in 2023, Laura divided her time between Fort Worth and West Texas. She has two grandsons in El Paso. Wanting to be available to see them frequently and to be a role model for them, she reinvented herself yet again. She came up with a way to improve her beloved Dell City community, to express her creativity, to be industrious and creative, and to interact with people from all corners of the globe. She was the unofficial Dell City travel liaison. In 2008, she began buying up dilapidated properties and restoring them. That portfolio now contains 10 properties available to rent on AirBnB.com. She has hosted hundreds of guests from near and far. These guests include those who come to work on Blue Origin launches, conduct deep space photography, visit the Guadalupe and Salt Basin Dunes National Parks, seasonal workers etc. With no other motels or alternative lodging options, her AirBnB properties were essentially the only choice in Dell City. They have provided the community with a significant and steady source of tourism income. In a town of 220 people, ten lodgings running at near capacity for the majority of the year is a significant and steady source of tourism income. Additionally, Laura worked closely with the city government and her employer, Texas Rare Earth Resources, to create and sponsor community events and community education programs geared toward attracting investment to the region and community education programs. She was an Air B&B “Super Host” for consecutive years. She hosted and performed to excellence.

 

This “ribbon of excellence,” created with hard work, friendliness, and preparedness, runs thoughout the decades of her life. There are aspects of Laura’s life unmentioned in this biography. Her service to various Ft. Worth organizations (National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame board member 2002-2010, Opera and Botanical Garden supporter, and active member in the Ft. Worth artist community. The imminent release of the Water Wars feature film at the Dallas International Film Festival 2024, and role as a Grandmother and mother would take up several more pages. It's worth mentioning that her memorial service in El Paso, Texas was a packed sanctuary with 400 people and live streamed to more than 1900 unique viewers. At the celebration of life held at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Ft. Worth in February 2024 the news media was turned away. They had come because the community love for Laura Lynch was such that nearly 30 years out of the public eye, she was still newsworthy. My mother Laura was extraordinary in every way. Unrelenting in her desire to create and serve both her family and her larger community, she has left an indelible mark on Texas law, Texas culture, country music, and on me.

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Written by Asia Zaragoza, daughter of Laura Lynch