Cedar Gap L.G.’s Lasting Legacy

Located near the intersection of US Highway 83 and County Road 149, the Hilltop Gas Station is one of the only true living businesses from the once bustling Cedar Gap community. Cedar Gap was first settled in the late 1880s and was served by the Cedar Gap Pike (now presently called County Road 127) a stagecoach route that ran south from Abilene. The name Cedar Gap refers to the natural topographic gap formed in the Callahan Divide Range, east of Buffalo Gap. The community had a school, blacksmith, general store, cotton gin, gas station, café, hotel, and most historically a Baptist Church.

L.G. Smith Jr. is a native of Cedar Gap and is the owner of the Hilltop Gas Station. His dad built the iconic rock gas station in 1940 when approximately 86 families lived in the community. L.G. recalls, “When the station first opened, we had glass gasoline pumps and had no electricity.” A few years later as Japanese forces surrendered, signaling the end of World War II, electricity had made its way to Cedar Gap and the Hilltop Service Station. L.G. remembers that his family’s home, located next door to the Service Station was one of the first homes to have electricity in the area.

L.G. has operated the service station as a fullservice gas station for many years, where he still pumps your gas for you, a welcome throwback from the now universal self-pump fuel stations. A 1959 graduate from Jim Ned High, L.G. was a member of the second ever graduating class of the newly formed and consolidated Jim Ned. In those days gas cost $0.25 per gallon and a new car could be purchased off the lot for $2,000. As many things in Cedar Gap and around the world have changed since then, one thing here has remained the same, the iconic Hilltop Service Station and L.G. Smith Jr.

Hilltop Gas Station is still typically open 6 days a week (Monday thru Saturday) and accepts cash or check.

Jonathan Davis was born in Kansas and raised in Oklahoma but likes to tell everyone he “got to Texas as fast as he could.” Jonathan is a proud husband to Tiffany Davis, class of 02’ and second-generation Jim Ned Indian with deep roots in the Jim Ned Valley Tiffany’s mother Katri (Sharp) Chmielewski, was in the class of 77’ and was a paraprofessional for Jim Ned High School for many years.

In his many trips to visit in-laws over the years Jonathan fell in love with Jim Ned and its charm, so much so he relocated his family back to his wife’s roots in 2013. The Davis family has chosen to raise their two boys Ryden (6 th grade) and Rylee (Kindergarten) as third generation Indians because they believe that Jim Ned and its community are one of a kind

Before returning to Jim Ned, Jonathan resided in Canyon, Texas where he attained a B.S. In Biology and a M.Ed. in Instructional Design and Technology at West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) While working for WTAMU for more than a decade, he served as the Assistant Registrar and Student Success Center Manager. With his experience in Education, prior to becoming a small business owner of Sika Industrial Sales in 2017, Jonathan has always had a passion for helping children and young adults. He also has extensive knowledge in budgeting, regulations and supply management. He currently volunteers his time working with Jim Ned Youth Football and Cheer as the Vice -President and coach, West Texas Rural Youth Football League as Co-Chair, as well as Jim Ned Youth Baseball as a board member and coach. If granted your vote and elected as a Jim Ned CISD Board member Jonathan will continue serving the community he loves and will do so with passion and dedication pol. adv. paid for by Jonathan Davis