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History
in a Pecan shell
In May 1917, the town was laid out (and a post office opened) in anticipation
of the arrival of the North Texas and Santa Fe Railway. The town was named for
railroad vice president Thomas E. Spearman. Although the railroad was delayed
due to World War One, the town
didn't let that interfere with its growth.
Hansford, Texas
By the time the railroad arrived
in late 1919, the town was well on its way. The town of Hansford, Texas, (6 miles
West) lost population and businesses to Spearman and more importantly, an election
(1929) deciding which town would be the county seat.
All that remains
of Hansford today is the cemetery which up until 1928 was the only cemetery in
the county.
The former Hansford County Courthouse (1889) in Hansford
was built of brick shipped in from Dodge City, Kansas - the main supply point
for the Northern Panhandle.
Spearman incorporated in 1921 and
lost much of its business district to fires in 1922 and 1924. By 1926 the population
was a healthy 1,000 citizens.
In 1931, the railroad extended to Morse
and points southwest, ending Spearman's status as the railroad's terminus. During
the Great Depression, vacant lots in town were planted in wheat.
In
1934, famed aviator Colonel Charles Lindbergh and wife Ann Morrow stopped
just outside of Spearman for fuel on a cross country trip. Lindbergh, years earlier
(1924) had crashed a plane into a hardware store near Camp
Wood, Texas (Real County) on a cross-country trip before becoming an air cadet
in San Antonio.
The
brief event received a historical
marker that stands today .4 miles South of 13th Ave and SH 207.
Spearman had a population of 1,105 in 1940 and 4,000 in 1964.
The
Hansford County Courthouse
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| "The
Brandt Building on Main Street. Built in 1918 as a mercantile in the first county
seat of Hansford, this building was moved
to Spearman at the arrival of the North Texas and Santa Fe Railway in 1920."
- Terry
Jeanson, 2008 photo. More Texas
Ghost Signs |
|
Main
Street, Spearman c. 1942
showing Hale Pharmacy and Lyric Theater
Photo
Courtesy Spearman Chamber of Commerce
More Texas
Theatres |
| | Part
of the Buchanan Windmill Collection near Spearman
Photo Courtesy Spearman
Chamber of Commerce |
| | Wildlife
near Palo Duro Lake
Photo Courtesy Spearman Chamber of Commerce |
Spearman
Attractions
The Windmill Museum
The Stationmaster's
House Museum
Palo
Duro Reservoir - 10 miles north of Spearman on Palo Duro Creek.
Spearman
Tourists Information Spearman
Chamber of Commerce: 806-659-5555
PO Box 161 Spearman, Texas 79081
http://www.spearman.org/
We
thank Gina Gillispie, Spearman Chamber of Commerce, for sending us their photos
and information.
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