A History Of Dickens County: Ranches and Rolling Plains Page: 11
355 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this book.
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FOREWARD
B Y TANNER LAINE
A long, long time ago, 180 million years give or take a century or two, the
Caprock foothills emerged from waters of the deep.
It was not known at that time, of course, when the dinosaurs and giant re-
ptiles sloshed about in a vegetated lake, Lhat this would become the greatest
cattle ranching country in the world.
Within recorded history, Dickens County has this chronicle:
--Herds of buffalo and antelope attracted Indians.
--The first settlers were buffalo hunters and mustang hunters.
--By the early and mid-1870s, cattlemen were grazing herds on open
range.
--In 1874, an Army supply camp, Anderson's Fort, was located between
the present town of Dickens and Spur, as base operations for Mackenzie's
Raiders' expeditions against the Indians. Site of the Fort was on Duck Creek
and on Soldier's Mound.
--Dickens County, straddling the Caprock, partly on the Plains and partly
on the rolling plains below it, was created in 1876 and named for J. Dickens,
a victim at the Alamo.
--By 1879, the Spur Ranch had extensive holdings in the county.
--In 1880, the county had three houses, one school, and a population of
28--composed of cowboys on the Spur, Pitchford and Matador ranches.
--In 1881, W.C. Dockum built the first frame store building. The lumber
was hauled from Fort Worth.
--In 1884, S.W. Lomax of the Spur Ranch planted 150 acres of feed. It
made. Cotton was planted in 1891. A gin was built in 1892.
----The county was organized in 1891.
--A century turned. Settlers came to farm. A model farm, operated by
Edwin J. Clapp, agricultural expert of the Hearst newspapers, antedated
establishment of an agricultural experiment station for the state at Spur.
--In our writing of two books and numerous newspapers and magazine
articles, we have contended Dickens County, geographically and historic-
ally, is one of the most interesting in West Texas, inhabited by the finest of
people. People like public servant Fred Arrington, who guided the printing
of this book, so that all who come after, may enjoy the rich heritage and
history of Dickens County.
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Arrington, Fred. A History Of Dickens County: Ranches and Rolling Plains, book, 1971; [Dickens, Texas]. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth61098/m1/11/: accessed April 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .