Dickens County History 1922

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Dickens County History Written in 1922

This county, in Northwest Texas, presents a broken surface, with undulating valleys, while in the northwestern portion is a section of the Staked Plains. The county was created August 21, 1876, and was organized March 14, 1891, with Dickens as the county seat.

For a number of years three or four ranches covered most of the available portion of the county for ranching purposes, and the development of the county for any other purpose than grazing has been slow. The population in 1880 was only 28; in 1890, 295 ; in 1900, 1,151 ; in 1910. 3,092 ; in 1920, 5,876.

In November, 1909, regular service was instituted over the line of the Stamford & Northwestern Railway, now a division of the Wichita Valley. The northern terminus of this road is Spur, in Dickens County, and though the town is little more than four years old its improvement has teen rapid, its population is estimated at about one thousand, and all modern facilities and public utilities have been provided.

Of recent years many settlers have been induced to come to Dickens County, and ranch owners have cut up their pastures into farms and placed them upon the market. The farmers are growing all the West Texas staples, cotton being the chief crop. For many years small orchards and vineyards at various ranch homes have demonstrated the fruit possibilities of the county. Ranch owners have taken an interest in improving their grades and the old range animal has almost disappeared from the county. Herefords, Shorthorns and other beef cattle have taken their place.

The assessed value of property in Dickens County in 1903 was $1,352,451 ; in 1913, $3,973,744; in 1920, $4,207,925. The total area of the county is 563,840 acres, of which about 35,000 acres were reported. "improved improved land" in 1910. The number of farms at the last date was 349, as compared with 197 in 1900. The number of cattle in 1920 was 29,304, and of horses and mules, about 2,900. The acreage in cotton in 1909 was 5,481 ; in kaffir corn and milo maize, 2,430, and in corn, 2,014. The interest in horticulture is indicated by the numeration of about twelve thousand orchard fruit trees, and upwards of one thousand grape vines. - History of Texas, 1922, by W. Barrett Travis.