Between July 14 and August 9, 1923, over a 25day span, the Locating Board committee for the newly authorized Texas Technological College traveled by train and automobile to visit the 37 towns and cities that submitted proposals for the new institution of higher learning. One of those was Spur, founded in 1909 as the centerpiece of a townsite and agricultural development whose eventual manager would one day become president of the new college. Like all of the aspirants, Spur compiled an impressive pitch booklet bound in leatherette and featuring elegant photographs of civic and agricultural opportunities.
But in 1923, of course, Spur—and 35 other towns of all sizes—lost out to Lubbock, now the home of Texas Tech University. The institution celebrates its centennial this year.
On Thursday, Dr. Brad Davis, associate director of development for Texas Tech Libraries, paid visits to the Spur Dickens County Museum and the Dickens County Spur Public Library to present each a reproduction of Spur’s 30-page 1923 booklet.
Davis had been encouraged to make the visits by Craig Blackwell, who observed that if Spur’s key institutions didn’t possess a copy of the facsimilie, they should each have one.
“It’s a great history lesson,” said Blackwell.
On hand for the presentations weremuseumboard member Fronye Morris and library director Donnice Carruth.
The booklets can be seen at either Spur institution. A pdf file is also viewable online at https://swco-ir. tdl.org/handle/10605/269
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