SPUR-DICKENS COUNTY MUSEUM
The Spur-Dickens County Museum is contributing a series of monthly articles tracing the history and early settlement of Spur and Dickens County. The first installment in this series ran in the issue of May 4, 2019.
The Swensons realized that to attract homesteaders they needed to establish a town where the settlers could purchase needed supplies. Charles A. Jones, manager of the Swenson enterprises in Spur, chose the present town site based on availability of water, availability of gravel for street construction, natural slope of the land which allowed for good drainage, and that the location was approximately in the middle of the Spur Ranch.
At this time, railroads were the most important means of transportation, and nothing guaranteed the success of a town more than a railroad. Jones succeeded in contracting with the
Stamford-Northwestern Railroad, a branch of the Burlington Railroad system, to build a railroad from Stamford, Texas to Spur. It is interesting to note the main street in Spur was named Burlington, and many of the other streets in — Spur, Parker, Cowan, Harris, Trumbull and Carrol — were named for executives of the Burlington Railroad.
Jones also selected the location of Girard and submitted the names Spur and Girard to the postmaster general as names for the new towns. Girard was accepted, but Spur was rejected because there was already a town in Texas named Speer, and the postmaster general feared confusion. As fate would have it, Jones was a close friend of the assistant postmaster general, and through his efforts the post office at Speer was closed, and thus Jones was able to name the new town Spur.
The date for the town site opening was set for Nov. 1, 1909. Jones later wrote of the Spur town site opening, "The assembled people were unexpectedly numerous on the morning of November 1. The Swenson name, all over the country, stood for accomplishment, honorable dealing and progress. The great Spur Ranch, long known to consist of fine farming lands, was at last to be cut up and sold to farmers. Why should not a splendid town be built in the center? By wagon, buggy, horseback and a few automobiles (being rare in our country) came [people] from all directions. Some came to buy, others merely curious."
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