It’s been a long time since Dickens County has had a barbershop.
Best anyone can tell the last barbershop—Charlie’s— closed in downtown Spur around 2010, according to Don Wright, Spur alderman, native son, and long-time resident, whose father was himself a barber. Other Spurites, such as Jerry Dunaway and Eric Swenson, recall a brief barbershop stint in the old Spur Insurance building around 2016.
On Saturday, Shorty’s Barber Shop opened in Dickens, offering haircuts, hot towel shaves, beard and moustache trims and even more services. It is located at 2107 County Road 333, roughly halfway between Dickens and Spur. Before this barbershop opened, the closest one was in Ralls, 33 miles from Dickens County.
This Shorty’s is a new barbershop with a new owner, but it has prompted old-timers to reminisce about the Shorty’s Barber Shop, which was in downtown Dickens across from the courthouse for almost three decades before it closed in the eighties.
Daphne McCauley, who opened the new Shorty’s, has been a barber for 31 years, and The Texas Spur caught up with her via email on a very busy grand opening weekend.
She and her family have recently located to the area and here’s why: “My husband is from this area and when he brought me here to show me West Texas, I fell in love with this red dirt country, the people, the history, western flavor and peacefulness,” she said.
McCauley added that her original Shorty’s Barber Shop was located near her hometown of Jones Creek, Texas. “I love being a barber and meeting new people,” she said. “When we decided to move to this area, I told my husband I wanted to open Shorty’s Barber Shop here and bring back that old time barber shop which really fits this area.” McCauley said she loves being a barber, making crafts, baking, and going on road trips.
Daphne and her husband, Calvin, have three children, sons Gabe and Nate and daughter Abigail. They also have a Yorkshire Terrier named Ginger.
In closing, McCauley said that she wanted to thank everyone for all the shares, likes, and comments on social media, and for following her Facebook page, Shorty’s Barber Shop. “Everyone has been so supportive and kind making my dream come true of having an old-time barber shop,” she said. “I really love reading what people are posting about the Barber Shop that was in Dickens County (Shorty’s). He really left an impression, and that is my goal. I also want to thank my husband for all his hard work.”
At Shorty’s, all cuts come with hot towel, hot lather, and straight razor neck shave with tonic. Call, text or book online at (979) 824-8463. Appointments are available seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., according the shop’s Facebook page.
