Dickens County Trivia

• The first drift fence in Dickens County was in 1884.
• The last buffalo killed in Dickens County was in August in 1883, near Espuela by Billy "The Kid", who worked for the Triangle Outfit.
• Dockum Creek - named after W. C. Dockum, an early buffalo hunter.
• Dockum Postoffice - one of the earliest.
• The last Indian depredations were in 1883.
• General Mackenzie´s engagement on the Tule was the last Indian fight.
• The Mackenzie Trail passes along the town of Spur where the Spur Inn was located.
• Lee Parrish, a boy about 15, was the last white man captured by the Indians in the summer of 1882-1883.
• The first white settler to bring his family to Dickens County was S. T. Pepper.
• The first white child born was Tiny White, near Soldier Mound in 1872.
• Espuela (Spanish for Spur) was started in 1881.
• The first sermon ever preached in Dickens County was at Espuela in 1878 by Rev. J.H. Stegall, of the Methodist church.
• First Church organized was a Baptist Church at Patton Springs in the Fall of 1888.
• First rock house was built by W.C. Dockum in 1878.
• It is believed the first wedding was that of Miss Diana Browning and Millard McBride in 1882.
• First grave was that of a soldier, W.H. Kilpatrick, who died on November 18, 1877, at the age of 32.
• The first public school was in a dugout at the old town of Espuela, about 1881 and was taught by Mrs. Garrett.
• The first newspaper in Dickens County was "The Espuela Bulletin", first published in the year of 1891 by Mose Harris.
• The first alfalfa planted in the County was in the spring of 1886 by the old Spur Company near Espuela, the seed was ordered.
• Hon. Norman J. Coleman, Commissioner of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., December 3, 1885.
• The first irrigation was at the Spur Headquarters, April 1, 1887.
• The first private school was at Joe Browning´s place.
• The first school of any size was in 1884.
• The first county seat election was held March 19, 1891. Three elections were held before sufficient votes could be cast and Dickens received one more vote than Espuela.
• The first bank in Dickens County was operated by R.D. Shields.
• The first panther killed in Dickens County was in the late eighties. Bear tracks have been found in 1901.
• The first trees planted were by W.L. Browning 1887. These were fruit trees planted at the head of Duck Creek.
• The first cotton raised was by E. Luce in 1889.
• The first cotton gin was built by the Spur Company in 1891. It was operated by horse power and fed by hand.
• The first surveying done in the county was in the year 1873 by Captain George Spiller, of Jacksboro, Texas.