TXGenWeb Header

Bringing Legends to Life
Dickens County, Texas
Our Heritage       Our Heart       Our Home

yellow star TXGenWeb Genealogy     yellow starUSGenWeb Genealogy


The TXGenWeb Project Logo             TABLE OF CONTENTS            Link to USGenWeb Project

25 Year County Coordinator Award

Welcome to Dickens County . . . Its Land and People.

* This is beautiful ranch land that is rich in wonderful history. I hope you will find this site helpful in your search for your ancestors and find the charm that Dickens County possesses. We are very proud to be sponsoring Dickens County and this site will be continually updated. Any information beneficial to this site is welcome, please e-mail Linda Fox Hughes

*Questions or comments concerning the TXGenWeb Project should be directed to State Coordinator Gina Hefferman, or one of the Assistant State Coordinators: Jane Keppler, or Carla Clifton

* This site is proud to be a part of the USGenWeb Project; if we have violated copyright laws, privacy laws, or redneck laws, please contact us and it will be corrected.



October County of Month Award 1998

Vote for your Favorite County

The Mike Basham Memorial TXGenWeb Award was initiated to recognize the efforts of the county sponsors providing outstanding resources and assistance to county visitors. If you would like to nominate any county for this award - make your nomination on this form.



yellow star Its Land...

*Historic big-ranch country on Rolling Plains of West Texas just below the Caprock, created in 1876 and organized 1891 from Bexar District. The legend is that it was named for J. Dickens, hero of Texas Revolution. Research has shown there was no J. Dickens but there was a patriot by the name of James Dempkins so "Dickens" was probably a result of variance in the spelling of the name. Soldier's Mound near Spur was an army supply camp for General Mackenzie's forces.
*Altitude is 2,000 - 3,000 feet, with about 15,000 acres on the High Plains in NW corner of the county with the remaining lands rolling to broke. Rough Croton Breaks are in SE portion. Good ground cover is provided for quail, dove and small game.
*Most of the county was originally land of big ranches - Spur (Swenson), Matador and Pitchfork. The Pitchfork is the only one still intact, (the others having been broken up into small ranches) and has increased in size by adding some of the Matador land to make the present total approximately 166,000 acres (part in King County). Pitchfork celebrated its 100th year of operation by the same family in 1983.
*The ranches, devoted to primarily raising beef cattle are mostly in rolling and rough lands. The land which lies on the high plains above the Cap Rock is mostly used for farming as are the level areas scattered through the county. There is some irrigation and the principal crops are cotton and feed grains for cattle. Oil production is very small.
*The population in 1986 was 3,539. It is semi arid with an annual rainfall of around 21 inches.



hr

Neighboring Counties:




yellow star Its People


yellow star Its Places

yellow starIts Records



yeehaw CowboyIn the Dickens

  • The Texas Spur
  • Dickens County History and Genealogy
  • Dickens County News



  • *

    Wanted Dead or Alive


    How to Contribute Information to this site: If you have family history information that you would like to send from your computer to mine, please use the following address:
    mail Linda Fox Hughes

    ^. .^
    * \/ Happy Huntin'



    *



                Don't Spur the Horse
    if you don't know where you're going.


    Last update 03 January 2024  



    Thanks for Visiting!
    Y'all Come Back, Ya Hear?


    [Return to Top of Page]


    ©1997-2024 Linda Fox Hughes & Dickens County Historical Commission