Dickens County, Texas
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Court Records | Vital Records | CENSUS Records | TAX Records | Military Records | Church & Cemetery |
Maps & Atlases | Genealogy Addresses | Genealogy Related Sites |

Dickens County was created in 1876 (Organized in 1891) and formed from Bexar and Young Territories. Dickens County was named for J. Dickens, who died at the Battle of the Alamo. The County Seat is Dickens. The Official County website is located at ?. See also Extended History for more historical details.

Areas adjacent to Dickens County are Motley County (north), King County (east), Kent County (south), Crosby County (west)

Dickens County Courthouse: On May 9, 1892, the Commissioners' Court met in regular session to order the issurance of bonds in the amount of $20,000 for the construction of a courthouse and jail for Dickens County. Following advertisement in the Fort Worth Daily Gazette, the County Commissioners met on June 13 to consider plans and specifications. The contract was awarded to E. L. Aiken of Hardeman County for a bid of $19,475.00.

On April 1, 1893, the Commissioners voted to receive the new courthouse, "having examined the building in a body and the same having been built according to the plans and specifications heretofore adopted."

The court reserved out of the contract price the sum of $2,500.00 to cover any deficiency in the work as rewhiting the walls, completing the painting, putting in glass and removing rubbish.

The Dickens County Courthouse was built in the traditional quadrilateral form with a cruciform plan of intersecting halls defining county offices on the ground floor, and the county courtroom dominating the second floor. During construction contractor E. L. Aikens petitioned the Commissioners' Court and received permission to build the stairway on the north end of the hallway instead of the south end of the hall as shown on the plans.

Built of a light-colored stone from a quarry two miles northwest of town, the building originally featured a polygonal central tower with a domed cupola. The four elevations were of simple rock-faced masonry with square windows and arched entries. The main entry on the west side was marked by a double arch and a recessed pedimented pavilion. At the north and south facades projecting ornamental balconies sheltered the entrance. On either side of the entrance a pair of chimneys rose above the roof line. A molded cornice and hip-roofed pavilion with round finials surmounted the whole.

On November 9, 1936, a contract was let to Nugent Construction Company of Spur to remodel the courthouse for the sum of $15,000.00. About 20 feet were added on the east side. A basement was incorporated into the addition for storage of county records. The central tower was removed and new doors and windows were added. The building was painted inside and out. A new heating system was added replacing the original wood and coal stoves.

On February 20, 1960, a contract was let to the West Texas Utilities Company of Abilene, to add a central heating and cooling system. Storm doors and windows were also installed. The remodeling cost a total of $10,139.34. In July 1962, a new vault was added to the county clerk's office at a cost of $9,720.00.

The central tower and roof elements were removed and replaced with a flat roof and featureless cornice. Recently the paint has been removed from the exterior walls.

In November 1892, the Commissioners' Court authorized the sale of bonds to finance a new jail. Subsequently the structure was completed by contractor E. L. Aiken. However, the jail did not meet specification and the court refused to accept it.

Over a decade passed before work was authorized for another detention facility. In 1909 the Southern Steel Company of San Antonio was contracted to build the present jail.

The Dickens County Jail is a two-story stone structure located northeast of the courthouse. It displays architectural detailing similar to the courthouse. The rusticated stonework symbolized the jail's permanence and security. Facing south, the front facade features an arched main entrance with heavy stone voussoirs. The remaining openings on all elevations are tall rectangular windows capped with large stone lintels. The structure is still used as the county jail.

In the sparsely populated counties of West Texas, the courthouse building was often the dominant architectural feature on the landscape. As such, it became a prime influence on town layout and a focus of social and governmental activities. The Dickens County Courthouse is a typical example of the process and one of the earliest significant buildings in Dickens County. As an integral part of the historic development of the area, it is, therefore, worthy of preservation. It is among the few substantial nineteenth-century masonry buildings still standing in West Texas.

Dickens County was created in 1876 and named for J. Dickens, defender of the Alamo. After the organization of the county, the Commissioners' Court met in Dockhum on April 1, 1891, and selected Espuela as the temporary county seat. Located 8 miles below the escarpment of the Llano Estacado, the townsite served as a supply point for an area where the first permanent settlements were dugouts serving as line camps for the Spur, Matador and Pitchfork Ranches. A store owned by W. R. Stafford was rented by the county for $15.00 a month and served as the county courthouse until the construction of a permanent building in 1893.

When the town was laid out a centrally located public square was set aside as the site of the courthouse. Commercial lots faced this public space on all four sides. By 1893 the new courthouse, a hotel, two stores and a wagon yard comprised the town.

Throughout its history the courthouse has been a center for social activity in the town of Dickens. During the early years of its occupation, it was the setting for justice and business transactions in the county. It also served as a meeting place for various groups of people. Today it continues as a center of county activity and houses, in addition to its official functions, a museum. In the buildings around the square are such functions as attorneys' offices and senior citizens' activities.

The Dickens County Courthouse was awarded the Texas State Historical Survey Committee's State Medallion in December 1962 for its 70 years of service.

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Dickens County Court Records

See Also Texas Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

Dickens County Clerk has Court Records from 1891, Land Records from 1891, Probate Records from 1891, Marriage Records from 1891 and Birth/Death Records from 1903 is located at P.O. Box 120, Dickens, TX 79229; Telephone: (806) 623-5531 .

The County Clerk's Office is the record keeper of the county. The county records include birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, brand registrations, DD214s (military discharges), land / real estate / property records, probate and civil filings.

There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include: Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997, Texas Deaths, 1964-98, Texas Marriage Collection, 1814-1909 & 1966-2002, and Texas Divorce Index, 1968-2002. You may also search the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which does cover Texas. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.

Below is a list of online resources for Dickens County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Dickens County Court Records by clicking the link below:

  • Order County Court, Civil or Criminal Records Online
  • Dickens County, Texas Court Books at Amazon.com
  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which covers the State of Texas. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.
  • Marriages of Dickens County at the TXGenweb Project
  • Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
  • Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.
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Dickens County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Texas

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Texas Department of State Health Services, 1100 W. 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756; (888) 963-7111 or (512) 458-7111; Fax: (512) 458-7711. Please allow up to approximately 6-8 weeks for processing of all type of certificates when ordered through the mail, or 2-5 Days when you order through VitalChek Express Certificate Services. The Vital Records Department has the following records:

  • Birth Certificates: Birth records maintained by Bureau of Vital Statistics, Dept. of Health since 1903 through the present. For births that occurred within the past 75 years, copies can be requested only by the immediate family of the person whose name is on the birth certificate. Cost: The cost of a birth record is $22.00. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $22.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
  • Death Certificates: Death records maintained by Bureau of Vital Statistics, Dept. of Health since 1903 through the present. For deaths that occurred in the past 25 years, copies can be requested only by immediate family members of the deceased. Cost: The cost of a certified death certificate is $20.00 for the first copy and $3.00 for each additional copy issued at the same time for the same certificate. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $20.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
  • Marriage & Divorce Certificates: Marriage Verifications from Jan 1966 and Divorce Verifications from Jan 1968. Certified copies of marriage licenses or divorce decrees are only available from the county clerk (marriage) or district clerk (divorce) in the county or district in which the event occurred. Marriage verification or divorce verification letters can now be ordered Online. Cost is $20 - Fee is for verification only.

ORDERING

  • Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.
  • Order In Person: The certificates may be ordered by coming into this office.   If you want the copy the same day, our hours for same day service are 8:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. Monday – Friday. The Texas Vital Statistics Office in Austin is located at 1100 W. 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756.
  • Order By Mail: Mail a check or money order (no cash) payable to the "Texas Vital Records " along with the necessary information to the following address: Texas Vital Records, Department of State Health Services, PO Box 12040. Print Aplication for Birth Certificates, Death Certificates and Marriage & Divorce Certificates.

There are a few online marriage databases which include: Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997, Texas Deaths, 1964-98, Texas Marriage Collection, 1814-1909 & 1966-2002, and Texas Divorce Index, 1968-2002. Below is a list of online resources for Dickens County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Dickens County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

  • VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek's order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
  • Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREEicon - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
  • Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Texas newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
  • Texas Birth Certificates, 1903-10, 1926-29icon - Browse by county, then year, then surname, beginning with the first letters of the last name of the person you seek. If you're unsure of the year or location, use the search box under the browse menu. These records can be searched by father's first and last names, mother's first and maiden names, year, county, and city. The certificates include the child and parents' full names, residence, occupations, age, time and date of the birth, and the name of the physician attending the birth.
  • Texas Death Certificates, 1890-1976icon - These records are searchable by first and last name of the deceased, year, county, and city. A certificate may include the decedent's date, place, and cause of death; age; date of birth; last residence; and marital status. If known, it will also include occupation, birth place, parents' names, and place of burial. Browse by county, then year, then surname, beginning with the first letters of the last name of the person you seek. If unsure of the year or location, use the search box under the browse menu.
  • Dickens County, Texas Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
  • Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.
  • Death Records of Dickens County at the TXGenWeb Project
  • Death Records 1902-1917, Dickens County, Texas
  • Death Records Book 1910-1915, Dickens County, Texas
  • Death Records 1917-1920, Dickens County, Texas
  • Death Records in Dickens County Archives
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Dickens County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Texas

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

  Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Dickens County, Texas are 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930.

The Texas State Library holds microfilm editions for all of Texas' federal censuses. Although the 1850, 1860, and part of the 1870 mortality schedules have been published, all the original mortality schedules are at the Texas State Library and on microfilm The 1830 territorial census of Miller County, Arkansas, enumerates an area that is in today's Texas boundaries. The remaining 1890 population schedules which exist for Texas include: Ellis County (Justice Precinct 6, Mountain Peak, and Ovilla Precinct); Hood County (Precinct 5); Rusk County (No. 6 and Justice Precinct No. 7); Trinity County (town of Trinity and Justice Precinct 2); and Kaufman County (Kaufman). Although Greer County in present-day Oklahoma functioned as part of Texas between 1886 and 1896, the 1890 census for this county was enumerated under Oklahoma Territory.

Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Dickens County, Texas are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1880. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms

Below is a list of online resources for Dickens County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Dickens County Census Records by clicking the link below:

  • Dickens County, Texas Census Books at Amazon.com
  • Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.
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Dickens County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Arkansas and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for Texas showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You can view rotating animated maps for Texas showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps.

Below is a list of online resources for Dickens County Maps. Email us with websites containing Dickens County Maps by clicking the link below:

  • Texas General Land Office Map Collection
  • Dickens County, Texas Map Books at Amazon.com
  • Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers - Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.
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Dickens County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Texas

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Dickens County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Dickens County Military Records by clicking the link below:

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Dickens County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Texas tax records constitute one of the most complete sets of available records generated at the county level (by the Commissioners Court) because these documents are maintained by the state. These lists may only include approximately sixty percent of eligible males over the age of twenty-one. Persons exempted from taxes included native Americans, "idiots," "incompetents," and those exempted because of age. This final category of exemptions varied over time. Years without an older age exemption were 1840 and 1862-70. Between 1841-44 exemptions began at forty-five years; in 1845 and from 1850-61 the upward age was set at fifty years. In 1837, 1848, and 1849 the limit was established as fifty-five, and in 1846-7, and 1871 the upward limit was set at sixty years.

Texas Ad Valorem (poll, personal, and real property) tax records for 1836 through 1976 are available in microfilm at the Texas State Library from the date of respective county organization; these are arranged by county and date and are somewhat alphabetized within each division. Microfilm copies are housed in the Genealogy Section. Tax lists for the various counties from creation to 1901 may be borrowed through interlibrary loan. Tax records through 1901-1947 are readily accessible, but not on interlibrary loan. Those for 1948 through 1976 can be obtained upon request. 

Below is a list of online resources for Dickens County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Dickens County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

  • Dickens County, Texas Tax Books at Amazon.com
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Dickens County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Texas Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Dickens County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Dickens County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

  • DIckens County Historical Commision,
  • Texas State Library and Archives Commission, P.O. Box 12927, Austin, TX 78711-2927
    Holdings under the auspices of the Texas State Library are divided. Most important for genealogical research are the Texas State Archives with its Local Records Department, the Records Management Division, and the Information Services Division, which includes a Genealogy Section and a Reference Department.
    The Genealogy Section maintains vertical ties that contain notes, clippings, pamphlets, and correspondence on Texas families. These files may be accessed in person, by phone (512-463-5463, forty-five minute limit), or through correspondence.
  • Texas Genealogical Society, 2505 Beluche Drive, Galveston 77551
  • Texas Historical Commision
    The Texas Historical Commission (THC) is the state agency for historic preservation. THC staff consults with citizens and organizations to preserve Texas' architectural, archeological and cultural landmarks. The agency is recognized nationally for its preservation programs.
  • Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
  • Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
  • Texas Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
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Dickens County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Texas

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Dickens County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Dickens County Tombstone Transcription Project.

During Texas's colonization period Roman Catholics were the most numerous, but early citizens included those representing other religious faiths such as Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Christian or Disciples of Christ.

Many cemetery records have been collected and transcribed, including the largest of which is multi-volumes compilation by the DAR and two volumes for Peters Colonists and descendants. The DAR collection, also microfilmed, is available at the Texas State Library and through the FHL.

Some Texas county historical and genealogical societies have published local cemetery and/funeral home records. These are normally available for purchase through the respective society. Two references can help determine which cemeteries have been recorded: Kim Parsons', A Reference to Texas Cemetery Records (Humble, Tex.: by author, 1988), arranged by county; and Sharry Crofford-Gould's, Texas Cemetery Inscriptions: A Source Index (San Antonio, Tex.: Limited Editions, 1977).

Below is a list of online resources for Dickens County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Dickens County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Dickens County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Dickens County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Extended History

 

The Wanderers Who Make Bad Camps Band of the Comanches dominated the region before white settlement. The Comanches became fine horse-mounted warriors and hunters after they adapted their culture to the utilization of Spanish horses in the seventeenth century. The Comanche Indians hunted buffalo in summer and fall to provide most of their material needs. They met in an informal general assembly to decide the organization of their communal hunts, and war leaders made final decisions. A historian writes, "The buffalo was the lifeblood of Comanche culture; its near-extermination sounded the death knell for the kind of life Comanches had come to know." White hunters cleared the land of buffalo and wild horses in the 1870s, while Colonel Ranald S. MacKenzie's Fourth United States Cavalry subdued the Comanches in 1874 and 1875. MacKenzie's base of operations against the Indians was located at Anderson's Fort, also called Soldiers Mound, an army supply camp located near the site of present-day Spur. In 1876 the Texas state legislature formed Dickens County from land previously assigned to Bexar County.

Until the first years of the twentieth century, settlers shunned the area because of its remoteness and slight rainfall. Instead of farms, huge cattle ranches (the Spur, Pitchfork, and Matadorq), took up most of the land. The Spur Ranch was started, for example, in 1878, with 1,900 head of cattle that Jim Hull drove from Refugio County. In 1880 only three homes, a schoolhouse, and twenty-eight people were in the county; most of the residents were apparently ranchhands.

The owners of the Spur, however, attempted to encourage settlement; in 1884, for example, S.W. Lomax, manager of the ranch, conducted an agricultural experiment on company lands. Cheap land-sold at two dollars an acre-inspired settlers like A. J. Hagins, who moved by covered wagon to Dickens County in 1889. Hagins joined other settlers such as W. L. (Bud) Browning, J. L. Gates, the Wilmores, and the Crawfords, and established a farm near old Fort Griffin. Hagins housed his wife and six children in a one-room dugout. Wood and water were readily available, and the pioneers grew corn. In 1890 the census counted 295 residents in the county.

In 1890 Hagins planted the first cotton in Dickens County on school land obtained from the state for fifteen cents an acre and 5 percent of the valuation. To avoid the 100-mile haul he had to make to Jones County for ginning of his first crop, Hagins built a gin in 1891. That same year, the county was politically organized, with the town of Espuela (located on land belonging to the Espuela Land and Cattle Company, which now owned the Spur Ranch) initially designated as the county seat. Many of the settlers objected, however, because the Espuela Company refused to turn the townsite over to the county. Of course, the underlying issue was whether the county and its government would exist for the benefit of the company or the nesters who were moving into the area in increasing numbers. The nesters commanded more votes, however, and in 1892 successfully forced an election to challenge the company on the issue. Dickens was subsequently chosen as the county seat, and by 1893 the town had a courthouse, a hotel, two stores, and a wagonyard. By 1900, 197 farms and ranches had been established in the county, and the population had increased to 1,151. About 1,500 acres of county land was planted in corn, about 400 in cotton, and about 16 in wheat. Local farmers also raised poultry; 9,180 fowl of all kinds were counted in Dickens County that year by the United States agricultural census. Meanwhile, the cattle industry continued to dominate the local economy, as almost 58,750 cattle were counted in the county.

Growth in agriculture and population accelerated during the early twentieth century. In 1906 E. P. and S. A. Swenson headed a syndicate to purchase the Spur Ranch and encourage colonization. Under the administration of manager Charles A. Jones, the Spur sold excellent farm acreage to farmers at reasonable prices. The Stamford and Northwestern Railway initiated service in 1909, thus ending the county's isolation and encouraging marketing; that same year, Oran McClure began publishing the Texas Spur in Dickens for county-wide subscribers. By 1910 there were 349 farms and ranches in Dickens County, and the population had increased to 3,092.

Windmills, a characteristic landscape feature throughout West Texas, provided water for thirsty livestock, cooling for various purposes, and irrigation for the garden. Several of Dickens County's windmills became well known to county residents, including the Poison, where a nester had apparently tried to poison a cowboy; the John's (1889), said to be the county's first; and the Courthouse Windmills, which dominated the courthouse square from 1890 to 1935. In 1910 Texas A&M established an agricultural experiment station on land donated by the Spur Ranch. The station came to contribute significantly to water and soil conservation, brush control, range management, and livestock production (see AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION SYSTEM).

Between 1910 and 1930 the area developed rapidly, as thousands of new farmers moved into the county, encouraged by a cotton boom. Cotton farming took only 400 acres of county land in 1900, and only 5,481 as late as 1910; by 1920, however, a total of 35,494 acres was devoted to the crop, and by 1929 cotton cultivation in Dickens County had expanded to 95,525 acres. Production of cereal grains, especially sorghum, also increased during this period, and poultry production grew; in 1929 county farms raised more than 52,000 chickens and sold 158,773 dozen eggs. Meanwhile, the number of farms in the area steadily increased to 705 in 1920, to 967 in 1925, and to 1,228 in 1929; the population rose to 5,876 in 1920 and to 8,601 in 1930.

Many local farmers suffered devastating losses during the depression years of the 1930s, however, and their hardships were aggravated by the intense drought of 1934 and the failure of livestock feed crops. Farmers and cattlemen applied for federal aid to feed cattle and hogs, or accepted twelve dollars each for sickly animals that were destroyed as unfit for marketing. Meanwhile, the cotton boom collapsed; by 1940, cotton was raised on only 49,364 acres. Many farmers were driven out of business. By 1940 only 920 farms and ranches remained in Dickens County, and the county's population had dropped to 7,847.

Since the 1940s the mechanization of agriculture has combined with other factors (such as the severe droughts of the 1950s) to continue depopulating the area. After 1940 the county's population dropped to 7,177 by 1950; to 4,963 by 1960; to 3,737 by 1970; and to 3,539 in 1980; in 1992, an estimated 2,571 people lived in Dickens County.

Communities in Dickens County include Spur (1982 estimated population 1,690), site of the Texas A&M Research Station; Dickens (409); McAdoo (169), the only Dickens County community on the Great Plains; Afton (100); and Glenn (12). Dickens (1992 estimated population 332) is the county seat.

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