County of city: Hansford County
Location of city: SE corner of county; crossroads of TX-15, TX-25 & TX-207
County if center north border of Panhandle
City Hall location: 30 SW Court St., Spearman
Elevation: 3,104 ft (946 m)
Population: 3,335 (2013)
The Person:
Thomas E. Spearman, a vice president of the North Texas and Santa Fe Railway.
This is all I can find out about this man.
The Place:
History in a Pecan shell
In May 1917, the town was laid out (and a post office opened) in anticipation of the arrival of the North Texas and Santa Fe Railway. The town was named for railroad vice president Thomas E. Spearman. Although the railroad was delayed due to World War One, the town didn't let that interfere with its growth.
"By the time the railroad arrived in late 1919, the town was well on its way. The town of Hansford, Texas, (6 miles West) lost population and businesses to Spearman and more importantly, an election (1929) deciding which town would be the county seat.
"All that remains of Hansford today is the cemetery which up until 1928 was the only cemetery in the county.
"The former Hansford County Courthouse (1889) in Hansford was built of brick shipped in from Dodge City, Kansas - the main supply point for the Northern Panhandle.
"Spearman incorporated in 1921 and lost much of its business district to fires in 1922 and 1924. By 1926 the population was a healthy 1,000 citizens.
"In 1931, the railroad extended to Morse and points southwest, ending Spearman's status as the railroad's terminus. During the Great Depression, vacant lots in town were planted in wheat.
"In 1934, famed aviator Colonel Charles Lindbergh and wife Ann Morrow stopped just outside of Spearman for fuel on a cross country trip. Lindbergh, years earlier (1924) had crashed a plane into a hardware store near Camp Wood, Texas (Real County) on a cross-country trip before becoming an air cadet in San Antonio.
"The brief event received a historical marker that stands today .4 miles South of 13th Ave and SH 207.
"Spearman had a population of 1,105 in 1940 and 4,000 in 1964." ~ Texas Escapes