The Hansford County Courthouse was erected in 1931 in the Contemporary Style by Kreipke Construction Co. for $41,449. The county capitol was remodeled in 1958 for some $200,000.
Hansford County honors John M. Hansford, a judge and member of the Texas Congress, while the county seat was named after Thomas Spearman, an official of the railroad.
“THE SPEARMAN CONNECTION,” a division of the Spearman Chamber of Commerce, offers the following interesting tidbits at http://www.spearman.org/ in a section titled WOULD YOU BELIEVE….
….that Charles Lindbergh landed his Atlantic Flyer just south of Spearman in September of 1934 on his way to New York? Needing fuel, Lindbergh wanted to avoid attracting the large crowd that would surely gather at the nearby Amarillo airport. While on his brief stop, Lindbergh did stay long enough for Spearman school children to go out and meet him.
….that the first telephone in Hansford County used barbed wire?
….that from 1951 to 1963, the Wagon Wheel Theater in Spearman was listed as the first ever drive-in, fly-in theater anywhere since a plane could land on the owner’s private runway and then taxi a short distance to the theater?
….that Hansford County may be responsible for Lyndon Johnson becoming president of the United States? Hansford County did not hold a second senatorial primary in 1948 because they thought their favorite, Coke Stevenson, would surely win. As it turns out, Johnson won that primary by just 87 votes which launched him into his senatorial career.
….that Krista Kirkland, one of the most important players on the Texas Tech Women’s NCAA 1992-1993 national championship basketball team, graduated from Spearman High School?
….that a Spearman resident had his pickup stolen only to have the thief drive it directly to the sheriff’s office when he returned from his excursion? His punishment was to wash and wax the vehicle.
….that Rex Linn used to watch westerns at the Lyric Theater in Spearman and now has appeared in more than a dozen Hollywood movies including a major roll in “Cliffhanger” with Sylvester Stallone?
….that there have been only six murders in Hansford County, where Spearman is located, in 50 years?
….that J.B. Buchanan of Spearman has the most famous outdoor windmill collection in the U.S., and it was donated to Spearman in 1999 (except for one windmill which is on display at the Smithsonian Institute)?
….that Spearman hosted the 2002 International Windmill Tradefair with visitors from 26 states and three countries?
….that Spearman was the home base of the only exotic animal satellite auction in the world?
(Texas Almanac 2006-2007)