Spearman

Plains Trail Region
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Spearman, the seat of Hansford County, is home to the county's 1931 Art Moderne courthouse. The early modern brick structure reflects the Depression Era desire of communities to look toward a prosperous future instead of the pioneer past. That early pioneer and cattle heritage, however, unfolds nearby at the Stationmaster's House Museum and the J. B. Buchanan Windmill Park. As early cattlemen fenced their ranches, some pastures were cut off from natural springs or creeks, so ranchers began drilling wells and harnessing the wind to pump water for their cattle. Without windmills, settlement of the arid plains would have been impossible. In the 1960s, J.B. Buchanan began collecting historic windmills. Today, more than 30 restored windmills stand on wooden and steel towers at the Windmill Park, which features a rare 1915 Aeromotor model with a 12-foot-diameter wheel that actually pumps water from a deep well. A lighted walking trail winds through the five-acre site.

Spearman

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