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Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Karr and four boys, Guy, Harold and Ray came from Hardeman County in January 1912 on a train. Pauline and Opal were born in Dickens County. The night before they left Hardeman County they were watching fireworks at New Years. Mr. Karr bought the Espuela town site in 1910 and rented it out. He bought it in the summer of 1910. It was a ghost town. Several years later he bought a farm at Dry Lake and then later bought the Allen Farm.There were very few cars. Mr. Karr got his first car in 1918. Before that they traveled by buggy, wagon, and on horseback. The nearest neighbor was one and one half mile away, who was Luther Jones. There were no graded roads, just went straight across country. The roads were just rails through mesquites with tree stumps in the road. The school was four miles away, south of Soldier Mound. Hubert and Guy went to school there for two years. The school disbanded and went to Dry Lake. They rode a donkey to Soldier Mound and later got a cart for the donkey to go to Dry Lake. The donkey was very stubborn.
The Derriks, Lowes, Horns, Irvin Smith, and Andy morgan were our neighbors. Lewis leased the Spur Ranch from Swenson. It was all open range. Alvin Hindman accidentally shot Mr. Karr with a 22 rifle. The wagon team was wild. The Spur Ranch boss sent some hands down to catch and harness the team for Mr. Karr to go to Dickens to the doctor.
Mr. Karr raised registered Jersey Cattle. He fed some white faced cattle. Hubert raised seven white-faced orphan calves with a bottle made from a glove. The Spur Ranch game them to him.
When we came to Dickens County the whole range was covered with wild deer and antelope. As the county settled up, they son disappeared.
There wasn't a church for a long time. They had church all day Saturday and Sunday, when they could meet. Mr. Karr was a deacon for many years and chairman of the County School Board for fifteen years; also trustee for number of years.
Opal Karr Kearly died June 3, 1947, age 29. Mr. Luther Karr died Sept. 5, 1956, age 77. Both buried in the Espuela Cemetery.
Source: History of Dickens County; Ranches and Rolling Plains, Fred Arrington, ©1971, page 278
Old Lumber In House Near Dickens Has A History; 52-years Old
A news item from Dickens states that the new lumber put in the modern six-room house recently built by Luther Karr on his farm adjoining the old Espulia (sic) townsite, first County Seat of Dickens County, can tell a different story then that that of the old lumber used from the torn-down house on the same farm.
The old lumber was freighted to Dickens County 52 years ago by wagon from Quanah. An eight-room two story house was constructed on what is now the Karr farm, in 1886, five years before the county was organized in 1891. At that time Espulia (sic) was a struggling frontier town.
Afther the county seat was moved to Dickens, the town disappeared and now only an unused school building and a church remain.
The old house was occupied by various storekeepers of Espulia, and when torn down recently all the lumber was in excellent shape and was usuable in the new home.
Mr. Karr is a brother of R.E. Karr of Crosbyton.
The Crosbyton Review, Friday, November 18, 1938.
Funeral services for John Luther Karr, 77, will be held this afternoon, September 6, 1956, at the First Baptist Church, Spur.Rev. Billy S. Smith will officiate, assisted by Rev. L.R. Pendley
Karr was born on October 23, 1878, in Buford, Georgia. He came to Hunt Co., Texas with his family that same year and moved to Dickens County in January, 1912.
On December 8, 1901, he married Lula Catherine Puckett at Wolfe City, Texas, where they made their first home. Their home in Dickens County was in the Espuela community.
Karr died yesterday morning, September 5, in the Spur Memorial Hospital.
He was converted to the Christian religion at the age of 15 and was a member of the Baptist Church.
The funeral today will be at 3 p.m. The pallbearers will be William Williams, Clyde Horn, T.B. Watson, Marion Jordan, Bill Wyatt and Elmer Shugart. Honorary pallbearers will be J.W. Carlisle, Fred Neaves, G.L. Delisle, W.A. Holloway, J.L. Koonsman, Seals Earnest, W.E. Ball, F.B. Crockett, Merle Foreman, S.L. Benefield, Lloyd Hindman, Martin Pope and Jim Bridge.
Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Lula Karr; four sons, Hubert, Guy, and Harold of Spur, Ray of Corpus Christi; two daughters, Mrs. Pauline Montgomery of Jayton, and Sheila Karr of Spur; two brothers, Ralph of Rock, Kansas., and Henry of Fort Worth; three sisters, Mrs. L. E. Make of Levelland, Mrs. Homer McBride of Ozle, Texas, and Mrs. Cary Clements of Perryton, Texas; eleven grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Burial will be at the Espuela Cemetery north of Spur with the Campbell´s Funeral Chapel in charge of arrangements.
©The Texas Spur, September, 1956
Lovingly submitted by Polly Montgomery
SPUR (special) — Mrs. Lula C. Karr, 92, of Spur died about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in Lubbock Methodist Hospital. Services will be 2 p.m. today in First Baptist Church in Spur.Officiating will be the Rev. Norris Taylor, pastor, with burial in Espuela Cemetery in Espuela under direction of Campbell Funeral Home.
Mrs. Karr was a native of Buford, Ga., and she moved to Dickens County in 1912. She had been a resident of Spur for the past 14 years.
She was married to J.L. Karr December 8, 1901, in Wolfe City.
She was a member of the First Baptist Church.
Survivors include four sons, Hubert, Guy and Harold, all of Spur and Ray of Granbury; a daughter, Mrs. Pauline Montgomery of Town Creek, Ala.; 10 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren and a great-great grandchild.
©Lubbock Avalanche Journal, Thursday October 18, 1973
(Another Obit) Lula Karr - 1973
Funeral services for Mrs. Lula C. Karr, 92, were held Thursday at 2 p.m. in the First Baptist Church, Spur, with Rev. Norris Taylor, pastor, officiating.Mrs. Karr died October 16, in Methodist Hospital, Lubbock. She was a member of the First Baptist Church and was a resident of Dickens County since 1912. Her husband preceded her in death in 1956.
She is survived by four sons, Hubert, Guy and Harold Karr, all of Spur and Ray Karr, Granbury; one daughter, Mrs. Pauline Montgomery, Town Creek, Alabama; 10 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.
Pallbearers included Morris Collette Jr, John L. Koonsman, Dan Karr, William North, Bob Stafford and Don Karr.
Burial was in Espuela Cemetery.
©The Texas Spur, October 1973
Lovingly submitted by Polly Montgomery
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