Hansford County Creeks
Source: The Handbook of Texas Online
HACKBERRY CREEK
Hackberry Creek rises in the Shapley oilfield in north central
Hansford County (at 36°23' N, 101°22' W) and runs northeast to
its mouth on the Beaver River, in Texas County, Oklahoma (at
36°35' N, 101°03' W).
The flat, barren, sandy landscape of the
creek's upper reaches gives way to local escarpments, with brush
and grasses supported by deep sandy soils.
FRISCO CREEK
Frisco Creek rises near Stratford in northwestern Sherman County
(at 36°22' N, 102°09' W) and runs northeast for thirteen miles,
across Sherman County and the northwestern corner of Hansford
County, into Texas County, Oklahoma, where it drains into the
North Canadian River (at 36°34' N, 101°23' W).
The stream crosses flat to rolling terrain
with local escarpments, surfaced by deep, fine sandy loams that
support brush and grasses.
SOUTH PALODURO CREEK
South Paloduro Creek rises in northwestern Moore County 1½ miles
from the Hartley county line (at 35°55' N, 102°08' W) and flows
east for thirty-five miles through a vast, flat ranching and
oil-producing area into northwestern Hutchinson County.
At State Highway 136 it turns and flows north through rugged local escarpments to join North Paloduro Creek in southwestern Hansford County (at 36°06' N, 101°28' W) near the area of the old Cator Ranch.
The course of the creek is through mostly
barren land; only in local draws is the sandy soil deep enough to
support brush and grasses.
HORSE CREEK
. Horse Creek rises a mile south of the junction of State Highway
207 and Farm Road 281 in northern Hutchinson County (at 36°01'
N, 101°20' W) and runs northeast for fifteen miles, through a
vast agricultural and oil-producing region in eastern Hansford
County, to its mouth on Palo Duro Creek (at 36°22' N, 101°10'
W).
The stream rises in a plains region with some local shallow depressions, then as it nears its mouth, crosses an area of moderately sloping terrain.
Local soils are generally sandy and clayey and support mesquite and grasses.
The town of Spearman was founded just east
of Horse Creek in 1917.
COLDWATER CREEK
Coldwater Creek rises in Cimarron County, Oklahoma (at 36°30' N,
102°52' W), and runs through northwest Dallam County, Texas,
east across central Sherman County, and northeast across
northwestern Hansford County, into Texas County, Oklahoma, where
it proceeds northwest to its mouth on the North Canadian River
(at 36°40' N, 101°07' W).
It crosses flat to rolling hills surfaced by clay and sandy loam that supports hardwoods, brush, and grasses.
The stream is sometimes known as Rabbit Ears Creek, after the two peaks called the Rabbit Ears near Clayton, New Mexico.
These peaks were an important landmark and
campsite on the Cimarron Cutoff section of the Santa Fe Trail.
COTTONWOOD CREEK
Cottonwood Creek, sometimes known as Coldwater Creek, rises four
miles north of Stinnett in central Hutchinson County (at 35°53'
N, 101°27' W) and runs south for twelve miles to its mouth on
the Canadian River, four miles north of Borger (at 35°44' N,
101°24' W).
It crosses flat to rolling plains with sandy and clayey soils that support mesquites and various grasses.
The stream was part of the Hansford Land and Cattle Company's Turkey Track Ranch.
Much of it remains in the Whittenburg family
holdings, and the old Dial townsite is located on the creek.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Pauline D. and R. L. Robertson, Cowman's Country:
Fifty Frontier Ranches in the Texas Panhandle, 1876-1887
(Amarillo: Paramount, 1981).