History
in a Pecan ShellSpringlake
began in 1908 when the Halsell Cattle Company sold land to the George C. Wright
Land Company. George Wright immediately went to work opening a store, building
a hotel and getting a post office.
Wright borrowed the name for the future
town from the XIT
Ranch – Springlake being the name of one of the huge ranch’s divisions which
had held a post office under that name (1889 to 1901).
In 1910 Lamb County held an election to decide the county seat. Springlake lost
the race to Olton by a single vote. In 1927 the
physical town of Springlake relocated, leaving behind its first cemetery.
A
grain elevator and flour mill were opened in the 1930s, enhancing what had been
a rather barren landscape. Although earlier figures aren’t available, Springlake
had a population of 250 for the 1950 census, its high water-mark.
A slow
decline set in and by the 1990s it was down to 131 residents. The 2000 count added
four people to that number. | 
