Gatesville - The Spur Capital of Texas

House Concurrent Resolution No. 197 during the 77th Legislature in regular session in 2001 designated Gatesville as the Spur Capitol of Texas and was signed by then Governor Rick Perry. This was in recognition of the donation of the largest collection of spurs in the world by the family of Coach Lloyd Mitchell (1907-1991) to the Coryell Museum and Historical Association. The artifacts represent 77 years of collecting by Gatesville’s beloved coach and his wife, Madge, and includes riding spurs of Pancho Villa, Rex Bell, and Jackie Kennedy. The collection includes a wide range of spur makers including Bayers, Bianchi, Bischoff, Boone, Buermann, Crockett, Fleming, Garcia, Kelly, McChesney, Ricardo, and Shipley. Mitchell was especially fond of gal-leg spurs, which received its name because the shank of the spur was shaped like a woman’s leg.