PHONE
(806) 667-3461

ADDRESS
1524 Main St.
P.O. Box 326
Petersburg, Tx 79250

Petersburg is a city of approximately 1200 residents located in Hale County.

The City of Petersburg is served by the Petersburg Independent School District and is home to the Petersburg High School Buffaloes.

Sometime in the 1880’s, a fellow by the name of John Haynes made his way into the present day Petersburg area. After purchasing a large tract of land approximately 4 miles north of where Petersburg sits today, and settled down. Mr. Haynes son-in-law, Jack Peters headed out west from Tennessee and ended up at Hayne’s residence. Mr. Peters soon too, purchased a tract of land, built a dug out and moved his wife Maggie in with him. Not liking the idea of being so far from a post office, Mr. Peters set up his own Post Office in his dug out and appointed his wife as the Post Mistress. In 1896, Mr. Peters packed up his wife and belongings and moved off to the “Indian Territory”.

Around the same time the Peters family was headed off, A feller by the name of Mr. Edd M. White, from Dallas showed up and settled in what is todays present site of the town of Petersburg. Mr. White worked out a deal with Mrs. Peters, where she appointed him as the assistant Post Master, and the Post Office was moved into his living room. In 1902, Mr. White built a store building and filled it with merchandise, and moved the Post Office to the store. On opening day, Mr. White made the announcement that he was startin a new town. In honor of Mr. and Mrs. Peters, the town was named Petersburg. Petersburg can officially say that it was born in a dug out.
Clyde McDaniel
Petersburg Post, Centennial Edition
August 3, 2002.

The Church of Christ was organized in 1891, in the Whites home. Later the churches met in the school house with four denominations present. Each one would take charge one sunday a month. The Baptist organized in 1908, and the Methodist and Presbyterians both in 1909. The first Church of Christ building was erected in 1910 and the First Baptist Church building was completed in 1912.

Several men from the area served in WWI. John Hegi, Ira Allen, and Ed Hankins were the only local boys sent overseas. Mr. Hankins was the only one of the three who did make it home. A handful of young men were sent to battle during WWII, where several boys lost their lives. Donald Gregory, was killed on Iwo Jima in Feb., 1945. Other casualties include Cleo Thorpe, Ray Ramsey, R.A. Jefferies, Jr., Alvin Scarborough, W.L. Williams, Clinton Mitchel, Brother Boyles’s son, Burton, Culp and Hal Hegi.

The Buffaloes experienced a dream come true in 1963 when they came up against the George West Longhorns. As the show fell thick that day, but it did nothing to deter the football team from seeking victory. At the end of the game, the Petersburg Buffaloes where given the title State Champions!

The Petersburg Library held its “Open House” on October the 17th and 18th in 1964 in a building, which use was donated by J.D. Fox. The library moved to a new building in 1966 and open house was held on September 29, 1967.

The Railroad Depot in Petersburg closed down in January 1969, which was met with many businesses protesting.

Petersburg has had its own infamous characters, that wreaked havoc on the community. In November, 1976 a father and son duo robbed the First State Bank of Petersburg, taking Leota Porter hostage. They were caught an hour and a half later in Tulia.

Henry Lee Lucas was an infamous killer, who drifted through Petersburg in 1982. On December 20, Petersburg resident Faye Biggers was found slain in her home. Lucas admitted to the murder claiming he and his companion Ottis Elwood Toole, killed the elderly woman as she returned home from church, suprising the two who were in the process of burglarizng her home. Lucas had been to Petersburg three seperate times prior to the slaying, to burglarize homes for guns and money. Lucas claimed to have killed 360 people, was only charged with 22, but could have been over 100.