J. Frank Norfleet, the son of a rancher and Texas Ranger, was born in Lampasas County and grew up with little schooling while working on ranches. He served as foreman for 20 years on the Spade Ranch, married Mattie Eliza Hudgins in 1894, and they had four children. In 1905, after years of frugality, the family moved to their own land on the east boundary of Spade Ranch, and their holdings eventually grew to 20,000 acres. That same year, the Panhandle Short Line Railroad from Vega to Lubbock was begun through a new town named for Norfleet, 10 miles west of Hale Center. A school called Norfleet was moved there, and houses and stores soon appeared, but competition and lack of funds led to the railroad's abandonment and the town's quick decline. In 1919, while in Dallas, Norfleet was swindled out of $45,000 by a bunco gang. Angered by the loss of his savings, he spent almost five years searching the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Havana, Cuba, for the five thieves. His determination earned him the nickname "Little Tiger," and after the capture, which reportedly netted about 75 other confidence ring members, he wrote Norfleet, a book about his adventures.