Water once covered this area, where porous sandstone and exposed strata at canyon rims create a natural drainage outlet for upland aquifers and make these springs possible. Located at the head of a canyon ravine below the Upper Prairie Region of the Rolling Plains, the ancient springs have been a favored human habitat since the earliest occupation of this region, and many nomadic tribes used the site, leaving abundant archeological evidence. John A. Askins and his family settled near the springs in late 1883, and pioneers came to know them as Askins Springs. In 1891, the traveling real estate developer Dr. M. S. Crow arrived and helped organize the town of Dickens about a half-mile west of the Askins land. That year he announced his intention to give ten acres around "Crow Springs" to the town, and the new city park became known as Dickens Springs. Generations of Dickens residents and tourists visited for picnics and social gatherings, drawn by the rugged colorful scenery and unusual plant life. In 1978, Texas Tech University conducted an intensive survey of the surrounding land and, although many artifacts had been lost to souvenir hunters, uncovered a variety of ancient tools, rarely of local origin. In the 21st century, Dickens Springs continues to provide water and beauty to the area for modern visitors as it did for the nomadic peoples of the past.