ESTD. 1885

The XIT Ranch

The XIT Ranch in the 1880's was the largest ranch in the world under one fence, and it was all in the Texas Panhandle. Its 3,000,000 acres sprawled from the old Yellowhouse headquarters near what is now Lubbock, Texas, all the way to what is now the Oklahoma Panhandle. The strip was roughly 30 miles wide. The XIT covered portions of 10 Texas counties.

1875

XIT and the Texas State Capitol

In 1875 the Texas government needed a new capitol. A deal was struck with Charles B. and John V. Farwell, brothers from Chicago, to build the new red granite capitol. The brothers accepted 3,000,000 acres in the Texas Panhandle as payment to build the $3,000,000 building. Ground was broken in 1882. By ox-power and railroad, red granite from Burnet County was transported to Austin for the historic structure.

1885

The First Cattle

In 1885 the first cattle rolled onto the XIT. Thousands of hoofs drummed along the trail, and the longhorns were pushed on to the No. 1 Division Headquarters at Buffalo Springs, 32 miles North of Dalhart, Texas. Once in time the ranch ran 150,000 cattle. The corrals, foreman's residence and bunkhouse had just been built at the springs, and still stand today. They are the oldest structures in Dallam County.

HI

Ab Blocker, a South Texas trail driver, and B.H. "Barbecue" Campbell, the first general manager of the ranch, who once ordered a carload of brown cigarette papers, squatted on their boot heels in the corral dust at Buffalo Springs trying to figure out a brand that could be run with a straight iron that cattle rustlers could not burn over. Blocker ran the first "XIT" right then and there.

XIT Today

For over four decades the ranch has slowly been selling into smaller ranges until at this time there remains less than 2% of the original acreage. Roaming and living in the Southwest and many parts of the world, are old cowpokes who once pounded leather on the XIT. It is to honor these men and their families that the annual XIT reunion is held. Fort Worth started it in 1936.

The second reunion came to Dalhart, and former XIT cowhands, comprising the XIT Association, voted Dalhart the permanent reunion home.