Heartland of Old XIT Ranch

Great Texas ranch of international fame. Payment made in an 1882 contract for the construction of granite capitol building in Austin. As contractors, some out-of-state investors (headed by the wealthy Chicago merchants, John V. and Senator C.B. Farwell) built the largest state capitol in North America and received in payment 3,000,000-acres of land. The grant, 200 miles long and of varying widths (enclosed later by a 6,000-mile barbed wire fence), extended from near site of present Lubbock to the Oklahoma line 40 miles north of here. It included land in counties of Bailey, Castro, Cochran, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Hartley, Hockley, Lamb, Oldham, and Parmer. Trail Boss Abner Blocker delivered first herd to Buffalo Springs in 1885 and scratched the "XIT" in corral dust with boot heel to design famous brand. Although its land was parcelled and sold, the XIT lives in Texas memories -especially here, 32 miles south of its Buffalo Springs headquarters. Dalhart holds an annual XIT reunion with rodeo and parade featuring a horse with an empty saddle, in honor of range riders of the past. Permanent tribute to XIT cowboys is this "empty saddle" monument, designed by western artist Bobby Dycke, dedicated in 1940. (1968)

Heartland of Old XIT Ranch is a historical marker in Dalhart, Dallam County, dedicated in 1968. It is one of 7 historical markers documented in Dallam County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 10 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 36.0674, -102.5230 near Dalhart. The nearest cataloged historic site is Mrs. Cordia Sloan Duke (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Dallam County Courthouse, Dalhart Memorial Park Cemetery, and Dalhart Army Air Field.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5111002419. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.