By Cordia Sloan Duke and Joe B. Frantz. Life on the XIT Ranch of Texas ... one of the first and enduring "big" ranches.
From the History of the XIT:
" The XIT Ranch in the 1880’s was the largest ranch in the world under fence, and it all laid in the Texas Panhandle. Its three million acres sprawled from the old Yellowhouse headquarters near what is now Lubbock, Texas, northward to the Oklahoma Panhandle, in an irregular strip that was roughly about thirty miles wide.
It covered portions of ten counties: Dallam, Hartley, Oldham, Deaf Smith, Parmer, Castro, Bailey, Lamb, Cochran and Hockley which has apparently helped perpetuate the misbelief that the brand — XIT — stands for “Ten in Texas.” The brand, in fact, was originated to thwart rustlers; one of the two originators, Ab Blocker, usually attended the XIT Reunions prior to his death at Freer, Texas, in the early 1940’s."
Today, it is still a huge working ranch operation. August sees the annual Rodeo, Reunion and Free BBQ feed ... largest free barbeque in the world. Worth the time spent and the drive.