The XIT Ranch was a cattle ranch in the Panhandle of Texas which operated from 1885 to 1912. Comprised of over 3,000,000 acres (12,000 km²) of land, it ran for two hundred miles (300 km) along the border with New Mexico, varying in width from twenty to thirty miles (30 to 50 km).
In 1879, the Sixteenth Texas Legislature appropriated three million acres of land to finance a new state capitol. In 1882, in a special legislative session, the Seventeenth Texas Legilature struck a bargain with Charles B. and John V. Farwell, under which a syndicate, led by the Farwell's, agreed to build a new $3,000,000.00 Texas State Capitol and accept the 3,000,000 Panhandle acres in payment.
The ranch started operations in 1885 and at its peak averaged handling 150,000 head of cattle within its 1,500 miles of fencing. The ranch also erected 325 windmills and 100 dams across its land. The cattle on the ranch were constantly plagued by cattle rustlers and predators, especially wolves.
Starting in the late 1890s, the syndicate that owned the ranch, began selling off the land to pay off investors. By 1905, most of the land was subdivided and being sold to farmers. The last of the XIT cattle were sold on November 1, 1912, and land sales subsequently increased.
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