XIT Ranch

Famed XIT was world’s largest ranch under fence in 1880s, three million acres! The State of Texas, far richer in land than cash, granted 3,050,000 acres of land in 1882 to a Chicago corporation for construction of state capitol. An English company, the Capitol Freehold Land & Investment Company of London, operated the immense spread that covered parts of 10 present counties. The north fence was 200 miles from the south fence; east-west distance was 27 miles, and 3,000 miles of barbed wired delineated hundreds of pastures, pens, residences and forage enclosures. Initial stocking herd of cattle numbered 110,721 head. Over the years, XIT lands have been divided and sold to “smaller” ranchers, some of whom control 100,000 acres or more.