Ranching History

Snapshots from the Digital Windshield

Littlefield
Waypoints

The Roots of Littlefield: A Railway and Ranching Legacy

July 6, 2026 Larry Gaian 0
Littlefield sits right in the heart of the Llano Estacado, where the West Texas spirit runs deep. Back in July 1901, Major George Washington Littlefield—a generous Texas businessman—bought the southern part of the old XIT Ranch, more than 312,000 acres. Folks soon started calling it tIn 1912, surveyors found out the new Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway would cross the […]
Waypoints Detours

Matador, Texas

May 22, 2026 Larry Gaian 0
Matador, Texas, located in Motley County, started as a small frontier settlement in the late 1800s and quickly became the heart of ranching in Northwest Texas. After becoming the county seat of Motley County in 1891, the town grew along with the famous Matador Ranch. Scottish investors founded the ranch in 1879, bringing jobs and business to the area and […]
Waypoints Detours

Motley County, Texas

May 21, 2026 Larry Gaian 0
Located in the rolling plains of Northwest Texas, Motley County has a rich history deeply connected to ranching, frontier settlement, and the rugged spirit of the American West. The county was established in 1876 and organized in 1891. It was named in honor of Junius William Mottley, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence who died during the Texas […]