McGee Ranch House
Crane, Crane County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Crane County's oldest house; built 1909 by pioneer rancher R. D. McGee on land homesteaded 23 years prior to County organization. Jay McGee, a son, was one of the first county commissioners. Typical "dog-trot" design. It took wagons 3 days to haul the lumber from Odessa. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1966.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Crane County's oldest house was built in 1909 by pioneer rancher R. D. McGee, on land he had homesteaded more than two decades before the county was even organized. Its classic 'dog-trot' plan—two rooms flanking an open central passage—was a practical answer to the West Texas heat. Hauling the lumber from Odessa took wagons three full days across the open range.
Why it matters
The house marks how ranching families settled the arid Permian Basin long before formal county government reached them.
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Related people
- · R. D. McGee
- · Jay McGee
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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