Site of Original Headquarters of the Quitaque Ranch
South Plains, Floyd County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Established by the Baker brothers in 1877; bought in 1880 for Mrs. Cornelia Adair by Charles Goodnight. Together with the Palo Duro ranches it embraced more than one million acres acquired by Goodnight in 1887, later broken into smaller tracts.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Established by the Baker brothers in 1877, the Quitaque Ranch was purchased in 1880 on behalf of Cornelia Adair by the legendary cattleman Charles Goodnight. Joined with the Palo Duro ranches, it formed part of a vast holding of more than a million acres assembled by Goodnight in 1887 before being broken into smaller tracts. This spot marks the original headquarters of one of the great open-range empires of the Texas Panhandle.
Why it matters
It marks the high-water mark of the cattle-baron era, when a handful of ranches measured in the millions of acres shaped the economy and identity of the West.
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Related people
- · Charles Goodnight
- · Cornelia Adair
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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