The Free Range Era of Ranching
Lubbock, Lubbock County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The Free Range Era of Ranching Northwest Texas, 1878-1885 After Indians and buffalo were removed in 1870s, several hundred cattlemen with small herds came to rolling plains near site of later Lubbock, to graze free range. Vital natural water sources were found east of the Caprock, where springs and streams were fed from the Ogallala Formation of the High Plains. Here, with good years and rising prices, the free rangers prospered until 1884, when syndicates began purchasing land and enclosing large blocks with barbed wire. Free range men had to sell their herds to the syndicates or move farther west. The Spur Ranch alone acquired over 500,000 acres of land and bought cattle and brands from 37 of the free rangers. Similar ranches were developed by the Curry Comb, IOA, Jumbo, Long S, Magnolia, Matador, Pitchfork, Square and Compass, T Bar and Two Buckle interests. By 1885 all free range operations were transformed into large, enclosed ranches. Some free rangers exchanged cattle for stock in syndicates, others were employed by syndicates, and a few moved to Arizona, New Mexico or Wyoming. A few-- including the Edwards, Long and Slaughter Families-- acquired land and became sizable operators. 1970
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In the brief window between 1878 and 1885, the rolling plains around present-day Lubbock belonged to the open range. After the buffalo and the Comanche had been driven out, cattlemen with modest herds moved in to graze freely on grass watered by springs rising from the Ogallala aquifer east of the Caprock. Their independent era ended almost as fast as it began: starting in 1884, well-capitalized syndicates like the Spur Ranch bought up land, strung barbed wire across the plains, and folded or forced out the free rangers.
Why it matters
The rise and fall of the free range in a single decade captures the larger American story of how barbed wire, capital, and consolidation transformed the wide-open West into fenced, corporate ranchland.
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Related people
- · Edwards Family
- · Long Family
- · Slaughter Family
Related events
- · Free Range Era of Northwest Texas (1878–1885)
Themes & tags
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