Ranching and Farming in Hale County

Census figures trace the change the plaque describes. In 1900, 125 of the county's farms and ranches were larger than 1,000 acres, more than 20,700 cattle grazed and corn, the main crop, covered only 1,325 acres. By 1920 there were 1,031 farms on 576,000 acres, nearly 168,000 of them in grain, along with 49,000 fruit trees, 102,000 chickens and 17,611 sheep, up from 160 in 1910. The Depression undid some of that: about a hundred farmers lost their land, and by 1939 only 1,628 farms and ranches remained.

What the plaque says

Ranching and Farming in Hale County Pioneer ranchers began to settle Hale County in the early 1880s. Land was plentiful and cheap, but life was hard. Many settlers lived in dugouts. Supplies were freighted from Colorado City until the railroad reached Amarillo. Cattle roamed the free grazing land until round-up time, when they were separated according to brands. Ranchers earned extra income by selling buffalo bones for fertilizer, working on the railroad, or hiring out to larger ranches. Many worked at the Circle Ranch of Col. C. C. Slaughter, which covered land in four counties. Other significant ranches included the Callahan, Barton, and Norfleet ranches. When the public land was gone and free grazing ended, the larger ranches were divided into smaller tracts. The transition from ranching to farming was difficult. By the early 20th century, wheat farming and dairy production began to replace ranching operations. The Dust Bowl and Depression of the 1930s brought new hardships. Soon after World War II, however, a high percentage of the cultivated acreage in Hale County was under irrigation. This allowed for crop diversification with high yields of grain sorghum, corn, soybeans, wheat, vegetables, and livestock production. Cotton has become the leading cash crop. (1985)

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• First Baptist Church of Hale Center — 1.1 mi
• Nils Akeson — 1.1 mi
• J. Frank Norfleet — 1.2 mi
• Site of Epworth — 1.2 mi