Boys Ranch in Oldham County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
The Historic LS
(Headquarters 3 miles southeast)
Photographed By Bill Kirchner, November 19, 2015
1. The Historic LS Marker
Inscription.
The Historic LS. (Headquarters 3 miles southeast). Great early ranch well known to badman Billy the Kid and other famed western characters. The LS was founded in 1870's by former Indian territory trader W. M. D. Lee and New York financier Lucien Scott. Through Lee's efforts, the LS had water and grass for over 100,000 cattle and sometimes drove 6 or 7 herds a year up the trail. When thefts followed Billy the Kid's visits, LS men rode west and brought back their cattle; and when Tascosa gunfights put men into Boot Hill graves, the LS escaped disaster. But drouth brought heavy losses in 1886; and grant of 3,000,000 acres of panhandle lands to the XIT (state of Texas' payment for constructing Capitol in Austin) cut old LS range in half. Lee left in 1890 to promote a ship canal in Houston. Scott died 1893. W. H. Gray and E. F. Swift of Chicago bought LS in 1905., Memorable LS men included foreman J. E. McAlister, later a Channing merchant. One of the $25-a-month cowboys was E. L. Doheny, later a multi-millionaire oil man involved in 1920's Teapot Dome scandal., Ownership of brand and 96,000 acres of LS range passed to Col. C. T. Herring, rancher and civic leader of Amarillo; his estate still operates it.
Great early ranch well known to badman Billy the Kid and other famed western characters. The LS was founded in 1870's by former Indian territory trader W. M. D. Lee and New York financier Lucien Scott. Through Lee's efforts, the LS had water and grass for over 100,000 cattle and sometimes drove 6 or 7 herds a year up the trail. When thefts followed Billy the Kid's visits, LS men rode west and brought back their cattle; and when Tascosa gunfights put men into Boot Hill graves, the LS escaped disaster. But drouth brought heavy losses in 1886; and grant of 3,000,000 acres of panhandle lands to the XIT (state of Texas' payment for constructing Capitol in Austin) cut old LS range in half. Lee left in 1890 to promote a ship canal in Houston. Scott died 1893. W. H. Gray and E. F. Swift of Chicago bought LS in 1905.
Memorable LS men included foreman J. E. McAlister, later a Channing merchant. One of the $25-a-month cowboys was E. L. Doheny, later a multi-millionaire oil man involved in 1920's Teapot Dome scandal.
Ownership of brand and 96,000 acres of LS range passed to Col. C. T. Herring, rancher and civic leader of Amarillo; his estate still operates it.
Erected 1968 by State Historical Survey Committee. (Marker Number 5352.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these
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topic lists: Agriculture • Animals. A significant historical year for this entry is 1886.
Location. 35° 32.067′ N, 102° 15.989′ W. Marker is in Boys Ranch, Texas, in Oldham County. Marker is at the intersection of U.S. 385, on the right when traveling north on U.S. 385. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Boys Ranch TX 79010, United States of America. Touch for directions.
The other markers are: Oldham County, Old Tascosa and Blue Star Memorial Highway.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on December 22, 2015, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. This page has been viewed 508 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on December 22, 2015, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona.
