Near Dickens in Dickens County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Pitchfork Ranch
Photographed by Bill Kirchner, June 9, 2017
1. Pitchfork Ranch Marker
Inscription.
Pitchfork Ranch. . Irish-born Jerry Savage established an open range ranch at this site about 1879. In 1881, St. Louis businessman Eugene F. Williams and Texas cattleman Dan B. Gardner purchased the ranch and in 1883 joined forces with landholder Sam Lazarus to form the Pitchfork Land and Cattle Company, Inc. Williams' heirs later acquired controlling interest of the cattle empire. The first structures here were dugouts in the river bank, while the present buildings date from 1902. Pitchfork Ranch has doubled its original size to 165,000 acres and now operates ranches in Kansas and Wyoming.
Irish-born Jerry Savage established an open range ranch at this site about 1879. In 1881, St. Louis businessman Eugene F. Williams and Texas cattleman Dan B. Gardner purchased the ranch and in 1883 joined forces with landholder Sam Lazarus to form the Pitchfork Land & Cattle Company, Inc. Williams' heirs later acquired controlling interest of the cattle empire. The first structures here were dugouts in the river bank, while the present buildings date from 1902. Pitchfork Ranch has doubled its original size to 165,000 acres and now operates ranches in Kansas and Wyoming.
Erected 1983 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 4041.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Animals. A significant historical year for this entry is 1879.
Location. 33° 35.928′ N, 100° 31.951′ W. Marker is near Dickens, Texas, in Dickens County. It can be reached from U.S. 82. Marker is located at ranch headquarters, 1/4 mile south of US-82, and 17 miles east of Dickens city limits. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Dickens TX 79229, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally,
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this marker is on Texas’ South Plains. It is also on the American Great Plains and specifically on the Southern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, and one of the Confederate States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least one other marker is within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: King County (approx. 10.4 miles away).
Photographed by Bill Kirchner, June 9, 2017
2. Pitchfork Ranch Marker
Photographed by Bill Kirchner, June 9, 2017
3. Pitchfork Ranch Marker
Photographed by Bill Kirchner, June 9, 2017
4. Pitchfork Ranch entrance on highway US-82.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 5, 2017. It was originally submitted on July 5, 2017, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. This page has been viewed 938 times since then and 46 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 5, 2017, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona.
