The XIT Ranch and Oldham County's Cattle Roots

By 1900, Oldham County had 23 ranches covering more than 578,000 acres. The XIT Ranch was one of the biggest, using land in the county as part of its sprawling Panhandle operation. Other major outfits — the LIT, LS, LE, and LX ranches — also ran cattle here. There were almost no crops at the time, just cattle country.

Wheat farming expanded in the 1920s and 1930s, and oil production began in 1957. But ranching has never left. Today the county economy still leans on livestock and farming. If you buy land here, understand that many neighbors run cattle and that state right-to-farm protections apply.