The National Ranching Heritage Center, a

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

ranching A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most often ...

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

, is located on the campus of

Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...

Lubbock Lubbock ( ) is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northwe ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. The NRHC features almost fifty authentic ranch buildings dating from the late 18th to the mid-20th century. These structures include a

railroad depot A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a Rail transport, railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passenger train, passengers, freight rail transport, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one r ...

, homesteads, barn, blacksmith shop, schoolhouse,

windmill A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy using vanes called windmill sail, sails or blades, specifically to mill (grinding), mill grain (gristmills), but the term is also extended to windpumps, wind turbines, and ...

s and other historic structures. One views the exhibits through a self-guided walking tour. It is free to the public.

History

The center was established in 1969 by the Ranching Heritage Association. AIn 2013, Miguel Martinez, a 14-year-old from Lubbock, was impaled through the chest by the horn of a bull statue while playing hide-and-seek at night in front of the National Ranching Heritage Center. He died from his injuries. On January 22, 2019, the Heritage Center launched an exhibit which shows the importance of the different breeds of cattle brought into the southwestern United States. The first cattle, explains the exhibit, were Andalusian brought to the continent in the second voyage of

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...

. Later breeds, such as

Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a population ...

Angus Angus may refer to: Media * ''Angus'' (film), a 1995 film * ''Angus Og'' (comics), in the ''Daily Record'' Places Australia * Angus, New South Wales Canada * Angus, Ontario, a community in Essa, Ontario * East Angus, Quebec Scotland * An ...

, and the

Texas Longhorn The Texas Longhorn is an American list of cattle breeds, breed of beef cattle, characterized by its long horns, which can span more than from tip to tip. It derives from cattle brought from the Iberian Peninsula to the Americas by Spanish con ...

shaped the destiny of the American West.

Gallery

File:Barton House in Lubbock, TX IMG 0052.JPG, The Barton House, an example of

Queen Anne style architecture The Queen Anne style of British architecture refers to either the English Baroque architecture of the time of Queen Anne (who reigned from 1702 to 1714) or the British Queen Anne Revival form that became popular during the last quarter of the ...

, was relocated to the Heritage Center from Hale County. It is named for Joseph J. Barton. Image:Corral at NRHC in Lubbock, TX IMG_1616.JPG, U Lazy S Carriage House, owned by John B. Slaughter, was moved from

Post Post or POST commonly refers to: *Mail, the postal system, especially in Commonwealth of Nations countries **An Post, the Irish national postal service **Canada Post, Canadian postal service **Deutsche Post, German postal service **Iraqi Post, Ira ...

to the NRHC. Image:Dogtrot House, NRHC, Lubbock, TX IMG_1603.JPG, Hedwig's Hill Dogtrot House (1855) is essentially two

log cabin A log cabin is a small log house, especially a less finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first generation home building by settlers. Eur ...

s under a common roof relocated from Mason County Image:1800s Texas House.JPG, Restored Texan pioneer house Image:Red barn at National Ranching Heritage Center, Lubbock, TX IMG_0054.JPG, The 6666 barn stood near the home of rancher

Samuel Burk Burnett Samuel Burk Burnett (January 1, 1849 – June 27, 1922) was an American cattleman and rancher from Texas, owner of the 6666 Ranch, and namesake of Burkburnett, Texas. Early life Samuel Burk Burnett was born on January 1, 1849, in Bates Count ...

in Guthrie until it was removed to the NRHC. Image:Jowell House, NRHC, Lubbock, TX IMG_1610.JPG, The Jowell House (1872-1873) from

Palo Pinto County Palo Pinto County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 28,409. The county seat is Palo Pinto. The county was created in 1856 and organized the following year. Palo Pinto County comprises th ...

is a fortress style residence, with an outside ladder to the second floor. Image:Jowell Cemetery, Lubbock, TX IMG_1605.JPG, Because children frequently died young in the

American West The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...

, the heritage center relocated this Jowell Cemetery (1876-1889) from Palo Pinto County. Image:Depot at National Ranching Heritage Center IMG_0249.JPG,

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and ...

Railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

at the Ropes

Depot Depot ( or ) may refer to: Places * Depot, Poland, a village * Depot Island, Kemp Land, Antarctica * Depot Island, Victoria Land, Antarctica * Depot Island Formation, Greenland Brands and enterprises * Maxwell Street Depot, a restaurant in ...

Image:Matador Ranch half-dugout, NRHC, Lubbock, TX IMG_1614.JPG, This half-dugout (1888) in Dickens County was removed from the

Matador Ranch A bullfighter (or matador) is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter and describe all the performers in the activity ...

to the NRHC. Image:Waggoner Ranch Commissary at NHRC in Lubbock, TX IMG_1613.JPG,

Waggoner Ranch The Waggoner Ranch is a historic north Texas ranch located 13 miles south of Vernon, Texas. The land was used primarily to raise crops, beef cattle and horses as well as for oil production. It was notable for being the largest ranch within one fen ...

commissary (1870s), relocated to the NRHC from Wichita County Image:Schoolhouse at National Ranching Heritage Center IMG_0252.JPG, One-room Bairfield Schoolhouse used in Donley and

Armstrong Armstrong may refer to: Places * Armstrong Creek (disambiguation), various places Antarctica * Armstrong Reef, Biscoe Islands Argentina * Armstrong, Santa Fe Australia * Armstrong, Victoria Canada * Armstrong, British Columbia * Armstrong ...

counties until 1937 Image:Box and Strip House, NHRC, Lubbock, TX IMG_1615.JPG, Box and strip house (1903, 1907), with dual entrances but uninsulated, was relocated to the NRHC from Martin County. Image:Mail station at National Ranching Heritage Center IMG_0255.JPG, Pioneer mail station (1875) relocated from Knox County Image:Windmill at National Ranching Heritage Center.JPG, Starmill

at NRHC Image:Water cart at National Ranching Heritage Center IMG_0059.JPG, A cart for transporting water from a well powered by a windmill Image: Harrell House at National Ranching Heritage Center IMG_0049.JPG, The Harrell House, named for sisters Fay and Myrtle Harrell of

Scurry County Scurry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 16,932. Its county seat is Snyder, which is the home for Western Texas College. Scurry County is named for Confederate General William ...

, was built in phases between 1885 and 1917. Image:Pioneer kitchen at National Ranching Heritage Center IMG_0251.JPG, Pioneer kitchen in Harrell House Image:Dining room at Harrell House, Lubbock, TX IMG_1611.JPG, Dining room at Harrell House Image:Pitchfork Ranch Cookhouse, NRHC, Lubbock, TX IMG_1623.JPG, Restored

Pitchfork Ranch A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to t ...

cookhouse from Dickens County at NRHC Image:Ranch office building at National Ranching Heritage Center IMG 0056.JPG, A ranch office building at the Heritage Center Image:Interior of ranch office at National Ranching Heritage Center IMG_0055.JPG, Inside of ranch office Image:Los Corralitos Building at National Ranching Heritage Center IMG_0062.JPG, The Los Corralitos (meaning "Little Corrals") Building was relocated to the Heritage Center from Zapata County in

South Texas South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of—and includes—San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 4.96 ...

Image:Replica of Cannon Saddle Shop at National Ranching Heritage Center IMG 0246.JPG, Replica of Tooter Cannon

Saddle The saddle is a supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is equestrian. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other animals. It is not kno ...

Shop at Heritage Center Image:Ranching Hours.JPG, Ranching Center hours

References

External links

The National Ranching Heritage Center official site

Information on the National Ranching Association
{{Coord, 33, 35, 26.68, N, 101, 53, 3.41, W, region:US_type:landmark, display=title Texas Tech University Agriculture museums in the United States Museums in Lubbock, Texas Open-air museums in Texas University museums in Texas American West museums in Texas 1969 establishments in Texas Relocated buildings and structures in Texas

History

Gallery

See also

References

External links