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John V. Farwell: The Chicago Merchant Behind the XIT Ranch

A dry goods merchant who financed the Texas Capitol and ended up running one of the largest fenced ranches in the world.

Who was John V. Farwell?

John V. Farwell was a Chicago wholesale dry goods merchant, the namesake of John V. Farwell & Co., who died in 1908 and was succeeded as company president by his son, per Wikipedia's article on the son. The Texas Trail of Fame page, which inducted him in 2023, names him John Villiers Farwell and does not state his birth year in its text; the 1825 date comes from the file listing.

His brother Charles B. Farwell was a politician. Both men were directors of the Capitol Freehold Land and Investment Company.

How did the Farwells get the XIT land?

The XIT story starts with a fire. The old Texas Capitol burned on November 9, 1881, and the state needed a new one without much cash. The 1876 constitution had set aside about three million acres of Panhandle land to pay for a capitol, according to Texas Co-op Power's feature The Ranch That Built the Capitol.

In 1882 the construction contract went to the Capitol Syndicate: John and Charles Farwell, Amos C. Babcock and Abner Taylor. John Farwell formed the Capitol Freehold Land and Investment Company of London, which raised about $5 million, and the Farwells paid early construction stages from their own funds. The capitol was dedicated in 1888.

What was the XIT Ranch?

According to XIT Ranch history, the ranch covered portions of ten Texas Panhandle counties: Dallam, Hartley, Oldham, Deaf Smith, Parmer, Castro, Bailey, Lamb, Cochran and Hockley. The first cattle arrived in 1885 and the brand was created at Buffalo Springs. At one point the ranch ran about 150,000 head. One author cited by Texas Co-op Power reported 1,500 miles of barbed wire.

Texas Co-op Power says manager Albert G. Boyce, who took over in 1888, split the ranch into eight divisions headquartered at Channing and replaced most of the roughly 150 cowboys. Farwell, it says, replaced longhorns with purebred Hereford, Angus and other stock.

Farwell's role at the XIT

The Trail of Fame page calls Farwell managing director of the XIT and says he prioritized improving cattle genetics. He visited the ranch's eight divisions and held church services for employees and guests; he was a devout Methodist. XIT test farms helped open previously wild Panhandle land to settlement, and on his last visit he took pride that the Panhandle had three railroad lines.

The Key to Farwell's Success

Farwell's record shows a financier more than a cowman. He solved a funding problem for the state and built a livestock operation around the payment.

  • He raised outside capital: the London company reportedly brought in about $5 million.
  • He put in his own money early, paying the first stages of Capitol construction.
  • He changed the herd, replacing longhorns with purebred Hereford and Angus stock.
  • He divided and managed: the ranch ran in eight divisions under a professional manager.
  • He supported settlement with test farms and railroads that raised land values.
  • The costs were real: the ranch operated under threat of receivership from British investors, and the debt was not cleared until 1909.

End of the ranch and what remains

Acreage sales began in 1901. The last cattle left in 1912 when the estate ceased cattle operations. The Capitol Reservation Lands trust was organized in 1915 to hold the properties and lasted until the last Panhandle properties were sold in the 1960s. In 2022 descendants repurchased original XIT lands near Channing. The XIT history site says remaining holdings are managed by the Capitol Freehold Land Trust and that less than 2 percent of the original acreage remains intact. The first annual XIT Reunion was held in Fort Worth in 1936.

Land taken for the XIT sat in country that, per a Texas historical marker, saw Native Americans expelled from the region between 1874 and 1878. For more on ranch history, see farm.FM's ranching section and a farm.FM story about the XIT Ranch.

Timeline

  1. 1881Old Texas Capitol burns on November 9
  2. 1882Capitol Syndicate wins the construction contract
  3. 1885First cattle arrive on the XIT; brand created
  4. 1888Capitol dedicated; Boyce becomes ranch manager
  5. 1901XIT begins selling acreage
  6. 1908Farwell dies
  7. 1909Farwell debt in England is paid off
  8. 1912Cattle operations end
  9. 2022Descendants buy back original XIT land near Channing

Frequently asked questions

Who was John V. Farwell?

John V. Farwell was a Chicago dry goods merchant who, with his brother Charles and partners, built the Texas Capitol in exchange for three million Panhandle acres that became the XIT Ranch.

How big was the XIT Ranch?

About three million acres across ten Panhandle counties, described as the largest ranch in the world under fence. It ran about 150,000 head of cattle at one point.

What does XIT mean?

XIT is the ranch brand, created in 1885 at Buffalo Springs. The Trail of Fame page says it was formed when a boot heel pressed into the dirt; other accounts credit Barbecue Campbell and Ab Blocker.

When did the XIT Ranch end?

Acreage sales began in 1901, and the last cattle left in 1912. The Capitol Reservation Lands trust held remaining properties until the 1960s.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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