Xit Museum

The XIT Museum in Dalhart, Texas, seeks to preserve the history and culture of one of the best-known ranches of the American West, the legendary XIT, which at its peak encompassed parts of ten Texas counties along a 200-mile (300 km) stretch of acreage in the late 19th century. The ranch operated from 1885–1912. The museum exhibits include a model of an XIT division headquarters. The museum also displays period artifacts: an early kitchen, parlor, bedroom, an inspirational chapel (which can accommodate small wedding parties), dozens of historic photographs, and collections of guns, hats, and cameras. The railroad exhibit stems from a major event of May 31, 1901, when the Rock Island, now Union Pacific, crossed the Fort Worth and Denver Railway lines near the stop called “Twist Junction”, which became the future Dalhart, derived from the combination of Dallam and Hartley counties. Another popular exhibit is that devoted to the life of the county sheriff. There is also wildlife exhibit of mostly birds.