National Ranching Heritage Center facts for kids
The National Ranching Heritage Center is a special museum in Lubbock, Texas. It's located right on the Texas Tech University campus. This museum is all about keeping the amazing history of ranching in the United States alive.
It opened in 1971 and covers a huge 27-acre park. Here, you'll find real ranch buildings from the 1780s all the way to the 1950s. These buildings help tell the story of how ranching grew across North America.
When you visit, you can explore how ranching changed over time. There are cool exhibits with old tools, artifacts, and other items from ranch life. The center also has fun educational programs, yearly events, and live demonstrations. These show you what life was like for cowboys and how ranching helped build the American West. It even shows how ranching still affects us today! The National Ranching Heritage Center is a great place to learn about our nation's Western heritage.
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Discovering Ranching History
The National Ranching Heritage Center is like a time machine for ranching. It helps everyone understand the important role ranching played in shaping America.
The Story of Cattle Breeds
On January 22, 2019, the Heritage Center opened a new exhibit. This exhibit showed how different types of cattle were brought to the southwestern United States. It explained how important each breed was.
The very first cattle, called Andalusian cows, arrived with Christopher Columbus on his second trip. Later, other famous breeds like Hereford, Angus, and the tough Texas Longhorn came along. These cattle breeds truly shaped the future of the American West.
Exploring Historic Ranch Buildings
One of the coolest parts of the National Ranching Heritage Center is the collection of real ranch buildings. These buildings were carefully moved from their original spots to the center. They show how people lived and worked on ranches over many years.
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The Barton House is a beautiful example of Queen Anne style. It was moved here from Hale County.
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The U Lazy S Carriage House belonged to John B. Slaughter. It was moved from Post to the center.
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The Hedwig's Hill Dogtrot House (1855) is actually two log cabins under one roof! It came from Mason County.
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This is a restored house from the early Texas pioneers.
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The 6666 barn used to stand near rancher Samuel Burk Burnett's home in Guthrie before it was moved here.
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The Jowell House (1872-1873) from Palo Pinto County looks like a small fortress! It even has an outside ladder to the second floor.
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Sadly, children often died young in the American West. This Jowell Cemetery (1876-1889) was moved from Palo Pinto County to the center.
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This half-dugout (1888) was part of the Matador Ranch in Dickens County before it came to the center.
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The Waggoner Ranch commissary (1870s) was moved to the center from Wichita County.
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This box and strip house (1903, 1907) has two entrances but no insulation! It was moved from Martin County.
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This pioneer mail station (1875) was moved from Knox County.
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A Starmill windmill at the center.
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This cart was used to carry water from a well powered by a windmill.
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The Harrell House, named for sisters Fay and Myrtle Harrell of Scurry County, was built in different stages between 1885 and 1917.
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A pioneer kitchen inside the Harrell House.
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The dining room at the Harrell House.
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This is a restored cookhouse from the Pitchfork Ranch in Dickens County.
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A building that served as a ranch office.
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Inside the ranch office.
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The Los Corralitos (meaning "Little Corrals") Building was moved here from Zapata County in South Texas.
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A copy of Tooter Cannon's Saddle Shop at the Heritage Center.
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Ranching Center hours.
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