We found an interesting article from the Texas Historical Commission titled:
The article covers ranching beginning in Texas (Tejas) in the 18th Century, including mention of the six missions set up by Spain in 1717. It is a quick and interesting read for anyone interested in the history of ranching in Texas. Here is a small segment of text from the article, with full credit going to the THC and the author:
Things changed in the longhorn’s favor in the 20th century. In 1927, the U.S. government sent federal agents to the Wichita Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma to save the breed from extinction. The agents examined remaining longhorns, selecting only the purest specimens to serve as the base stock. Private citizens also helped preserve the breed. One such individual was J. Frank Dobie, a native Texan and University of Texas at Austin professor, who in 1941 published The Longhorns. In his book, Dobie celebrated the breed and shared old-time cattle ranchers’ tales about the longhorn way of life. Success was achieved in 1969, when the State of Texas Legislature designated the Official State of Texas Longhorn Herd.
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