1968 Map of Pitchfork Ranch

About this map

Pitchfork Ranch anchors this portion of the Texas panhandle, where the South Wichita River and its seasonal tributaries carve a network of deep drainage canyons through the West Texas plains. The landscape is defined by the practical infrastructure of large-scale cattle ranching during the mid-twentieth century. A notable density of wind-powered water pumps, such as the James Hodge Windmill and Matador Windmill, reveals the reliance on groundwater in this arid terrain. The presence of Devils Playground Windmill and the T Fortyone Canyon suggests a complex topography that dictated the movement of livestock and the placement of remote ranch outposts. This 1968 survey, later updated with 1979 aerial data, captures the intersection of traditional land use and modern transit, as Highway 82 114 cuts across the northern canyons near Davidson Canyon.