Revision 730075330 of "XIT Museum" on enwiki

{{advert|date=August 2012}}
[[Image:XIT Museum sign IMG 0561.JPG|250px|thumb|<span style="font-size:100%;">The XIT Museum operates across the street from the [[Dallam County, Texas|Dallam County]] [[Courthouse]] in [[Dalhart, Texas|Dalhart]], [[Texas]].</span>]]

'''The XIT Museum''' in [[Dalhart, Texas|Dalhart]], [[Texas]] is a museum of the history of [[Dallam County, Texas|Dallam]] and [[Hartley County, Texas|Hartley]] counties in the [[Texas Panhandle]], with particular focus on the [[history]] and culture of one of the best-known [[ranches]] of the [[American West]], the [[XIT Ranch|XIT]], which at its peak encompassed parts of ten Texas counties along a {{convert|200|mi|-2|adj=on}} stretch of acreage in the late 19th&nbsp;century. The ranch operated from 1885–1912. The museum exhibits include a model of an XIT division headquarters. The museum also displays period [[Artifact (archaeology)|artifacts]]: an early [[kitchen]], parlor, bedroom, an inspirational [[chapel]] (which can accommodate small [[wedding]] parties), dozens of historic [[photograph]]s, and collections of [[gun]]s, [[hat]]s, and [[camera]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thc.state.tx.us/medallionmag/medalliontrav/medalliontravelPDFS/mdlln_plns_trl.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdate=May 24, 2008 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080602163631/http://www.thc.state.tx.us/medallionmag/medalliontrav/medalliontravelPDFS/mdlln_plns_trl.pdf |archivedate=June 2, 2008 }}</ref><ref name="George"> Ricky George, [https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-76598971.html "Dalhart, Texas, Downtown Attractions Draw Tourists"], [[Amarillo Globe-News]]/[[Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News]], July 16, 2001.</ref>

The [[railroad]] exhibit stems from a major event of May 31, 1901, when the [[Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad|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 County, Texas|Dallam]] and [[Hartley County, Texas|Hartley]] counties.<ref>[http://www.xitmuseum.com/erail.shtml Railroad Exhibit<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Another popular exhibit is that devoted to the life of the county [[sheriff]].<ref>[http://www.xitmuseum.com/esheriff.shtml Dallam County Sheriff Exhibit<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> There is also wildlife exhibit of mostly [[bird]]s.<ref>[http://www.xitmuseum.com/ewildlife.shtml Wildlife Exhibit<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> 

Dalhart also offers live theater at its LaRita Performing Arts Theatre, an original 1920s [[film]] palace.<ref name="George"/> Nearby are the [[Kiowa National Grassland|Kiowa]] and [[Rita Blanca National Grassland|Rita Blanca]] national grasslands, the Rita Blanca Lake State Park, and the annual XIT&nbsp;Rodeo and Reunion held since 1936 during the first long weekend in August. Visitors come from hundreds of miles for the activities. The reunion serves what is called the “world’s largest free barbecue dinner.”<ref>[http://www.xitmuseum.com/about.shtml About the XIT Museum]</ref>

The museum is located in downtown Dalhart,<ref>[https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-133786003.html "Daily Oklahoman Real Estate Column: Windshield Journalism Garners Realty News Nuggets"], ''[[The Oklahoman]]'', July 2, 2005.</ref> at 108 East Fifth Street across the street from the Dallam County Courthouse. It is sponsored by the Dallam-Hartley Historical Association. It provides various services to [[educator]]s, including the use of educational trunks filled with period artifacts, microfilmed [[newspapers]], particularly the ''Dalhart Texan'', and other [[archives|archival]] ranch materials.<ref>[http://www.xitmuseum.com/services.shtml XIT Museum Services<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode=packed>
File:XIT_Museum_27Oct2002.jpg|The XIT Museum of Dalhart, Texas
File:XIT_Brands.jpg|Display of cattle brands at the XIT Museum in Dalhart, Texas. Note the [[XIT Ranch]] brand at center. Enlarge to read.
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[XIT Ranch]]
*[[Texas Panhandle]]
*[[High Plains (United States)]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book | last=Naylor | first=J. | title=Texas Off the Beaten Path®: A Guide to Unique Places | publisher=Globe Pequot Press | series=Off the Beaten Path Series | year=2011 | isbn=978-0-7627-7739-6 | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=XlWNBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA200 | accessdate=June 26, 2016 | pages=200-201}}

==External links==
*[http://www.xitmuseum.com/ XIT Museum] - official site

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{{DEFAULTSORT:XIT Museum}}
[[Category:History museums in Texas]]
[[Category:American West museums in Texas]]
[[Category:Museums in Dallam County, Texas]]