The Active Historian

Hey, friend – welcome back to another post! Today, we’re talking about the Cattle Raisers Museum inside the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History in the Cultural District. Let’s get started!

Mission Statement: “The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Foundation’s mission is to preserve, promote and protect the rich heritage of ranch life and advance the future of the livestock industry in the Southwest for present and future generations.”

Museum History

In 1980, the Cattle Raisers Museum opened to preserve the history of ranching. The original museum was located on Seventh Street and was established by the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Foundation. This location closed in 2007 in preparation for moving the museum.

In 2009, the Cattle Raisers Museum moved to the second floor of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History in the Cultural District! This museum covers 10,000 square feet of space. There’s a lot of information here – literally some of the panels are floor to ceiling which I thought looked really cool!

They also have several interactive exhibits which were fun! I loved the talking cattle on the walls as you exit the space. Each painting was animated and said something different – the puns were the best. There was also a place to try on different outfits from the time period – check out this dress!

Exhibits

The Cattle Raisers Museum was broken into three main sections 1690-1890, 1890-1950, and 1950-Present. This chronological breakdown allowed for a lot of history to be told and I appreciate the amount of detail they were able to showcase. I’ve attached a few photos below of the exhibition spaces, but just know these photos don’t even begin to scratch the surface of what is actually there!

This museum showcases things like saddles, spurs, hats, rare photographs, and more. These items tell a unique story!

What I didn’t know until I researched this post was that the Cattle Raisers Museum has the largest collection of branding irons in the world! They have over 1,200 irons in the collection. You can see a photo of the ones currently on display below.

Life on the Stuart Ranch

The Stuart Ranch is located near Waurika, Oklahoma and was established in 1868. This ranch is the oldest in Oklahoma with continuous family ownership according to the panel. Clay S. Forst took these photos of the Stuart Ranch.

LS Ranch Photographs

Erwin E. Smith was given permission to take photographs of a summer branding on the LS Ranch in 1907. Range Boss, Zack T. Burkett appears in many of the photos taken along the Canadian River in the Texas Panhandle. The photos were printed and kept in a photo album which was passed down through the family. In 2004, Ted Burkett (Zack’s grandson) gifted the album to the Cattle Raisers Museum. These photos are important because they showcase working cowboys at the turn of the twentieth century.

Don C. King Legacy Room

The Don C. King Legacy room honors the men and women who have shaped the cattle industry. The hats along the top of the room belong to men and women who were important to the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.

Personally, I always love seeing hats in spaces like this. They are a physical reminder of the great Westerners who came before us whose legacy we must keep alive.

Concluding Thoughts

I love how this museum tied everything to the present as well. It allows people to see that history is still relevant and affects what we do today!

I really enjoyed visiting this museum and learned a lot about cattle history in Texas and the southwest. I hope you’ll go by and check it out when you’re in Fort Worth!

TRAVEL TIP: If you love Western history, then you’ll want to stop by the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame which is located right next door! Click on the link to read about my visit to that museum.

Happy traveling, I’ll talk to ya soon! 🙂

Visit

1600 Gendy Street

Fort Worth, TX 76107

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Sources

Cattle Raisers Museum – Website

Cattle Raisers Museum – Fort Worth Science and History Museum Website

Cattle Raisers Museum – Fort Worth Chamber

Cattle Raisers Museum – D Magazine

*Panels throughout the museum.