Historic Ranches of Texas Author:Lawrence Clayton, J. U. Salvant (Illustrator) The open range was fenced in long ago, and cattle nowadays ride to market in eighteen-wheel trucks, but ranching remains a proud way of life for many Texans. This volume captures the best of that life in lovely watercolor paintings and an inviting text that traces the history and present-day operations of twelve prominent ranches with deep roots... more » in Texas history. Lawrence Clayton and J. U. Salvant impart the traditions and spirit of each ranch, including the Four Sixes, Green, Iron Mountain, King, Lambshead, Matador, Pitchfork, Swenson, Waggoner, XIT, Y.O., and Yturria. Clayton writes of the timeless round of tasks that ranchers and cowboys perform today as their forebears did and also describes changes in ranching that have taken place over the years. Salvant's watercolors convey an enduring sense of place. She shows both the humble beginnings and the great houses that wealth built, as well as other scenes of ranch life--roundup and branding, supper time around the chuck wagon, and quiet Sunday chores outside the bunkhouse. Through these words and images, readers can enter the world of ranching, a world that surprisingly still lives up to many of its myths. Historic Ranches of Texas is a book that all aficionados of the West will treasure for many years to come.« less