Farwell founder man of faith

You can't really do justice to Texas history without mentioning John Villiers Farwell.

The last name is familiar to most of eastern New Mexico. The tiny Parmer County community just east of the railroad tracks on the highway to Lubbock is called Farwell in his honor.

But there is much more that should be remembered about the wholesale dry goods merchant who was born in New York in 1825 and died at his home near Chicago 112 years ago this week, on Aug. 20, 1908.

Serious Texas history buffs know he was the namesake of two communities in the Texas Panhandle. The Farwell we're familiar with was established as a cow camp for the XIT Ranch in the 1880s. The other Farwell, Texas, was born about the same time in Hansford County, Texas, 3 miles east of present-day Gruver. But that Farwell lost a county seat election in 1889 and faded away, according to The Handbook of Texas.

Historical accounts of his life suggest John Farwell would most likely prefer to be remembered as a devout Methodist who headed the Chicago branch of the United States Christian Commission during the Civil War. If not that, he'd probably like his legacy to be formed around the Young Men's Christian Organization. He donated land in Chicago for the first YMCA, before getting into the Texas cattle business in 1882.

But it's the ranching business that Texas will always most closely associate with Farwell.

In 1879, the Texas Legislature appropriated 3 million acres of land so that it might finance a new state capitol building. Three years later, lawmakers made a deal with Farwell and his brother Charles: the land in exchange for the capitol.

The XIT stretched across 10 West Texas counties.

Farwell did not run the ranch, but he left his mark of faith on it.

The Handbook of Texas reports: “Farwell spent some time at the ranch, where he occasionally held church services for the employees.”

While the sprawling organization had its share of visiting outlaws, it more famously had 23 rules of conduct for its employees, some of which might seem curious for a 19th century band of cowboy: no carrying firearms, no drinking alcohol and no gambling. The aim of the ranch was “sterling honesty and integrity,” the history books tell us.

If John Farwell were with us today, he'd probably like that his ranch, at least, is remembered in that way.

David Stevens writes about regional history. Contact him:

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