Texas is a great home of ranches especially due to the westward movement in the United States. A lot of things happened in the 1840s after the state of Texas became official, that stirred the pot for more tame and skilled individuals to create ranches.
During the 1860s, Texas was a hotbed for these types of settlements as more farmers began using their skills not only for farming, but taming the land into become much more profitable for their needs. There were a bunch of different ranches that included Four Sixes, Green, Iron Mountain, King, Lambshead, Matador, and Pitchfork to name a few.You can find a quick rundown here
The Matador Ranch, founded in 1878, actually became a very well known ranch turned in company. They are still in existence today with a primary focus in improving conditions for livestock, natural resources, and wildlife. The peak of their existence was in the 1900s owning 4 pieces of major land in Texas totaling over 879,000 acres.
Ranching took off as the primary income of the Westward movement during the US Civil War.
The Four Sixes, founded in 1902, has a primary focus in stallions. They are great for building horses for ranch purposes as well as racing.