Did You Know? | How a Meeting in Del Rio Shaped Texas' Sheep and Goat Industry

Out here in Mohair Country, the rolling hills of the Edwards Plateau tell a story woven in wool. Long before modern ranching operations dotted the landscape, Spanish explorers brought the first livestock herds to what is now West Texas. By the mid-1800s, settlers recognized the region's potential — and in 1869, rancher Phillip Palmer drove nearly 9,000 sheep to the Fort Clark area, establishing one of the earliest large-scale operations in the region. Charles Dissler later expanded the goat population, relocating stock from Kimble County to Val Verde County in the early twentieth century. But as the industry grew, so did the challenges — especially stock theft, which became a serious threat to ranchers across the Edwards Plateau. In response, sixty ranchers met at the Princess Theater in Del Rio in 1915 to form the Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers' Association. Led by J.B. Murrah and Julian Lacross, the organization was created to protect the industry, promote their work, and shape the future of Texas ranching. Now headquartered in San Angelo, the Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers' Association still serves as one of the most influential trade groups in the state — representing generations of wool, mohair, and meat producers who continue to carry forward a tradition that began on the open range more than a century ago. Texas Historical Marker No. 13852 commemorates the founding of the association and the ranching heritage of the Edwards Plateau.