Ox Ranch - Ox Safari - Presentation - Page 5
History
OX RANCH IS BLESSED TO HAVE A
COLORFUL AND UNIQUE HISTORY
Ox Ranch has dozens of Indian mounds scattered throughout the property.
Our guests have found hundreds of arrowheads and bird points to take
home as souvenirs, some as old as 8,000 years (older than the pyramids).
We believe it was the Seminole, Comanche, and Tonkawa Indians that
once settled the land.
The American Civil War began in 1861 and lasted until 1865. We have no
proof of any large battles taking place on the property but are confident
that the Confederacy used the bat cave to harvest guano. The bat guano’s
high nitrate content allowed for the Confederacy to turn guano into
gunpowder. The bat cave was missing for decades and was rediscovered
in 2013. The cave contains many bats, snakes, and a giant 30-foot-high
mound of guano.
On July 28, 1866, the U.S. Congress authorized six regiments of the
African-American troops, known as Buffalo Soldiers, to be enlisted into the
U.S. Army. There is evidence supporting that a small Buffalo Soldier
outpost was on the property. The outpost may no longer be visible due to
fire, but its remnants still litter the ground. Our metal detecting efforts
have discovered multiple horse bits, horseshoes, and even a Buffalo
Soldier button on the premises. We believe the outpost was established to
protect wagon trail settlers en route to Fort Stockton and San Antonio.
