The JA Ranch located in the Panhandle of Texas is the oldest privately owned cattle company. Its history can be traced as far back as 1876 when Charles Goodnight began his own ranch. The JA Ranch began with the partnership of Charles Goodnight and John G. Adair. After several years of managing the ranch, Goodnight took his part of the ranch and left the JA Ranch. Cornelia Ritchie Adair became sole owner of the ranch after the death of John Adair. She ran it until her death in 1921. Her only remaining son Jack Ritchie passed away shortly in 1924.
The ranch was incorporated in the late 1940s and became the JA Cattle Company. It is currently handled by the Ritchie family which is situated in the Palo Duro Canyon and consists of over 335,000 acres of land. The land covers portions of Armstrong, Briscoe, Donley, and Hall counties. Much of the land is leased to local ranchers to ease the cost of operations. Montie Ritchie, Jack's son, operated the ranch until his death in July 19, 1999. The heirs to the ranch are his daughter, Cornelia Ninia W. Ritchie and her son Andrew M. Bivins.
From the guide to the JA Cattle Company Records, S 1531. 1., 1813-1994 and undated, (Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, Texas Tech University)
