I am amazed anyone but the toughest would come here before the invention of air conditioning. Then I remembered we didn’t have an AC before I was about 14.
We did have an ornery swamp cooler though
Yes, the Rolling Plains in particular is a harsh environment.
My great grandfather came here in 1889 from Coryell County. Some of the family went back to near Gatesville for 3 years beginning in 1895 because of a terrible drought, like today. They moved back in 1898. We have owned/farmed land here ever since.
I left for 25 years, moved back in 1995. But continued to travel for a living until about 2003.
We have not had cattle for 2 years. Cost of cotton production drove us out of that. We grow, store, clean, and treat wheat for seed. Made 1/2 a crop last season, this one looks very questionable. Double whammy this year, extreme dry winter and 2 late freezes. One of the local crop insurance agents told me the thought only 10% of the planted wheat crops would be harvested.