This book is the outcome of a lifelong love of history and the results of many years of research. Mr. Hooper tired of hearing "There weren't any people in Crane before the oil boom," and set out to prove the statement wrong. The material covers historical information of the Comanche War Trails, Chihuahua Trail out of Mexico. Gold hungry prospectors on their way to the gold fields in California. The Butterfield-Overland Mail, route which carried the mail from home. Goodnigh-Loving cattle drives and John Chisum Trail drive, which herded thousands of longhorn cattle to the forts on the western frontier, and the first tough cattlemen who, mixing herds on the open range, of miles of unfenced land. The second section covers the homesteaders in Crane County who endured the challenges and day to day dangers of living in the wild harsh country of West Texas. In-depth details of individuals, families, lives and evolving ranches, occurring after the open range ranches ended turning into fenced territory, becoming property owned by individuals. A treasure chest opened for history buffs, genealogists, with the history needed to educate the youth of today.

In the 1970s and 1980s the Texas wildcatter was a recognizable figure in popular culture. Since then, the wildcatter's role is less celebrated but still important, as shown in the new introduction to this edition of a book originally published in 1984 by Texas Monthly Press.

Unabridged and corrected republication of the work first published by Greenberg Publisher in 1951.