Putnam vicinity, Callahan County
Nearby Battle Creek was given its name in 1840 by a small band of men who had traveled to this area in search of hostile Indians. A fight took place near the creek when a raiding party attacked the group. Approximately, twenty years later, cattleman John Hittson (1831-1880) established his ranch headquarters at the site of the battleground. The headquarters, used only when cattle were rounded up from surrounding lands, consisted of corrals, branding pens, and a small shelter. It is believed to be the first ranching headquarters established in Callahan County. (1984)