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She left the motor running, didnt even bother to shut it off, and walked to the depot and took the next train out of town. When Guy moved to New Mexico, Tony Hazelwood, who hated his guts, showed his disrespect by storing oats on the homes prized hardwood floors. In one last attempt to keep the range open, W.T. But for how much longer? He was teaching at Will Rogers Elementary School, in Houston, where Helen Biggs was also a teacher. (Tom) Waggoner was heard to say, There I was with more than 5,000 big, wild steers, 50 sore-backed horses, $12 and 16 years of my life., In a 1956 article in The Quarter Horse Journal, Franklin Reynolds notes, It was possibly Tom Waggoners experiences with those sorry horses that caused him to resolve to always have good ones. SOLD. Either Guys two children would become their partners or E. Paul and Buster would have to buy them out. [13] He once played there with polo champion Cecil Smith. Its like watching the death of a huge and magnificent animal: People cant bear to look, yet theyre powerless to turn away. declared a misdeal and had them draw again. They ride the trails of their forebearers, living a life and practicing skills that have almost disappeared. Quality horses are always the pride of a true rancher, and this original set of broodmares became a huge influence in the development of the Quarter Horse breed. The cost of buying out Guys third of the estate had put a crimp in the flow of dividends, and Buster was running short of money. Things were working smoothly at that moment, but neither side believed the harmony would last. Waggoner Estate operating approximately 150 of these wells and 40 independent operators operating the balance. He began buying land in western Wise County in 1870. In a January 2003 deposition, Gene said he sent Bucky his own draft of the map but never got a reply. As a consequence, the King Ranch scions moved comfortably in elite Texas social, political, and business circles, while the Waggoners never achieved the same degree of prominence. Slaughter (Slaughter Ranches), Jim Loving (JA Ranch) and Dan and W.T. She was a genteel and educated woman, polished at Miss Wrights finishing school at Bryn Mawr, a person who hated the details of ranching but respected and loved the tradition. Or you draw a line and Ill take first pick.. [6], In 1991, Electra Waggoner Biggs sued to be able to sell the ranch. Choose from multiple print sizes, border colors, and canvas materials. It is doubtful there is any other contiguous area of this magnitude in Texas which has had no commercial hunting pressure since the land was first settled. Now look at it! This huge block of farmland is crossfenced into large manageable fields which are suitable for grazing thousands of head of wheat pasture cattle. For more than a century the520,000-acre Waggoner Ranch has been an inseparable part of the culture and fabric of the Red River country west of Wichita Fallsand of Texas itself. All together, as one may imagine, with this many contiguous acres, there is an immense variety of land types on the Waggoner. After the first freeze, 120,000 geese will land on Santa Rosa Lake and feast on winter wheat fields. The gifts were not entirely altruistic. The other wants to sell the ranch and divide the assets. Gene is, by all accounts, gregarious and outgoing, a typical good ol boy who enjoys playing dominoes at the country club. He knows the ranch, its cast of characters, and its skeletons and stories as well as any outsider. They almost killed him with kindness, literally. The history and the legend surrounding the Waggoner Ranch are as big as the ground it covers. Waggoner's death, his three children, Guy Waggoner, E. Paul Waggoner and Electra Waggoner each inherited a section of the ranch, although there was still a Board of Trustees. The land was used primarily to raise crops, beef cattle and horses as well as for oil production. The Waggoner Ranch was established in 1849 by Dan Waggoner. Some people believe that she would never have permitted the sale of the Waggoner Ranch. [7] Parts of it can be seen from highways U.S. 183 Seafood City (California, Hawaii, Washington, Nevada, Illinois) - Filipino American. In the late sixties Bucky attended the University of the Americas, in Mexico City. Both ranches once covered more than a million acres. Heath Ownbey. What he got was just the opposite. Skyfood Supermarket (six locations in New York) - Asian Oriental Supermarket. Today, Waggoner descendants still reside at the ranch in two main compounds: Albert B. Wharton, III lives at the Zacaweista (Indian term for good grass) Headquarters and Helen Biggs Willingham and her husband Gene live at the Santa Rosa Headquarters. The Waggoner Ranchis a historic north Texasranch located 13 miles south of Vernon, Texas. Apparently they just agreed to continue to disagree. In later years, W.T. Photographs of his wife and children occupied a bookshelf beside four footballs labeled Coach Bucky Whartongifts from former University of Texas coach David McWilliams, whod invited Wharton to join him on the sidelines at several UT games. We love our customers, so feel free to visit during normal business hours. Moore astonished Bucky by trying to buy his stock in the estate. It was a crash course, but I learned more in those six months than Id learned my whole life. In 1975 he married Joline, a young woman he had met in Albuquerque seven years earlier. Texas Purple Hull Pea Festival Is More Than an Event. It comprises 520,000 acres in six counties, and is the home for 12,000 mother cows. I didnt ask for the nuts and bolts, he said and walked away. The main set of shipping pens are located along the highway at the Zacaweista Headquarters Division. Over the years, a substantial amount of brush work has been done, and the mesquite canopy ranges from nearly extinct to moderate over portions of the ranch. Some of the larger main shipping pens are equipped with hydraulic chutes and scales. Numerous smaller cultivated fields are scattered throughout the ranch. Maybe thats why Judge Neely told me that he has no intention of setting a deadline. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. Who was going to be responsible for it? WAGGONER RANCH (VILLAS 18-21) Vernon, TX | Founded 1852 Archer, Baylor, Foard, Knox, Witchita, and Wilbarger Counties Established in 1852, the ranch was primarily used to raise crops, Longhorn cattle and horses. They communicate by written memos, even though their offices are separated by only a few feet. Salt cedar is found along creek and river courses, and cedar is moderate to dense in the rougher, eroded areas of the ranch. A unified decision has now been made by the shareholders to sell this legendary ranch. Dan Waggoner passed away in 1903, and his son, W. T. (Tom) Waggoner continued to expand his ranching interests. Each camp manager is responsible for the operation of his specific unit, but all of the managers and cowboys work together during spring branding and shipping. Its the Story of Shankleville, One of the States Early Freedom Colonies. From the highway, its pastures seem timeless and impregnable. The rich and spoiled siblings nearly squandered the family fortune on wild parties, all-night poker games, trips around the world, and divorce settlements. It was in terrible condition, Joline explained as she showed me through their home. Because of Toms great influence on the horse industry, he became a founding member of the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). [6] Guy Waggoner lived there with his wife Anne Burnett, the daughter of Samuel Burk Burnett and heiress of the 6666 Ranch from 1922 until their divorce. It is the nations biggest ranch within the confines of a single fence, a spread so vast that it extends across six counties and covers more than eight hundred square miles. The current inventory of studs, mares, geldings and colts is approximately 474 head. Be alert all the time and ready to go, he says in a strong, sure voice. Numerous large, functional and well designed sets of shipping and working pens are scattered throughout the ranch. The Waggoner Ranch Store is located in the Waggoner Estate building in Vernon Texas. He offered him pennies on the dollar for his fifty percent share., It was a paltry amount, Roberson agreed. [6] However, in 1923, he changed his mind, and set up a Massachusetts trust. [5], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}3354N 9900W / 33.9N 99.0W / 33.9; -99.0. Guy had a weakness for the ladies; he once skipped town with the lead actress from a traveling burlesque show. The horse operation, known as the Whiteface Division, is a state-of-the-art training/breeding facility located in the northeastern portion of the Waggoner Ranch. Its a constant battle. Over these past three decades, Bucky has absorbed every inch of this ranch and most of its colorful history. But there has been no substantial rain for days now, and we kick up a trail of dark red dust as we head toward Santa Rosa, the area that E. Paul inherited and where his daughter, the second Electra, grew up. All during the spring and summer of 2003, they talked of little else. She left an enduring reputation and two children from the first of her three marriages: Tom Waggoner Wharton, who died of syphilis at age 25, eight-times married but childless, and A. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Vista Caliente - Signed Print by Woodrow M. Blagg - Cowboys - Waggoner Ranch at the best online prices at eBay! Hughes grew up in Vernon and has been hunting and fishing on the ranch since high school. Bring on the Shiplap. When Helens father died, in 1975, they moved to the ranch, where Gene gradually assumed the position of head of the family. The party bagged seventeen wolves (some of which were really coyotes), and the president beat a five-foot rattlesnake to death with his quirt. [6] Other towns nearby include Electra and Seymour. Even the water in Beaver Creek was reda sign, Bucky said, that it was fresh and contained no gypsum. WHAT WE DO: We deliver strategic, brand-driven marketing communications solutions and deploy content that truly resonates . Its second only to the King Ranch in size, and second to none in its history of drink, divorce, and dissension. We invite you to browse through our store and shop with confidence. Waggoner left behind in East Texas the grave of his wife. One of the most interesting properties at Zacaweista is the gothic stone barn where Buster Wharton bred his polo ponies. Oil production soon followed. The United States Department of Agriculture, as part of a conservation project, had surveyed every foot of ground on the ranch, and Roberson fed this information into a database. Its pastures and wheat fields, cattle and horses, mansions. There are none to be seen, because there is not a drop of groundwater. The Running W is the brand for the King Ranch located in south Texas close to Kingsville, Tx. This was probably a bluff. Nothing is too trivial to spark an argument. PRIMARY USE cow-calf, feed yard, farming, horses, oil and gas, wild game hunting, birding . Ranching operations began with 230 head of longhorn cattle and some horses. Poco Bueno died in 1969 and was buried in a standing position in front of the main ranch entrance. The Willingham house is a low, ranch-style brick structure, set behind a wall of trees. The family made their main homes in the city and returned to the ranch for weekend getaways and holidays. Two large, privately-owned lakes are located on the Waggoner Ranch. We would love to have our customers come by and see us and see our newly remodeled store. St Louis, Missouri, United States. The sale of the iconic Waggoner Ranch, while marking the end of one era, creates for a new owner the opportunity to begin another. It was notable for being the largest ranch within one fence in the United States. [6] It has about 14,000 cows and bulls as well as 500 horses. Quanah saw his alliance with the Waggoners and other cattle barons as a way to better the lives of his peopleand his own to boot. Consequently, climate data can vary over such a large area of the state. In later years, W.T. The property is divided into approximately 16 camp or division units. Three pivot sprinkler systems are used to distribute irrigation water to three large fields on the ranch. He either didnt care or didnt notice that E. Pauls clanespecially his socialite wife, Helenconsidered Electras line of the family to be tainted and Buster to be an irresponsible spendthrift, and they were plotting for the day when they could force the Whartons out. Two years after Prathers resignation, Bucky gave notice of termination of the trust in a letter to Electra IIs family. Cowboys ambling from the bunkhouse to the cookhouse for their five-thirty breakfast see her loping across pastures, dodging bulls and pump jacks. These cows are bred to Hereford, Angus, and Charolais bulls. At one dinner party, two Texans pulled six-guns from their dinner jackets and shot up the ceiling. Hed consult with him and get back to us. Waggoner met in Graham, Texas, and formed what today is known as the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA), which is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. (Waggoner) hit oil instead. You can still see Busters polo fields across the road from the big house Electra had built, next to his landing strip, and the skeet- and trap-shooting range where he and his guests gunned down live pigeons. cattle inventory, horse inventory, horse facilities, brands . Either way, your shopping cart will be active until you leave the store. ACRES All canvas prints are professionally printed, assembled, and shipped within 3 - 4 business days and delivered ready-to-hang on your wall. Some area ranches have rural water systems available, but still principally rely on creeks and ponds as their major water source. This treated water is used for human consumption to serve the substantial headquarter improvements. I got two dollars a match. Cecil Smith, the world-famous ten-goal player, rode with Busters Waggoner Ranch team. The ranch is reported to be the largest contiguous ranching operation of its kind under one fence in Texas, and one of the largest in the United States. Thats the case that has been snaking through Judge Tom Neelys Forty-sixth District Court, in Wilbarger County, for these past twelve years. Originally, the trust was supposed to expire after twenty years, in 1943, but the terms of the trust allowed it to be routinely extended in twenty-year increments until 1983. Now the fate of the ranch was up to the court. In 1923, W. T. formed what is known today as the W. T. Waggoner Estate. Very few test wells havepenetrated the remaining 400,000 acres. According to a 2005 article in The Western Horseman Magazine, But another event in 1902 had a lasting impact on the Waggoner Ranch. By all rights the Waggoner Ranch ought to be the equal of the King Ranch in Texas lore. My first job was walkin hotscooling down winded horsesbetween chuckers. At the time of acquisition, the ranch comprised 520,527 acres (210,650ha), or 800sqmi (2,100km2) but additional acreage was included in the sale making the total closer to 535,000 acres (217,000ha). and 283. 27 of 56 28 of 56 Cowboys on the Waggoner Ranch brand calves in the spring of 1983. the estate. Judge Neely accepted this language. [14] After Electra Waggoner Biggs's death, her share was inherited by Electra Waggoner Biggs's daughter Helen Biggs and her husband, Gene Willingham. The house eventually fell apart and was torn down. All framed prints are professionally printed, framed, assembled, and shipped within 3 - 4 business days and delivered ready-to-hang on your wall. (Tom) Waggoner had a good eye for quality horse flesh and developed a herd of broodmares to produce working ranch geldings for his cowboys. The second Electra was, like her namesake, a globe-hopping socialite (she was once linked romantically to Cary Grant by Hollywood gossip columnist Louella Parsons), but she also was an acclaimed artist, who knew all the celebrities of her day and sculpted busts of many of them. E. Paul was a dapper, dashing Hollywood-style cowboy, with a mustache and mischievous eyes. One of the striking sights as you leave the ranch is the sudden appearance of enormous green fields of cotton, wheat, and alfalfa. American Made Cap has manufactured for all types of customers, from professional baseball teams to local ranches, including the world-famous Waggoner Ranch just down the road. Ill tell you one thing: Mrs. Biggs [Electra II] was the nicest person in the world to me, said Jimmy Lee Smith, who cowboyed at the ranch for 38 years, rising from cowpuncher to foreman and ranch manager. Meanwhile, W.T.s widow, Ella, ran the ranch as dowager empress until her death, in 1959. $720,000,000 [6] It is the second largest ranch in Texas (after the King Ranch),[6] enclosing 510,527 acres (207,000ha; 798sqmi; 2,070km2) of land. After that, negotiations were dead in the water. Gene remembered it differently. By the late fifties, forces were marshalling to ensure total control for E. Paul and his heirs. The cowboys of the Waggoner Ranch are living legends, men who embody the attributes of the lean and dusty riders who braved the wild a century ago to make room for a herd. W. T. Waggoner Ranch is currently developing hunting opportunities for quail, wild hog and deer. The many improvements and related assets mentioned above combine to offer the purchaser an extremely attractive depreciation schedule. Add to cart. I ask him what he thinks of the family feud that threatens to end the way of life that he knew. Its now the residence of Gene and Helen Willingham. Most other ranches in this general area also rely on creek water and earthen ponds. Hes not a large man, but his pleasant and unassuming manner and his quiet, considered confidence give him stature. The dam was right on the dividing line. The Waggoner Ranch is a historic north Texas ranch located 13 miles south of Vernon, Texas. The cowboys are already waiting on horseback just outside the loading pens, cutting up like schoolboys awaiting the bell for recess. In addition to land and cattle, the family owned five banks, three cottonseed mills, and a coal company. In The American Quarter Horse Journal, Jim Jennings writes, The Waggoner contribution to the Quarter Horse industry has long been recognized. The ranchs famous reverse triple-D brand, for example, supposedly got that way when a blacksmith inadvertently read W.T.s hand-drawn design upside down. He owns a bank, an oil company, and a cattle company, but he is happiest when he is working outdoors or having dinner with his family. 1700 Deaf Smith St., Vernon, TX 76384, US. Moreover, a sale would be taxed and so would the distribution of the money. 940-552-2521 x:270. The answer lies in the rich and rowdy heritage of the Waggoner clan. We were talking in Buckys office, a large corner suite on the second floor of the long, low W. T. Waggoner Estate Building just off the main highway in Vernon. As previously noted, this massive holding spans six North Texas counties. [3] It spans six counties[3][6] and is half as large as Rhode Island. W.T. Waggoner Ranch livestock have access to water at both lakes. These lakes were built by the Corps of Engineers as a major source of municipal and irrigation use water for Wichita Falls, area towns and nearby farming communities. Electra prevailed, as usual. The entryway is glass, and there is a skylight over the vaulted ceiling above the staircase. In total, the ranch spans nearly 800 square miles. Copyright 2023 W. T. Waggoner Ranch Uptown Style WordPress theme by, 2013 Gelding (Cat Man Do X Smoked Diamonds), 2015 Stallion (Cat Man Do X Smokin and Swingin). The ranch has perfected water right permits to pump approximately 3,893 acre feet of water annually, which is used to irrigate farmland and water the grounds around major headquarter improvements. Jim Jennings, in a 2005 article in The Quarter Horse Journal, states, By 1868, the Waggoner outfit had grown considerably, but help was still short. Rani's World Foods (Texas & Nevada) - Indian supermarket chain. Approximately 160,000 acres of the 560,000 acres areproven prolific oilproperties. On the other three sides are a number of buildings constructed of identical reddish-brown stone, quarried on the eastern part of the ranch. What does it take to be a good cowboy? I ask. As land was cleared for settlement, he gradually moved west and by the late 1870s settled along Beaver Creek near Electra Texas. A good cowboy does what the foreman tells him and waits for his paycheck and for the sun to go down., Now the sun is going down on the Waggoner Ranch, perhaps forever. The letters were typed by his secretary, Neely told me. Though their homesteads are only a few miles apart, the families of Bucky Wharton, the original Electras grandson, and Gene Willingham, Electra IIs son-in-law, might as well live on separate continents. Some people think that the last chance for a settlement died with Electra II. I saw them together at a backyard wedding two years ago, but they stayed on opposite sides of the yard, Jim Hughes told me. Numerous food plots are located adjacent to these protected creek bottom areas, and these food plots serve as a magnet for wildlife. When they presented the map to Gene, they say, he asked for more details. began courting Quanah Parker, the Comanche chief, with their eyes on the Big Pasture, a huge block of Indian land just across the Red River in what would eventually become Oklahoma. All-night parties that started at Shadowlawn sometimes ended up on the ranch, after a trip by private railroad car, so that Eastern dandies could be treated to the sights of cowboys branding and castrating calves. Without a trustee to keep them at arms length, they set off on a collision course. And so they were, for a hundred years and more. In the lower draws and creek bottoms, hackberry and soapberry trees are common. As the frontier pushed westward, he expanded his herd and bought more land, in Clay and Wichita counties. The house sits on high ground, mostly hidden by oak and pecan trees and a fieldstone wall. Passing under a granite arch, we head down a long, paved driveway to Zacaweista, an Indian word meaning good grass. Its the name of both the ranch headquarters and the sprawling rock-and-wood home that Electra built in 1910. Many thousands of additional acres of native pasture are suitable for cultivation, if desired. The major drainages through the ranch are Beaver Creek, which starts on the west side of the ranch and runs through the entirety of the northern portion of the property, and the North Wichita and the South Wichita Rivers, which converge in the southwest portion of the ranch and meander through the entire south side of the property. The ranch includes thousands of cattle, hundreds of horses and oil wells, and 30,000 acres of. So it was the King Ranch whose legend was set down for posterity by the distinguished Texas author Tom Lea, while the Waggoners escapades were left to be recorded by the English author John Bainbridgea few passages in his 1960 book called The Super-Americans, about the excesses of Texass oil millionaires. When full, Lake Kemp covers an area of over 16,540 surface acres and Lake Diversion covers approximately 3,420 surface acres. When I asked Joline if they had found any memorabilia from Electras time, she laughed. A portion of this acreage is seeded to very productive Coastal Bermuda. The Bronc-busting, Cow-punching, Death-defying Legend of Boots ONeal, At Texas Swingers Clubs, the Lifestyle Is Booming. As land was cleared for settlement, he gradually moved west and by the late 1870s settled along Beaver Creek near Electra Texas. No Waggoner is buried on the ranch, only this one cowboy and a few early settlers in unmarked graves. had said, I want to run the most cattle, breed the best horses and work harder than anyone. When he was 17, his dad made him a full partner. Waggoner Ranch cattle have been 60 percent Hereford and 40 percent Angus/Hereford and Brangus/Hereford. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. The cowboys sided with Bucky, who felt that hunters left litter, cut fences, and left gates open. I remember my mother taking me to Fort Worth to talk to her attorney. Ahead was a legal battle over whether Buster had the right to dispose of property that Electra, his mother, had left in trust to him and his bloodline. All pens are very well maintained. Waggoner had built a great ranch, but in 1909 he was 57 years old and thinking about its future. This land sits atop the Seymour Aquifer, while the ranch itself is bone-dry. [6], After W.T.