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. The color of this ground is the color of the ranch, Bucky told me as we bumped over the maze of rutted roads, he driving his Toyota Land Cruiser and talking nonstop and I jumping out to open gates. While drilling for water, W.T. It was notable for being the largest ranch within one fence in the United States. In his entire life, he never drew a paycheck from anyone but the Waggoners. They cant wait to get started. [8] Although it still spans six counties, it is primarily centered on Wichita County and Wilbarger County. We would love to have our customers come by and see us and see our newly remodeled store. HOUCHRON CAPTION (07/27/2003): A calf is branded on the ranch in 1983. Consequently, climate data can vary over such a large area of the state. The 1905 hunt was a classic Waggoner production. Since Electra IIs death, in 2001, the board has been composed of these two men who rarely speak to each other. Waggoner first settled his wife and son, William Thomas (Tom) Waggoner,qv in a home on Catlett Creek near the site of present Decatur. Neither of her parents came to the wedding; biographer Porter reports that E. Paul and Helen were having marital problems. After a big wedding in Decatur, the couple honeymooned in Europe and then planned to settle in Philadelphia. [6] Other towns nearby include Electra and Seymour. But selling the ranchor, worse still, permitting the court to liquidate itwould cost both sides dearly in taxes and prestige. The Waggoner has been owned by the same family almost as long as Texas been a state. Sep 1989 - Present33 years 6 months. The Waggoner Ranch has been very well managed over time, and considering the recent four-year drought, the worst in recorded history, the ranch supports an overall good turf of native grasses. 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. Nearby Vernon, which serves as the famed headquarters for the ranch operations office complex, receives an average of 28 inches per year. Waggoner Estate Ranch and related assets are now, for the first time ever, being offered for sale at a guideline listed price of $725,000,000. As their cattle business grew, the ranch needed more grazing land, especially as barbed wire began to close in the open range. Hughes grew up in Vernon and has been hunting and fishing on the ranch since high school. Houses back then were very dark, with low ceilings and small windows. Some of the larger main shipping pens are equipped with hydraulic chutes and scales. On each of those transactions, Kroenke had relied on Leadbetter's counsel and the insights of Sam Connolly, general manager of Kroenke Ranches. To sum up the great legacy of the Waggoner Horse Program, it has produced three AQHA Hall of Fame Members (one Waggoner heir and two Waggoner horses): E. Paul Waggoner, Poco Bueno and Poco Lena; it is the number one All-Time Leading Breeder of NCHA Hall of Fame Members, Poco Lena, Poco Mona, Poco Stampede and Snipper W; it is the number three All-Time Breeder of AQHA Champions; and it is the Breeder of All-Time Leading Sires, Poco Pine, Poco Tivio, Poco Dell and Poco Bob. Very few test wells havepenetrated the remaining 400,000 acres. At one dinner party, two Texans pulled six-guns from their dinner jackets and shot up the ceiling. Some people think that the last chance for a settlement died with Electra II. W T Waggoner Ranch Brand Honoring Waggoner Ranch Family and Owners Canvas Print by Richard W Linford. Its like watching the death of a huge and magnificent animal: People cant bear to look, yet theyre powerless to turn away. We always meet with our employees present, and nothing is really handled. They have quarreled over which wells to cap or abandon, over control of the corporate airplane, over the purchase of bulls and the size of cow herds. [6], After W.T. Waggoner Ranch is now officially, for the first time ever in its history, offered for sale on the international marketplace. 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The Waggoner is one of the 20 largest cattle ranches in the U.S. and is known worldwide for its quarter horses. The ranch was established in 1849 and spans six Texas counties and almost 800 square miles. 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 had built a great ranch, but in 1909 he was 57 years old and thinking about its future. 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. Moreover, a sale would be taxed and so would the distribution of the money. These camps range in size from just over 20,000 acres to nearly 40,000 acres each. King Ranch. Cowboying isnt a profession, its a life, but if the Waggoner Ranch is broken up into pieces, that life will exist no more. Its a perfect October morning, cool and crisp, and the ranch spreads out in every direction, 25 miles north to south, 30 miles east to west. Historically, the Waggoner Ranch has been operated as a cow/calf ranching unit, with stocker cattle used for seasonal grazing on wheat fields. Texas became the 28th state on December 29, 1845, so the Waggoner Ranch is nearly as old as Texas itself. 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. As land was cleared for settlement, he gradually moved west and by the late 1870s settled along Beaver Creek near Electra Texas. To make the trip, Dan gave Tom $12, a group of drovers, and 50 saddle horses, all of which had sores on their backs from heavy use. In later years, W.T. 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. One thing you dont see on the ranch is windmills. SOLD. But we are so far from the lights of townany townthat half an hour before daylight its still pitch black. We have unique items that feature our brand. [14] Her second cousin, Albert Buckman Wharton III, also known as Bucky Wharton, who was Buster Wharton's son, appealed to stop the liquidation. Then, twelve years ago, the two branches of the Waggoner family that control the W. T. Waggoner estate, which in turn controls the ranch, locked themselves in a lawsuit no one can win. From the highway, its pastures seem timeless and impregnable. I didnt ask for the nuts and bolts, he said and walked away. [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. Currently, Waggoner Ranch offspring are excelling in multiple competitive associations, including AQHA, Stock Horse of Texas, NRHA, NRCHA and NCHA. Inside the Decades-long Effort to Commemorate a Notorious Waco Lynching. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. As Smith put it, They were a beer-and-champagne twosome.. The ranch is fenced and crossfenced, with an estimated several thousand miles of ranch roads and ranch fencing. At Christmas, they exchange giftsby messenger. The land was used primarily to raise crops, beef cattleand horsesas well as for oil production. The other wants to sell the ranch and divide the assets. 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. But for how much longer? For several years there were no further attempts to settle. All framed prints are professionally printed, framed, assembled, and shipped within 3 - 4 business days and delivered ready-to-hang on your wall. The substantial structural improvements, thousands of miles of fences and roads, hundreds of earthen pond dam sites, rolling stock, waterlines, natural gas and oilfield lines, oil field equipment, the Waggoner office building, the included livestock (horses and cattle) and the entire operation are offered as a turn-key sale on an as-is, where-is basis. This is a robust and versatile multi-faceted operation like none other available on the market today. 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. Vernon, the county seat of Wilbarger County, is located approximately 12 miles due north of the ranch. Back in town, I am introduced to 79-year-old G. L. Proctor, the old cowboy who Weldon Hawley has modeled himself after. Dan died in 1903, leaving everything to Tom. He offered him pennies on the dollar for his fifty percent share., It was a paltry amount, Roberson agreed. The current inventory of studs, mares, geldings and colts is approximately 474 head. 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. was determined to keep Electra nearby. Originally, Dan Waggoner burned the Reversed 3Ds into the right hip, thigh or rib of his cattle; however, as the price of hides increased, it made economic sense to only use one Reversed D in order to save more of the hide. The Waggoner Ranch was ordered liquidated. 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. The nearly 30,000 acres of farmland is generally farmed in wheat for grazing, but Coastal Bermuda fields and haygrazer fields are baled and used to feed cattle and also to supply quality hay for the large horse operation. W.T. Some say these deer may have never heard a rifle shot. B. Our cattle herd consists of approximately 10,000 mother cows comprised of 60 percent Hereford and 40 percent Angus/Hereford and Brangus/Hereford cross. Its a constant battle. Over these past three decades, Bucky has absorbed every inch of this ranch and most of its colorful history. I was there. Hunting big game in Africa and hosting extravagant parties at the ranch occupied most of Busters time. A unified decision has now been made by the shareholders to sell this legendary ranch. | Find a huge selection of trailers from DooLittle and SureTrac in MO. On the map of Texas it appears as a great emptiness south of Vernon, occupied only by the thin strip of U.S. 183/283. Bernard Uechtritz, one of the property brokers, told the. 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. In 1965 he replaced Tony Hazelwood as foreman. Additionally, all livestock (cattle and horses), an extremely substantial inventory of rolling stock, farm equipment, pickups, trucks, etc., and considerable other personal property are included in this offering. Guy had a weakness for the ladies; he once skipped town with the lead actress from a traveling burlesque show. Both ranches once covered more than a million acres. Today, it is estimated there are over 1,000 producing oil wells on the Waggoner Ranch, with the W.T. . Worth Metroplex area. The Running W is the brand for the King Ranch located in south Texas close to Kingsville, Tx. A complete list of this inventory can be made available. Seymour, the county seat of Baylor County, is several miles south of the ranch, and has a runway that is 4,300 feet long. 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. LOCATION Brooks, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces, and Willacy counties. [9] In 1902, W.T. After that, negotiations were dead in the water. Gene remembered it differently. Richard King and Captain James Walworth's King Ranch brand was registered June 27, 1859 3. Its absence symbolizes the fate of the Guy Waggoner clan in the history of the ranch. These cows are bred to Hereford, Angus, and Charolais bulls. The Municipal Airport at Wichita Falls is served by American Eagle, and the runway is 13,100 feet long. All together, as one may imagine, with this many contiguous acres, there is an immense variety of land types on the Waggoner. Either way, your shopping cart will be active until you leave the store. The Texanist: Why Dont Texas Houses Have Basements? He had grown up in Albuquerque, where his mother, the third of Buster Whartons four wives, had moved after their divorce, when Bucky was two. These are the men who made the ranch work while the Waggoners were off in Fort Worth or New York or Europe. W.T. By that time, Ella had died, at the age of one hundred, and her successor as trustee was John Biggs, the son-in-law whom E. Paul had groomed for the job. 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. This rare phenomenon. W.T. Instead of six bedrooms, it now has four. Now available for sale on the open market, the Waggoner Ranch represents a singular opportunity so rare, it only comes along every 165 years or so. Oil was a nuisance, and any good cattleman knew the value of water. They seldom speak and hardly ever socialize. After dinner by the creek, Dan suggested that they all ride into Frederick, Oklahoma, personally setting the pace. Many thousands of additional acres of native pasture are suitable for cultivation, if desired. It doesnt seem real to even think about it, he says. In addition to Lake Kemp and Lake Diversion, the ranch boasts several other large private lakes, some of which, such as Santa Rosa Lake, are reserved for the exclusive use of the families. But Gene and Helen seem determined to do just that. Killen knew that Bucky was strapped with legal fees from the court battles of the sixties, Hughes told me. At that time, Gene wanted to sell leases to hunters and Bucky didnt. Leave them blank to get signed up. (Tom) Waggoner had a good eye for quality horse flesh and developed a herd of broodmares to produce working ranch geldings for his cowboys. This iconic ranch property has been owned and operated by Waggoner heirs for approximately 165 years. [9], In August 2014, the ranch was listed on the real estate market with an asking price of US$725 million. 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 horses are bred for working ranch purposes,and many still carry the bloodline of the famous quarter horse, Poco Bueno; Decendants of the Waggoner family sold the ranch to Kroenke-Ranches of Bozeman, MT in 2016. Some whitetail deer on the Waggoner Ranch are estimated to be of Boone and Crockett quality. I guess you could say its traumatic, but in two or three days the calves will forget they ever had mamas, Weldon Hawley says in response to my city-boy question. has created a haven for deer, turkey, quail, dove, waterfowl and feral hogs. As the large ranches of Texas, such as the Waggoner, 6666, JA, Slaughter, King Ranch and others, were established, fenced and began to operate, these legendary holdings were, at times, confronted with the problems of Indian raids and cattle rustlers. We met in the boardroom at the Waggoner building, Roberson told me. It's one of the largest ranches in the world with 825,00 acres. The W. T. Waggoner Estate is the nation's largest ranch under one fence. He went on and on about how heartbroken he was and how much he missed them, but he didnt write them. The land was used primarily to raise crops, beef cattle and horses as well as for oil production. ACRES Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. Our ranching operation includes, cattle, horses and the farm. All rights reserved. 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. The other half belonged to Electra Waggoner Biggs, through various trusts. The history of the land and the Waggoner family is so entwined with myth and legend that nobody can untangle the truth. Wichita Falls, the county seat of Wichita County, is approximately 20 miles east of the eastern boundary of the ranch. In the Roaring Twenties, Electra Waggoner was the most infamous socialite in Texas. To Buckys surprise, the Biggs family responded by filing suit, asking the court to liquidate the estate. The party bagged seventeen wolves (some of which were really coyotes), and the president beat a five-foot rattlesnake to death with his quirt. Shortly after leaving, he got his draft notice, at the height of the Vietnam War. 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. 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. A drought in the last part of the nineteenth century made the land where the Waggoner Ranch now sits nearly useless for growing crops. My first job was walkin hotscooling down winded horsesbetween chuckers. Joe Roberson showed me how to read the books. In 1879, the Waggoners foiled rustlers by changing their brand from the D-71 to the now-legendary three reverse Ds. The Waggoner Ranch Store is located in the Waggoner Estate building in Vernon Texas. [6][12], When Guy Waggoner died in 1950, his sons sold their share of the estate to members of the family. 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 Waggoner Ranch was founded by a man named Dan Waggoner around 1854 when he and his son relocated to a 160-acre farm in Wise County, TX, after the untimely passing of Dan's wife Nancy in 1853. [7] Parts of it can be seen from highways U.S. 183 Dan and W.T. Copyright 2023 Waggoner Ranch Store - All Rights Reserved. Besides receiving revenue from these house lot leases, the ranch charges a daily use fee for boating and fishing on these lakes and also controls concession rights. I cant sit down, never could, he tells me. [10], By 1909, W.T. Waggoner raised Quarter Horses on the ranch, including Poco Bueno, who was buried on the ranch. The sale of the iconic Waggoner Ranch, while marking the end of one era, creates for a new owner the opportunity to begin another. Why do they fight on? 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. A full moon hangs over West Diving Board Pasture. They were mailed while she was socializing in New York with her daughter, named after E. Pauls sister, Electra, and known as Electra II. The greatest annual precipitation occurs to the east, in Archer and Wichita Counties, at just over 29 inches per year annually. This was a time when much of Texas was open range and unexplored. Waggoner Ranch cattle have been 60 percent Hereford and 40 percent Angus/Hereford and Brangus/Hereford. It may be hard to truly comprehend the sheer vastness of the Waggoner Ranch. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. I just knew that life there was a lot different from life in Albuquerque. In 1963, when Bucky was fifteen, Buster Wharton died, leaving a will that gave his share of the Waggoner estate to his widow and his shotguns to Bucky. Legend has it that Electra once blew $1 million in a single day at Neiman Marcus. Meanwhile, the Waggoner family tree was sprouting more branches. [8], After the death of Daniel Waggoner in 1902, his son W.T. At an early age, Dan started building what would become a ranching empire and founded the Waggoner Ranch in 1849. By the late fifties, forces were marshalling to ensure total control for E. Paul and his heirs. 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. 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). They work six and sometimes seven days a week, from daylight until the job is done, often late at night. This land sits atop the Seymour Aquifer, while the ranch itself is bone-dry. Approximately 30,000 acres are in cultivation. I ask him what he thinks of the family feud that threatens to end the way of life that he knew. Traveling to the Four Corners line camp, where Guy Waggoners great home once stood, I tried to imagine that day in the twenties when Anne Burnett Waggoner, the fifth of Guys eight wives, decided shed had enough. Bring on the Shiplap. 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. As the sun begins to crawl over the horizon, Hawley marvels at the endless prairie. What the hell could he do with oil! Free shipping for many products! He sits across the table from me in his starched jeans and freshly shined boots, ramrod straight, his hat resting in his lap, his gray hair slicked down. He borrowed a large sum from his nonagenarian grandmother, Ella, who later transferred the note to E. Paul. It comprises 520,000 acres in six counties, and is the home for 12,000 mother cows. The ranch originally operated under the name of Dan Waggoner & Son. Thats what folks in Vernon, Electra, Seymour, and other towns near the Waggoner Ranch are asking as they watch one of Texass greatest ranching empires teeter on the brink of disintegration. 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! They buried him standing up, Hughes informs me. The property is divided into approximately 16 camp or division units. Waggoners have a series of brands that go on each foal, the history of which goes back to the days of W. T. Waggoner. While the last of the calves are being loaded onto the trucks, I talk to a 22-year-old cowboy named Shane Bone, a handsome young man in dusty brown chaps and a well-used cowboy hat. Recently, new ownership has brought substantial investment in both equipment and design. The cowboys sided with Bucky, who felt that hunters left litter, cut fences, and left gates open. Skyfood Supermarket (six locations in New York) - Asian Oriental Supermarket. [6] His children would elect a Board of Trustees, who would make decisions with him at the helm. Waggoner found oil while drilling for water. Shareholders of the ranch reside at these two divisions. Roosevelt remembered later: We broke into a lope a mile outside the limits, and by the time we struck the main street, the horses were on a run and we tore down like a whirlwind until we reached the train.. Perhaps they are afraid of ghosts. Its a trade that suits only a select few for whom the life satisfies rather than restricts. Wharton, a Philadelphia blue blood she met while traveling in the Himalayas. Dan Waggoner, who was born in Tennessee in 1828, moved to Texas with his family in the mid-1840s. Two years after Prathers resignation, Bucky gave notice of termination of the trust in a letter to Electra IIs family. and 283. The King Ranch, based in south Texas, has more acreage spread over several parcels. Located about a three-hour drive north-west of Dallas, the Waggoner ranch was founded in 1849 and has remained in the family ever since. Hawley is the ranch manager, and Im sitting in the passenger seat of his pickup, holding my third cup of coffee. Dan sent Tom (his son), who was only 16 years old at the time, to Kansas City with a herd of 5,000 steers. She took everythingthe furniture, even the light fixtures. Handsome and trim, Joline once competed in the New York and Paris marathons and still gets up before first light to run. [6] Specifically, this went to Albert Buckman Wharton, Jr., also known as Buster Wharton, who was Electra Waggoner's son, and Electra Waggoner Biggs, who was E. Paul Waggoner's daughter. She joined him in the apartment, and they set to work remodeling the Zacaweista mansion, which had sat vacant for nearly a dozen years. The only thing I can figure, it was give to them. Some of these were bred strictly for ranch work, and others for the show arena, but they all had one thing in common, they were cow horses., Poco Bueno was foaled in 1944 and was purchased by E. Paul Waggoner in 1945.
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