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Thistle Hill, as Electras mansion was called, stands to this day on the crest of Summit Avenue, near downtown. FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) One of the largest ranches in the U.S. and an icon for Texas horse and cattlemen has been listed for $725 million, marking the end of a decades-long courtroom battle among. The dispute seemed to highlight Bucky and Genes contrasting attitudesone loved the land, the other loved the money. His most arresting feature is his green eyes, which are reminiscent of the luminous eyes that made his grandmother, the original Electra, such a commanding figure. Potential buyers include a group of Japanese investors, Ross Perot Jr., Boone Pickens, even the Mormon churchor so go the rumors. We could drive the 60 miles from Bull Run Pasture, on the northeast corner, where the 10th Cavalry camped in 1871, to the David Camp, on the southwest corner, and never venture outside the Waggoner fence. 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. 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. The Waggoner Ranch fully supports the AQHA initiative to implement the Ranchers Heritage Breeders Program and the AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse Program with current staff serving as a member of two AQHA Committees. It was notable for being the largest ranch within one fence in the United States. All I ever knew is the Waggoner Ranch, he tells me. 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. Many thousands of additional acres of native pasture are suitable for cultivation, if desired. 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.. It would be Helens husband, Gene Willingham, who would one day become Bucky Whartons main opponent in the struggle over the Waggoner Ranch. W T Waggoner Ranch Brand Honoring Waggoner Ranch Family and Owners Framed Print by Richard W Linford. Mrs. Biggs called ahead and had the director meet us on the front step. Hunting big game in Africa and hosting extravagant parties at the ranch occupied most of Busters time. [8] W.T. Thats the case that has been snaking through Judge Tom Neelys Forty-sixth District Court, in Wilbarger County, for these past twelve years. [6] Other towns nearby include Electra and Seymour. We would love to have our customers come by and see us and see our newly remodeled store. Its a weird deal. In one, he wished Electra happy birthday and said, I bought you a $2,500 bond.. Who was going to be responsible for it? The main headquarters at the Waggoner Ranch has municipal-quality water from Vernon. These live creeks and their tributaries provide a desirable source of livestock water throughout the property. 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. Ill draw a line and you take first pick, he offered. Some people dont see it, but shes beautiful. discovered oil while trying to drill for water, Hughes tells me. All during the spring and summer of 2003, they talked of little else. 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. Waggoner Ranch livestock have access to water at both lakes. W.T.s granddaughter, Electra Waggoner Biggs was nationally known as a sculptress, and with her national notoriety, General Motors named their most luxurious Buick model the Electra and Lockheed Aircraft named a plane in her honor. He knows the ranch, its cast of characters, and its skeletons and stories as well as any outsider. Look out there! His daddy worked this ranch for fifteen years, and Shane grew up on Cowboy Row. Now he lives in the bunkhouse. Guy had a weakness for the ladies; he once skipped town with the lead actress from a traveling burlesque show. 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. The land was used primarily to raise crops, beef cattle and horses as well as for oil production. | Two large, privately-owned lakes are located on the Waggoner Ranch. The land was used primarily to raise crops, beef cattleand horsesas well as for oil production. Santa Rosa Lake covers approximately 1,400 surface acres when full. The W.T. Consequently, climate data can vary over such a large area of the state. Waggoner Estate operating approximately 150 of these wells and 40 independent operators operating the balance. 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. 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. 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. $ 58.00. At an early age, Dan started building what would become a ranching empire and founded the Waggoner Ranch in 1849. 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. Texas Almanac Rainfall Records show the lowest annual rainfall for this six county area is in Foard and Knox Counties, at 24 inches and 26 inches per year, respectively. The greatest annual precipitation occurs to the east, in Archer and Wichita Counties, at just over 29 inches per year annually. Growing up, the ranch didnt seem like a big deal, Bucky told me. Other areas show substantial regrowth, and those areas of the ranch with a dense canopy of mesquite offer exceptional protection for wildlife. Its like watching the death of a huge and magnificent animal: People cant bear to look, yet theyre powerless to turn away. The Waggoner Ranchis a historic north Texasranch located 13 miles south of Vernon, Texas. (Tom) Waggoner was heard to say, There I was with more t, han 5,000 big, wild steers, 50 sore-backed horses, $12 and 16 years of my life.. Ranches, Farms and Land forsale in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado and Kansas. The Waggoner Ranch can be characterized as a potential sportsmans paradise. Each camp is equipped with a managers house, outbuildings and pens. The W.T. Several small on-site water wells are also located in this large block of farmland. They still talk here of Paul Whitley, an unmarried cowboy who in 1950 rode his horse to Cedar Top, the most remote camp on the ranch, and lived alone in a primitive cabin until his final illness, in 2002. Some say these deer may have never heard a rifle shot. E. Paul, a whiskey-drinking, poker-playing party animal, stayed married to his wife, Helen, for fifty years, but few people doubted the rumors that he kept mistresses in Mexico and South Texas. The assets of the estate have been estimated at $200 to $300 million, but it would surely fetch far less if liquidated. The Municipal Airport at Wichita Falls is served by American Eagle, and the runway is 13,100 feet long. Bernard Uechtritz, one of the property brokers, told the. 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. S. Middleton & Son in Lubbock are honored to announce the exclusive offering of the historic W.T. They ride the trails of their forebearers, living a life and practicing skills that have almost disappeared. He ended up using it for cattle dip, and the well became Electras city dump., Near the entrance to Zacaweista, once the home of the first Electra, we stop at the grave of Poco Bueno. . Waggoner first settled his wife and son, William Thomas (Tom) Waggoner,qv in a home on Catlett Creek near the site of present Decatur. Her best-known work is the statue of Will Rogers on horseback at the entrance to the Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum, in Fort Worth. Waggoner left behind in East Texas the grave of his wife. They were super, super people. Nevertheless, Smith resigned in 1997, tired of being caught in the middle of the power struggle. The answer lies in the rich and rowdy heritage of the Waggoner clan. [14] Her second cousin, Albert Buckman Wharton III, also known as Bucky Wharton, who was Buster Wharton's son, appealed to stop the liquidation. After the first freeze, 120,000 geese will land on Santa Rosa Lake and feast on winter wheat fields. Waggoner acquired more land. Consequently, climate data can vary over such a large area of the state. When E. Paul drew Zacaweista instead, W.T. One side wants the ranch divided equally but otherwise left intact. Shortly after leaving, he got his draft notice, at the height of the Vietnam War. Oil production soon followed. After that, negotiations were dead in the water. Gene remembered it differently. 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. Bucky and Gene run the operation from offices in the W. T. Waggoner Estate Building. But the difference is that the cattle barons of the King Ranch led private, almost secretive lives, running their empire themselves and living on the land, while the Waggoners turned their ranch over to professionals, moved away, and pursued flamboyance. A granite tombstone, set in the center of a small, neatly trimmed pasture, marks the grave of the greatest cutting horse of all time. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. LOCATION Brooks, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces, and Willacy counties. The Texanist: Why Dont Texas Houses Have Basements? Today, it is estimated there are over 1,000 producing oil wells on the Waggoner Ranch, with the W.T. In the late eighties, as the oil revenue began to peter out, the new trustee of the Waggoner estate, Charles Prather, resigned. Buckys pride in this place was unmistakable. 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. 1700 Deaf Smith St., Vernon, TX 76384, US. The Waggoner Ranch owns all of the land surrounding and under these lakes, but the water itself is used for off-site municipal water purposes. By contrast, Bucky is reserved, private, and serious about his business affairs. Some area ranches have rural water systems available, but still principally rely on creeks and ponds as their major water source. 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. You get in here far enough, it just swallows you up, Hughes tells me. [4] It was acquired by Stan Kroenke, who is married to Ann Walton (niece of Sam Walton), in February 2016. You have no voice here and you never will.. Sign up to hear from us about specials, sales, and events. John and Electra had two daughtersa third Electra and Helen. 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. [6] His children would elect a Board of Trustees, who would make decisions with him at the helm. And so they were, for a hundred years and more. St Louis, Missouri, United States. Numerous smaller cultivated fields are scattered throughout the ranch. In the lower draws and creek bottoms, hackberry and soapberry trees are common. 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. 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. King Ranch. 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. One closet was filled with fur coats, another with 350 pairs of shoes, and yet a third with the latest gowns from Paris and New Yorkand she was said never to wear one more than once. Waggoner had built a great ranch, but in 1909 he was 57 years old and thinking about its future. Its now the residence of Gene and Helen Willingham. When it is necessary for them to be in the same room, they let third parties do the talking. (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. West Texans Are Learning What It Means to Live in Bear Country, H-E-Bs True Texas BBQ Restaurant Is Slipping, Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians. [9] It also includes 30,000 acres of arable land and about 1,100 producing oil wells. One morning she packed, jumped in her car, and headed for town, not bothering to stop and open any of the ten gates on the way. He offered to pay Buckys attorney fees and pitch in an extra one million. The last e-mail I got from him, he testified, [was] five years ago.. Sep 1989 - Present33 years 6 months. 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. [6] Meanwhile, Electra Waggoner Biggs became a renowned sculptor. Poco Bueno died in 1969 and was buried in a standing position in front of the main ranch entrance. Buster never liked cows; the only thing about the ranch he cared about was horses, especially his polo ponies. W T Waggoner Ranch Brand Honoring Waggoner Ranch Family and Owners Canvas Print by Richard W Linford. Dan took advantage of this great opportunity. Quanah delivered the land to the Waggoners and other cattle baronsat one time, Waggoner and son leased 650,000 acres for an annual payment of $30,000and the cattle barons made Quanah rich and famous. Most sets of pens are capable of handling several thousand head of cattle at one time. This historic brand has been used in one form or another since that date, making it one of the very oldest brands in Texas. Vernon Regional Airport has a 5,100 foot long runway. This was probably a bluff. 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). 2021 Chas S Middleton and Son. Add to cart. Texas became the 28th state on December 29, 1845, so the Waggoner Ranch is nearly as old as Texas itself. ACRES 825,000. 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. [9] In 1902, W.T. On the other three sides are a number of buildings constructed of identical reddish-brown stone, quarried on the eastern part of the ranch. Recently, new ownership has brought substantial investment in both equipment and design. This is a diverse operation consisting of cattle, horses, farming, oil, recreational lakes and wildlife. Waggoner found oil while drilling for water. The Wichita River, the two branches of Beaver Creek, countless small streams and tributaries, and dozens of stock tanks supply the ranchs water. 20% off all products! Waggoner Ranch with all of its history and be a part of its future unbridled potential. Subscribe Contact Us We love our customers, so feel free to visit during normal business hours. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. E. Paul was a dapper, dashing Hollywood-style cowboy, with a mustache and mischievous eyes. Skyfood Supermarket (six locations in New York) - Asian Oriental Supermarket. No Waggoner is buried on the ranch, only this one cowboy and a few early settlers in unmarked graves. 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. Ranch Manager. [8] The ranch spanned more than a million acres of land. The W. T. Waggoner Estate is seeking a working relationshipwith an industry partner to furtherexplore and develop the ranchlands. Approximately 30,000 acres are in cultivation. This is a robust and versatile multi-faceted operation like none other available on the market today. Without a trustee to keep them at arms length, they set off on a collision course. I was there. According to a 2005 article in The Western Horseman Magazine, But another event in 1902 had a lasting impact on the Waggoner Ranch. 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. Land Broker and Land Appraisalfirm established in 1920. W.T. The history and the legend surrounding the Waggoner Ranch are as big as the ground it covers. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. We invite you to browse through our store and shop with confidence. An additional 320 acres were then purchased in 1856 near the small town of Decatur, marking the first major expansion of Waggoner's estate. In addition to land and cattle, the family owned five banks, three cottonseed mills, and a coal company. The property is divided into approximately 16 camp or division units. He went on and on about how heartbroken he was and how much he missed them, but he didnt write them. They gathered information on the value of individual pastures, with the help of foreman Jimmy Lee Smith. 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. She hosted parties of celebrities, movie stars, and barons of capitalism, including the daughter of J. P. Morgan. The Reversed 3Ds is still used as a symbol representing the historic Waggoner Ranch. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? 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.