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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 history and the legend surrounding the Waggoner Ranch are as big as the ground it covers. L. Proctor was foreman when I got here, and I made him my model., The ranch has about thirty cowboys, many of them second- and third-generation Waggoner employees. B. Wharton III, known as Bucky. He was teaching at Will Rogers Elementary School, in Houston, where Helen Biggs was also a teacher. He first settled on Catlett Creek near the site of present Decatur. They gathered information on the value of individual pastures, with the help of foreman Jimmy Lee Smith. 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. In later years, W.T. Waggoner divided the Waggoner Ranch into four subsections: one for himself (White Face); and three smaller 8,500 acre sub-ranches for his children: Zacaweista, Four Corners, and Santa Ros. Bucky and Gene and their lawyers were there. We love our customers, so feel free to visit during normal business hours. We would love to have our customers come by and see us and see our newly remodeled store. [3] It spans six counties[3][6] and is half as large as Rhode Island. 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. Before the day is done, well spot hundreds of deer and numerous herds of feral hogs, fifty or sixty in a bunch, wee piglets scurrying to keep up. Oil was a nuisance, and any good cattleman knew the value of water. We have unique items that feature our brand. After that, negotiations were dead in the water. Gene remembered it differently. Ill draw a line and you take first pick, he offered. An additional 320 acres were then purchased in 1856 near the small town of Decatur, marking the first major expansion of Waggoner's estate. They include a bunkhouse for single cowboys, more homes for the foreman and senior cowboys, a cookhouse, several maintenance sheds, and a truck barn. Proctor, whose daddy was a Waggoner cowboy too, went to work for the ranch in 1937, at age thirteen. Approximately 160,000 acres of the 560,000 acres areproven prolific oilproperties. The W.T. At the same time, they amended the bylaws to allow either party to give notice of termination within certain windows of timean amendment that would later prove crucial in the battle over the ranch. Dan Waggoner passed away in 1903, and his son, W. T. (Tom) Waggoner continued to expand his ranching interests. Its now the home of Electras grandson, Bucky Wharton, his wife, Joline, and their two children. The facility is equipped to do embryo transfers and has both indoor and outdoor arenas, two barns, and over 30 stalls. W.T. We met in the boardroom at the Waggoner building, Roberson told me. I think there were twenty-five or twenty-seven attorneys involved, he recalled. 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. Sign up to hear from us about specials, sales, and events. Then, in 1997, Bucky and Roberson drew another map, this time setting aside the two homesteads, and again offered Gene first choice. The Big Pasture, however, remained available for grazing and hunting. [9] In 1902, W.T. 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. Houses back then were very dark, with low ceilings and small windows. Both ranches once covered more than a million acres. There is also a rumor that the Willinghams have already bought a home in Fort Worth. 940-552-2521 x:270. Consequently, climate data can vary over such a large area of the state. As the frontier pushed westward, he expanded his herd and bought more land, in Clay and Wichita counties. After her husband died, Electra II did not keep up the pressure on Bucky, as John Biggs and Killen Moore had done. Cowboys worry that the feud will destroy the ranch. As land was cleared for settlement, he gradually moved west and by the late 1870s settled along Beaver Creek near Electra Texas. The Waggoner Ranch was ordered liquidated. A number that denotes the foal's dam is placed on the left shoulder, and the ranch's famous D brand is placed under that. 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. No Waggoner is buried on the ranch, only this one cowboy and a few early settlers in unmarked graves. Who was going to be responsible for it? He knows the ranch, its cast of characters, and its skeletons and stories as well as any outsider. 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. Not a shred, she told me. 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. W. T. Waggoner Ranch is located 13 miles south of Vernon, Texas with office headquarters in Vernon. Ranching operations began with 230 head of longhorn cattle and some horses. Waggoner acquired more land. As land was cleared for settlement, he gradually moved west and by the late 1870s settled along Beaver Creek near Electra Texas. Didnt any of them have to work or suffer to get it. Now 56, Bucky is one of the protagonists in the battle over the future of the ranch. The bidding period on the ranch, going for $725 million, ended Oct. 20 with about six serious potential buyers. But by the 1920s, with the advent of the automobile, W.T.s attitude about oil had changed. Our ranching operation includes, cattle, horses and the farm. ACRES Two of the camp divisions, the Zacaweista and the Santa Rosa, are very highly improved. 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. That became the seed money for the Waggoner empire. The house eventually fell apart and was torn down. Dan took advantage of this great opportunity. 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. They chose the latter. and 283. [6] Electra Waggoner mostly resided at Thistle Hill in Fort Worth, although her husband, Albert Buck Wharton, operated a livery yard and horse stables on the ranch. In the late eighties, as the oil revenue began to peter out, the new trustee of the Waggoner estate, Charles Prather, resigned. This is the job I set my sights on, he says. [6] Meanwhile, Electra Waggoner Biggs became a renowned sculptor. Currently, the ranch has a water well lease on a nearby offsite well, which furnishes livestock water through an extensive waterline network to the large block of farmland located on the northwest side of the ranch, and also to the main ranch headquarters. Killen told Bucky, Take this, go back to New Mexico, and live your life. Under the terms of the trust, each of the children owned one third of the 100,000 shares in the estate, elected the board of directors of the trust and served on the board themselves, and retained their homesteads. One story has it that a gunslinger named Jimmie Roberts, originally hired to deal with rustlers, was sent out to make farmers an offer they couldnt refuse. . The Waggoner (Three D) Ranch had its beginnings in the early 1850s when Daniel Waggoner, his son W. T. (Tom), and a fifteen-year-old Black slave trailed 242 cattle and six horses into Wise County. The terrain varies from fairly level to gently rolling, sloping and hilly, but there are areas of rougher breaks and scenic, very eroded, red clay badland. The sale of the iconic Waggoner Ranch, while marking the end of one era, creates for a new owner the opportunity to begin another. Joe Roberson, who was the estates auditor for many years, describes him this way: Big belt buckle, expensive boots, a bottle of whiskey. E. Paul had a good eye for horseshe bought Poco Bueno, the great cutting horse sireand loved to be seen as the ultimate cattle baron, but a retired Waggoner Ranch foreman named G. L. Proctor told me, He wasnt much of a rider. In the meantime, the Waggoners had been buying out small farmers on the Texas side of the river, paying $1 an acre and often less. Both lakes offer good fishing, boating, and water skiing, and the Waggoner Ranch leases out approximately 500 privately-owned housing sites surrounding these two lakes. [10], By 1909, W.T. The Reversed 3Ds is still used as a symbol representing the historic Waggoner Ranch. 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. Though he wouldnt talk about the lawsuit, he spoke freely about his bewildering transformation from New Mexico schoolboy to co-owner of one of the countrys most famous ranches. 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. 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. This treated water is used for human consumption to serve the substantial headquarter improvements. 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. A drought in the last part of the nineteenth century made the land where the Waggoner Ranch now sits nearly useless for growing crops. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. Be alert all the time and ready to go, he says in a strong, sure voice. Approximately 30,000 acres are in cultivation. The W.T. They cant wait to get started. This was probably a bluff. [6], The ranch was originally established in 1852 near Vernon, Texas, by Daniel Waggoner under the name of Dan Waggoner & Son; his son being William Thomas Waggoner, who was an infant at the time. Shortly after leaving, he got his draft notice, at the height of the Vietnam War. While drilling for water, W.T. It may be many years before a similar ranch of this magnitude becomes available, if ever. The entryway is glass, and there is a skylight over the vaulted ceiling above the staircase. [6], In 1991, Electra Waggoner Biggs sued to be able to sell the ranch. Its absence symbolizes the fate of the Guy Waggoner clan in the history of the ranch. The wooded river and creek courses offer exceptional cover and desirable habitat for native game. Another number brand is placed on the left hip to denote the year. SOLD. Choose from multiple print sizes, border colors, and canvas materials. But even as board members, they were powerless to exercise any authority over the ranch, except to elect future trustees. An enormous picture window with a panoramic view of the ranch replaced the porthole-size window of 1910. These are the men who made the ranch work while the Waggoners were off in Fort Worth or New York or Europe. 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 house sits on high ground, mostly hidden by oak and pecan trees and a fieldstone wall. Waggoner had built a great ranch, but in 1909 he was 57 years old and thinking about its future. Either way, your shopping cart will be active until you leave the store. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. She was strikingly pretty, with a long, sensitive face and dark, sparkling eyes. [6] Other towns nearby include Electra and Seymour. The gifts were not entirely altruistic. Her best-known work is the statue of Will Rogers on horseback at the entrance to the Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum, in Fort Worth. Inside the Decades-long Effort to Commemorate a Notorious Waco Lynching. Legend has it that Electra once blew $1 million in a single day at Neiman Marcus. W.T. In over 165 years of the Waggoner family ownership, commercial hunting has never been allowed on this expansive ranch. (It still is, except for the magnificent Wise County courthouse.) But Buckys mother was not about to give up her sons inheritance without a fight. Numerous smaller cultivated fields are scattered throughout the 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. In total, the ranch spans nearly 800 square miles. He offered him pennies on the dollar for his fifty percent share., It was a paltry amount, Roberson agreed. We have unique items that feature our brand. Electra died in 1925 at the age of 43, her life and much of her fortune spent on extravagance. Apparently they just agreed to continue to disagree. . 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. [6] It has about 14,000 cows and bulls as well as 500 horses. The Wichita River, the two branches of Beaver Creek, countless small streams and tributaries, and dozens of stock tanks supply the ranchs water. Nobodys sure. Killen knew that Bucky was strapped with legal fees from the court battles of the sixties, Hughes told me. 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. Vernon Regional Airport has a 5,100 foot long runway. Lake Kemp, a popular North Texas fishing and recreational site, is located approximately 40 miles west of Wichita Falls in Cara Blanca Park, the recreational park surrounding the lake. At least thats what everyone outside the two families, their lawyers, and the judge believe happened. [5], The ranch is located west of Wichita Falls, Texas, south of Vernon, near the Red River. A granite marker, weighing four tons, notes his grave site. Its a trade that suits only a select few for whom the life satisfies rather than restricts. The two sides have never been able to agree on a replacement. 20% off all products! Thistle Hill, as Electras mansion was called, stands to this day on the crest of Summit Avenue, near downtown. Find a huge selection of trailers from DooLittle and SureTrac in MO. Jim Hughes, a longtime attorney for the Waggoner estate who was being groomed to become a trustee before the feud cost him the opportunity, slows down as a dozen or more wild turkeys scamper across the highway and disappear into thick stands of mesquite. As Smith put it, They were a beer-and-champagne twosome.. A complete list of this inventory can be made available. The dispute seemed to highlight Bucky and Genes contrasting attitudesone loved the land, the other loved the money. The Waggoner Ranchis a historic north Texasranch located 13 miles south of Vernon, Texas. It seems inconceivable that they cant agree on a compromise. A granite tombstone, set in the center of a small, neatly trimmed pasture, marks the grave of the greatest cutting horse of all time. When it is necessary for them to be in the same room, they let third parties do the talking. This sprawling property is approximately three-fourths the size of Rhode Island. 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). Waggoner biographer Roze McCoy Porter writes that Electra spent $90,000 remodeling the one-year-old mansion and another $55,000 on draperies. Employees of the Waggoner Ranch horse operation concentrate on raising horses for working ranch purposes and strive to create athletic and trainable horses that are 15-hands tall with outstanding conformation. 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. [6][11] E. Paul Waggoner raised Quarter Horses on the ranch. 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 little village of Lockett, where the descendants of those settlers now live, is wet in another way: It is the nearest spot where citizens of Vernon can buy beer and liquor. In the Roaring Twenties, Electra Waggoner was the most infamous socialite in Texas. What he got was just the opposite. Genes got to drive within fifty feet of Buckys house every morning and again every evening to get to his own place. As previously noted, this massive holding spans six North Texas counties. Its second only to the King Ranch in size, and second to none in its history of drink, divorce, and dissension. Bickering and backstabbing have been a way of life in the family. There is a photograph of her in the Red River Valley Museum, near Vernon College, along with a large collection of her work: busts of Will Rogers, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Bob Hope, Knute Rockne, Amon Carter, John Nance Garner. It comprises 520,000 acres in six counties, and is the home for 12,000 mother cows. Hes not a large man, but his pleasant and unassuming manner and his quiet, considered confidence give him stature. Salt cedar is found along creek and river courses, and cedar is moderate to dense in the rougher, eroded areas of the ranch. 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. 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. 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. She hosted parties of celebrities, movie stars, and barons of capitalism, including the daughter of J. P. Morgan. Waggoner, a widower, and his young son, William Thomas, settled on Catlett Creek, near present-day Decatur. Its a weird deal. The land was used primarily to raise crops, beef cattle and horses as well as for oil production. 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. The King Ranch, based in south Texas, has more acreage spread over several parcels. 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. Waggoner left behind in East Texas the grave of his wife. Waggoner Ranch cowboys like and respect both families and consider them fair and generous. Perhaps they are afraid of ghosts. At Christmas, they exchange giftsby messenger. All canvas prints are professionally printed, assembled, and shipped within 3 - 4 business days and delivered ready-to-hang on your wall. In a deposition filed with the court in 2001, Bucky acknowledged: We do not meet face to face, just he and I. Two large, privately-owned lakes are located on the Waggoner Ranch. You have no voice here and you never will.. In one, he wished Electra happy birthday and said, I bought you a $2,500 bond.. All together, as one may imagine, with this many contiguous acres, there is an immense variety of land types on the Waggoner. By 1881, his ranch had reached its modern dimensions: half a million acres sprawling over six counties the largest ranch in Texas under a single fence. 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. Dan and W.T. 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. This historic brand has been used in one form or another since that date, making it one of the very oldest brands in Texas. Buster received income from his share of the estate, but he had no role in the ranch management and was happy to leave the ranching to E. Paul. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? Dan died in 1903, leaving everything to Tom. Waggoner raised Quarter Horses on the ranch, including Poco Bueno, who was buried on the ranch. When E. Paul drew Zacaweista instead, W.T. We see a bunch of javelinas too, and a bobcat as big as a mountain lion. Heath@WaggonerRanch.com No way I could live in the city. He means Vernon (population: 12,000). The Waggoner Ranch Reversed D Brand is burned on the right hip of calves, and dates back to June 11, 1849. [9], In August 2014, the ranch was listed on the real estate market with an asking price of US$725 million. Two years after Prathers resignation, Bucky gave notice of termination of the trust in a letter to Electra IIs family. St Louis, Missouri, United States. Anne was the granddaughter of W.T.s friend Burk Burnett and hardly the type to sit around waiting for a roving husband. [7] Parts of it can be seen from highways U.S. 183 How could things have spun so wildly out of control? Mid America is your local truck topper and trailer dealer in St Louis MO for all your new and used truck toppers in st louis as well as dump trailers and utility flatbed trailers in St Louis MO. The Waggoner Ranch can be characterized as a potential sportsmans paradise. They almost killed him with kindness, literally. Bucky wanted the ranch to be divided, not liquidated. In a January 2003 deposition, Gene said he sent Bucky his own draft of the map but never got a reply. Buster Wharton Jr., a polo player, playboy, and famous drunk who died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1963. This iconic ranch property has been owned and operated by Waggoner heirs for approximately 165 years. [6][12], When Guy Waggoner died in 1950, his sons sold their share of the estate to members of the family. Its the Story of Shankleville, One of the States Early Freedom Colonies. Nothing is too trivial to spark an argument. 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. declared a misdeal and had them draw again. A municipal waterline from nearby Seymour serves some of the homes located at Lake Kemp. This rare phenomenon. And so they were, for a hundred years and more. The dam was right on the dividing line. This well-renowned offering includes the 510,527 contiguous acres, together with all permanent improvements, approximately 41.67% of the mineral estate, all water rights, and all wind generation royalty rights. Beaver Creek feeds Santa Rosa Lake, and the Wichita River feeds Lake Kemp and Lake Diversion. Waggoner Estate operating approximately 150 of these wells and 40 independent operators operating the balance. The Municipal Airport at Wichita Falls is served by American Eagle, and the runway is 13,100 feet long. 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. Biggss brother-in-law was the president of General Motors, and he later named a Buick model for Electra. I tried college in Vernon for a little while, but it wasnt for me. [8] By 1903, he sold some of the land near China Creek to developers. Growing up, the ranch didnt seem like a big deal, Bucky told me. This was a time when much of Texas was open range and unexplored. Fire Ants Have Unleashed Chaos in Texas for Decades. The greatest annual precipitation occurs to the east, in Archer and Wichita Counties, at just over 29 inches per year annually. The letters were typed by his secretary, Neely told me. Moore resigned as trustee in the early eighties, at a critical moment for the estate. Cowboys of the Waggoner Ranch. Neither of her parents came to the wedding; biographer Porter reports that E. Paul and Helen were having marital problems. They are already being augmented by Kroenke Ranches' world-class commercial Angus herd. 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. (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. 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. One side wants the ranch divided equally but otherwise left intact. Please create an account or shop as a guest. Gene is, by all accounts, gregarious and outgoing, a typical good ol boy who enjoys playing dominoes at the country club. One of the striking sights as you leave the ranch is the sudden appearance of enormous green fields of cotton, wheat, and alfalfa. [8] W.T. 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. Joe Roberson showed me how to read the books. They were super, super people. Nevertheless, Smith resigned in 1997, tired of being caught in the middle of the power struggle. We try not to put stress on the livestock.. The summer after his discharge, in 1970, Bucky decided it was time to move to the ranch and begin his real education.