How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire, More Colorful Texas Sayings Than You Can Shake a Stick At. [14] After Electra Waggoner Biggs's death, her share was inherited by Electra Waggoner Biggs's daughter Helen Biggs and her husband, Gene Willingham. Land Broker and Land Appraisalfirm established in 1920. 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. Texas became the 28th state on December 29, 1845, so the Waggoner Ranch is nearly as old as Texas itself. 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. Its now the residence of Gene and Helen Willingham. 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. 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! 27 of 56 28 of 56 Cowboys on the Waggoner Ranch brand calves in the spring of 1983. The greatest annual precipitation occurs to the east, in Archer and Wichita Counties, at just over 29 inches per year annually. W T Waggoner Ranch Brand Honoring Waggoner Ranch Family and Owners Framed Print by Richard W Linford. The family feud began the moment the old man rigged the game. This iconic ranch property has been owned and operated by Waggoner heirs for approximately 165 years. Even the water in Beaver Creek was reda sign, Bucky said, that it was fresh and contained no gypsum. I worked a couple of weeks gauging wells. Our cattle herd consists of approximately 10,000 mother cows comprised of 60 percent Hereford and 40 percent Angus/Hereford and Brangus/Hereford cross. But Gene and Helen seem determined to do just that. The Waggoner Ranch Store is located in the Waggoner Estate building in Vernon Texas. The Running W is the brand for the King Ranch located in south Texas close to Kingsville, Tx. When E. Paul drew Zacaweista instead, W.T. [6] Thirty cowboys, and about 120 people overall, are employed on the property. Much of the ranch is covered with mesquite, cedar, and prickly pear, and when the sun softens late in the evening, the dull green of the vegetation and the deep red of the soil give the ranch the pastel serenity of a Mexican village. In later years, W.T. Biggs second in command was comptroller Killen Moore, a onetime Internal Revenue Service agent. The Waggoner Ranch Reversed D Brand is burned on the right hip of calves, and dates back to June 11, 1849. He served as trustee, and his three children, Guy Waggoner, Electra Waggoner Wharton, and E. Paul Waggoner comprised the Board of Directors. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. 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. Thistle Hill, as Electras mansion was called, stands to this day on the crest of Summit Avenue, near downtown. Salt cedar is found along creek and river courses, and cedar is moderate to dense in the rougher, eroded areas of the ranch. 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. He was teaching at Will Rogers Elementary School, in Houston, where Helen Biggs was also a teacher. The bidding period on the ranch, going for $725 million, ended Oct. 20 with about six serious potential buyers. Some people think that the last chance for a settlement died with Electra II. Quietly and efficiently, Moore began to purge anyone friendly to the Wharton half of the trust: Jim Hughes, who most people had believed would succeed Biggs as trustee; Joe Roberson, the auditor who was being groomed as comptroller; Bill McBroom, the head of the oil division; and Ross Malone, the game warden. It was notable for being the largest ranch within one fence in the United States. 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. The land was used primarily to raise crops, beef cattleand horsesas well as for oil production. Electra II married twice, the second time for keeps to John Biggs, a Texan who worked for International Paper Company, in New York, in 1943. In one last attempt to keep the range open, W.T. 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. As their cattle business grew, the ranch needed more grazing land, especially as barbed wire began to close in the open range. The ranch is approximately 175 miles northwest of the Dallas/Ft. The Waggoner has been owned by the same family almost as long as Texas been a state. By the late fifties, forces were marshalling to ensure total control for E. Paul and his heirs. As Parker biographer Bill Neeley has noted, ethics and morality played no part of this business arrangement. [6] Meanwhile, Electra Waggoner Biggs became a renowned sculptor. Its second only to the King Ranch in size, and second to none in its history of drink, divorce, and dissension. 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. Some of the larger main shipping pens are equipped with hydraulic chutes and scales. After her husband died, Electra II did not keep up the pressure on Bucky, as John Biggs and Killen Moore had done. The South and Westernportionsof the ranch are within the shelf and slope regions ofthe carbonate platform where the application ofnew seismictechnology tied to solid geological models will lead to a verysuccessful venture. | Choose from multiple print sizes, border colors, and canvas materials. The other wants to sell the ranch and divide the assets. Dan sent Tom (his son), who was only 16 years old at the time, to Kansas City with a herd of 5,000 steers. Hawley is the ranch manager, and Im sitting in the passenger seat of his pickup, holding my third cup of coffee. 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. Now the fate of the ranch was up to the court. Ranch Manager. [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. When I asked Joline if they had found any memorabilia from Electras time, she laughed. He was the first quarter horse ever to be insured for $100,000. 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. The Waggoner Ranch, 550,000 acres extending into six counties, a realm steeped in Texas history, teeters on the brink of liquidation. Its now the home of Electras grandson, Bucky Wharton, his wife, Joline, and their two children. This is your chance to purchase the W.T. 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. A municipal waterline from nearby Seymour serves some of the homes located at Lake Kemp. 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. From the highway, its pastures seem timeless and impregnable. But by the 1920s, with the advent of the automobile, W.T.s attitude about oil had changed. 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. In his entire life, he never drew a paycheck from anyone but the Waggoners. The W. T. Waggoner Estate is seeking a working relationshipwith an industry partner to furtherexplore and develop the ranchlands. For several years there were no further attempts to settle. 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. John and Electra had two daughtersa third Electra and Helen. We would love to have our customers come by and see us and see our newly remodeled store. [9] In 1902, W.T. The many improvements and related assets mentioned above combine to offer the purchaser an extremely attractive depreciation schedule. All together, as one may imagine, with this many contiguous acres, there is an immense variety of land types on the Waggoner. All pens are very well maintained. [8] W.T. In early 1963 Buster filed a lawsuit, seeking a dispensation to sell shares, but he died before the matter was litigated. 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. Nearby Vernon, which serves as the famed headquarters for the ranch operations office complex, receives an average of 28 inches per year. At midnight, March 31, 2003, the clock ran out on the W. T. Waggoner trust. Thats the only reason anyone would want to sell.. [6][12], When Guy Waggoner died in 1950, his sons sold their share of the estate to members of the family. The headquarters at Zacaweista is a small, self-contained village built around a park that the cowboys call the square. In its center lies the grave of Tony Hazelwood, a legendary Waggoner cowboy and longtime foreman, who died in 1965. [8] By 1903, he sold some of the land near China Creek to developers. This will still be ranchland, for thats all its fit to be, but not ranching on the grand scale that allows men to be cowboys. Now he lives in the bunkhouse. The history of the land and the Waggoner family is so entwined with myth and legend that nobody can untangle the truth. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? The Wichita River, the two branches of Beaver Creek, countless small streams and tributaries, and dozens of stock tanks supply the ranchs water. But Wait, There's More A smattering of the more than 4,000 items listed on the. W T Waggoner Ranch Brand Honoring Waggoner Ranch Family and Owners Canvas Print by Richard W Linford. 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. In May, Judge Neely heard the motion for partial summary judgment and made his ruling. . Subscribe Contact Us We love our customers, so feel free to visit during normal business hours. Dan and W.T. We would love to have our customers come by and see us and see our newly remodeled store. At Christmas, they exchange giftsby messenger. 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. Then he left the meeting and thats the last we heard. discovered oil while trying to drill for water, Hughes tells me. In a January 2003 deposition, Gene said he sent Bucky his own draft of the map but never got a reply. [5], The ranch is located west of Wichita Falls, Texas, south of Vernon, near the Red River. He secretly wanted his favorite, Electra, to draw Zacaweista, because it was nearest to his homestead. 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. Wichita Falls, the county seat of Wichita County, is approximately 20 miles east of the eastern boundary of the ranch. At one dinner party, two Texans pulled six-guns from their dinner jackets and shot up the ceiling. Buster never liked cows; the only thing about the ranch he cared about was horses, especially his polo ponies. King Ranch. At every opportunity, Dan Waggoner purchased land. These are the men who made the ranch work while the Waggoners were off in Fort Worth or New York or Europe. [8] The ranch spanned more than a million acres of land. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Behind his back, other employees referred to Moore as Rasputin. Free shipping for many products! 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. One of the most interesting properties at Zacaweista is the gothic stone barn where Buster Wharton bred his polo ponies. The main headquarters at the Waggoner Ranch has municipal-quality water from Vernon. I was there. Waggoner Ranch livestock have access to water at both lakes. According to a 2005 article in The Western Horseman Magazine, But another event in 1902 had a lasting impact on the Waggoner Ranch. 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 facility is equipped to do embryo transfers and has both indoor and outdoor arenas, two barns, and over 30 stalls. ACRES 825,000. 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. Though there are more than two thousand miles of road inside the ranch, there are hardly any road signs or navigational landmarks. In the lower draws and creek bottoms, hackberry and soapberry trees are common. This is what shes good at, raising cattle. Hawley is 52 and has been at the ranch since 1972, working his way up from cowpuncher to straw boss to headquarters boss and finally to ranch manager. 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. 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. divided the ranch that he and his dad had founded into four large tracts. By all rights the Waggoner Ranch ought to be the equal of the King Ranch in Texas lore. Disgusted, he continued drilling for water. One of the striking sights as you leave the ranch is the sudden appearance of enormous green fields of cotton, wheat, and alfalfa. We see a bunch of javelinas too, and a bobcat as big as a mountain lion. When Helens father died, in 1975, they moved to the ranch, where Gene gradually assumed the position of head of the family. A granite tombstone, set in the center of a small, neatly trimmed pasture, marks the grave of the greatest cutting horse of all time. But when I talked to Judge Neely in October, he told me, No, that wasnt my ruling. The two sides had agreed to this wording: An event has occurred [Buckys notice of termination] which requires the winding up of. All during the spring and summer of 2003, they talked of little else. and fellow cattle baron Burk Burnett sent their pet Indian to Washington, D.C., in 1905 to ride in President Theodore Roosevelts second inaugural paradeand to invite Roosevelt to go wolf hunting on the Big Pasture. A unified decision has now been made by the shareholders to sell this legendary ranch. Consequently, climate data can vary over such a large area of the state. St Louis, Missouri, United States. Waggoner acquired more land. Heath@WaggonerRanch.com They chose the latter. 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. Both were famous for breeding, the King Ranch for Santa Gertrudis cattle, the Waggoner Ranch for cutting horses. 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. At that time, Gene wanted to sell leases to hunters and Bucky didnt. 20% off all products! [6] His children would elect a Board of Trustees, who would make decisions with him at the helm. Killen told Bucky, Take this, go back to New Mexico, and live your life. Dan sent Tom (his son), who was only 16 years old at the time, to Kansas City with a herd of 5,000 steers. I got two dollars a match. Cecil Smith, the world-famous ten-goal player, rode with Busters Waggoner Ranch team. Three pivot sprinkler systems are used to distribute irrigation water to three large fields on the ranch. But selling the ranchor, worse still, permitting the court to liquidate itwould cost both sides dearly in taxes and prestige. 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. [6], In 1991, Electra Waggoner Biggs sued to be able to sell the ranch. And so they were, for a hundred years and more. This historic brand has been used in one form or another since that date, making it one of the very oldest brands in Texas. But Buckys mother was not about to give up her sons inheritance without a fight. We love our customers, so feel free to visit during normal business hours. He kept the east side of the ranch, called White Face, for himself. It is as much a part of the legacy as horses, cattle, oil, opulent mansions, divorces, and drunken sprees. Marketing is done through private treaty and production sales. I can remember the Firestones and the Beverages and the cream of New York society flying in for those matches, Don Ross Malone, a Vernon attorney and son of the former game warden for the ranch, told me. Ill draw a line and you take first pick, he offered. Back in town, I am introduced to 79-year-old G. L. Proctor, the old cowboy who Weldon Hawley has modeled himself after. They work six and sometimes seven days a week, from daylight until the job is done, often late at night. The settlers, most of them German or Czech, moved north of Paradise Creek, which runs just beyond the present northern boundary of the ranch. They communicate by written memos, even though their offices are separated by only a few feet. 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. [3] It spans six counties[3][6] and is half as large as Rhode Island. Neither the Willinghams nor the Whartons have the funds to buy the other out. Numerous food plots are located adjacent to these protected creek bottom areas, and these food plots serve as a magnet for wildlife. A complete list of this inventory can be made available. It doesnt seem real to even think about it, he says. The Waggoner Ranch got into oil in a big way, and today oil wells still methodically pump as cattle graze around them.. Either way, your shopping cart will be active until you leave the store. Since Electra IIs death, in 2001, the board has been composed of these two men who rarely speak to each other. 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.