Vernon Regional Airport has a 5,100 foot long runway. W. T. Waggoner Ranch is located 13 miles south of Vernon, Texas with office headquarters in Vernon. B. Waggoner Ranch, the 800-square-mile plot of land in North Texas, is really big. The major block of this farmland, which is located on the northwest side of the ranch, contains approximately 14,000 acres. You have no voice here and you never will.. [8] Although it still spans six counties, it is primarily centered on Wichita County and Wilbarger County. 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. Cowboys worry that the feud will destroy the ranch. After Guy died, E. Paul and Buster faced the issue of what would become of his shares in the Waggoner estate. Waggoner found oil while drilling for water. He offered him pennies on the dollar for his fifty percent share., It was a paltry amount, Roberson agreed. All canvas prints are professionally printed, assembled, and shipped within 3 - 4 business days and delivered ready-to-hang on your wall. . Nearby Vernon, which serves as the famed headquarters for the ranch operations office complex, receives an average of 28 inches per year. Its a constant battle. Over these past three decades, Bucky has absorbed every inch of this ranch and most of its colorful history. 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. 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. They almost killed him with kindness, literally. It was notable for being the largest ranch within one fence in the United States. [6], In 1991, Electra Waggoner Biggs sued to be able to sell the ranch. Enlow is an advertising, media and fine arts photographer based in Fort Worth. The ranch is fenced and crossfenced, with an estimated several thousand miles of ranch roads and ranch fencing. From the highway, its pastures seem timeless and impregnable. All rights reserved. As Parker biographer Bill Neeley has noted, ethics and morality played no part of this business arrangement. . Bucky wanted to make it clear that he believed the situation was untenable. Oil production soon followed. Historically, the Waggoner Ranch has been operated as a cow/calf ranching unit, with stocker cattle used for seasonal grazing on wheat fields. Waggoner, a widower, and his young son, William Thomas, settled on Catlett Creek, near present-day Decatur. 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. At that time, Gene wanted to sell leases to hunters and Bucky didnt. We would love to have our customers come by and see us and see our newly remodeled store. 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. Some say these deer may have never heard a rifle shot. Ranch Manager. There is also a rumor that the Willinghams have already bought a home in Fort Worth. Nothing is too trivial to spark an argument. W.T. 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. Sep 1989 - Present33 years 6 months. We were talking in Buckys office, a large corner suite on the second floor of the long, low W. T. Waggoner Estate Building just off the main highway in Vernon. I got two dollars a match. Cecil Smith, the world-famous ten-goal player, rode with Busters Waggoner Ranch team. 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 main headquarters at the Waggoner Ranch has municipal-quality water from Vernon. Today, the ranch boasts 7 stallions and over 90 broodmares containing bloodlines of Poco Bueno, High Brow Cat, Peppy San Badger, Top Sail Cody, Smart Chic Olena, and Wimpys Little Step. Meanwhile, the Waggoner family tree was sprouting more branches. The history and the legend surrounding the Waggoner Ranch are as big as the ground it covers. I tried college in Vernon for a little while, but it wasnt for me. [14] Her second cousin, Albert Buckman Wharton III, also known as Bucky Wharton, who was Buster Wharton's son, appealed to stop the liquidation. At an early age, Dan started building what would become a ranching empire and founded the Waggoner Ranch in 1849. The mesquite trees that now dominate the land arrived later, their seeds transported in cow droppings as herds from South Texas passed through on their way to railheads in Kansas. The Bronc-busting, Cow-punching, Death-defying Legend of Boots ONeal, At Texas Swingers Clubs, the Lifestyle Is Booming. Dan sent Tom (his son), who was only 16 years old at the time, to Kansas City with a herd of 5,000 steers. The Waggoner is the largest U.S. ranch within one fence, measuring 520,527 acres (207,000 hectares) or 800 square miles (2,072 square kilometers). In 1877, Burk Burnett (6666 Ranch), Col. C.C. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. Yet the Waggoner Ranch has outlasted its South Texas rival in one respect: It is still under the direct control of its founding family. I saw them together at a backyard wedding two years ago, but they stayed on opposite sides of the yard, Jim Hughes told me. The many improvements and related assets mentioned above combine to offer the purchaser an extremely attractive depreciation schedule. Hunting big game in Africa and hosting extravagant parties at the ranch occupied most of Busters time. 510,527.00 has created a haven for deer, turkey, quail, dove, waterfowl and feral hogs. The Waggoner Ranch Store is located in the Waggoner Estate building in Vernon Texas. 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. As Smith put it, They were a beer-and-champagne twosome.. 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. Joe Roberson showed me how to read the books. These camps range in size from just over 20,000 acres to nearly 40,000 acres each. The house sits on high ground, mostly hidden by oak and pecan trees and a fieldstone wall. 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. The letters were typed by his secretary, Neely told me. Cowboys of the Waggoner Ranch. 940-552-2521 x:270. In the lower draws and creek bottoms, hackberry and soapberry trees are common. Salt cedar is found along creek and river courses, and cedar is moderate to dense in the rougher, eroded areas of the ranch. Dan and W.T. Mesquite is the major invader in this part of Texas. Leave them blank to get signed up. On the other three sides are a number of buildings constructed of identical reddish-brown stone, quarried on the eastern part of the ranch. 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. 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. But Buckys mother was not about to give up her sons inheritance without a fight. Whats Up With All the Kangaroos on the Loose in Texas? [6] It is the second largest ranch in Texas (after the King Ranch),[6] enclosing 510,527 acres (207,000ha; 798sqmi; 2,070km2) of land. We opened it up. Today the home is bright and welcoming. 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. [2][3] It was originally established in 1852 near Vernon, Texas, by Daniel Waggoner under the name of Dan Waggoner & Son; his son being William Thomas Waggoner. 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. [13] He once played there with polo champion Cecil Smith. Historically, potable drinking water has been an issue on the Waggoner Ranch, and for that matter, on many other ranches in this area of North Texas. The ranch's wild steers, huge supply of . In later years, W.T. Killen told Bucky, Take this, go back to New Mexico, and live your life. Please create an account or shop as a guest. Waggoner Ranch cowboys like and respect both families and consider them fair and generous. The settlers, most of them German or Czech, moved north of Paradise Creek, which runs just beyond the present northern boundary of the ranch. 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. When I asked Joline if they had found any memorabilia from Electras time, she laughed. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. was determined to keep Electra nearby. After a time everyone seemed in agreement on all except one pointmaintenance of the dam at Santa Rosa Lake. The wooded river and creek courses offer exceptional cover and desirable habitat for native game. 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. 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. W. T. Waggoner Ranch is currently developing hunting opportunities for quail, wild hog and deer. All during the spring and summer of 2003, they talked of little else. Currently, Waggoner Ranch offspring are excelling in multiple competitive associations, including AQHA, Stock Horse of Texas, NRHA, NRCHA and NCHA. Moore astonished Bucky by trying to buy his stock in the estate. B. Wharton III, known as Bucky. Add to cart. Numerous smaller cultivated fields are scattered throughout the ranch. We farm approximately 25,000 that we use to graze cattle and raise crops for sale and internal use. [9] One of the lakes on the ranch provides water for the City of Wichita Falls. We love our customers, so feel free to visit during normal business hours. Two large, privately-owned lakes are located on the Waggoner Ranch. Neither the Willinghams nor the Whartons have the funds to buy the other out. As their cattle business grew, the ranch needed more grazing land, especially as barbed wire began to close in the open range. On a slight rise behind this house is a much grander two-story Spanish-style villa with a red tile roof, a swimming pool, and a formal garden. What he got was just the opposite. The bidding period on the ranch, going for $725 million, ended Oct. 20 with about six serious potential buyers. In later years, W.T. Millionaire ranchers from Argentina and the elite of East Coast society came in their private planes for weekends of polo and debauchery. Disgusted, he continued drilling for water. [8] W.T. Yesterday a helicopter herded one hundred mother cows and their calves into a trapa corner of the large pastureand soon cowboys on horseback will be stripping the calves away from their mothers, herding them into separate pens and loading them onto trucks for transportation to other parts of the ranch. The W.T. Photographs of his wife and children occupied a bookshelf beside four footballs labeled Coach Bucky Whartongifts from former University of Texas coach David McWilliams, whod invited Wharton to join him on the sidelines at several UT games. The ranch is approximately 175 miles northwest of the Dallas/Ft. Horses have always been big business at the Waggoner Ranch. The squabbling that has ensnared the ranch for almost a century began on Christmas Day of that year, when W.T. So it was the King Ranch whose legend was set down for posterity by the distinguished Texas author Tom Lea, while the Waggoners escapades were left to be recorded by the English author John Bainbridgea few passages in his 1960 book called The Super-Americans, about the excesses of Texass oil millionaires. The Waggoner Ranchis a historic north Texasranch located 13 miles south of Vernon, Texas. How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire, More Colorful Texas Sayings Than You Can Shake a Stick At. His daddy worked this ranch for fifteen years, and Shane grew up on Cowboy Row. There are several other large ponds, as well as hundreds of livestock ponds scattered throughout the property. A portion of this acreage is seeded to very productive Coastal Bermuda. Since his retirement, in 1991, Proctor has lived in Vernon, raising a few cows and tending his yard. Another number brand is placed on the left hip to denote the year. A full moon hangs over West Diving Board Pasture. 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. 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. Thats the case that has been snaking through Judge Tom Neelys Forty-sixth District Court, in Wilbarger County, for these past twelve years. Now look at it! [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. Lonny Morrison [Genes attorney] said he knew an expert who could advise on that matter. In the late eighties, as the oil revenue began to peter out, the new trustee of the Waggoner estate, Charles Prather, resigned. 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. This land sits atop the Seymour Aquifer, while the ranch itself is bone-dry. 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. Some people dont see it, but shes beautiful. I worked for six months with various people in the oil and the ranching divisions, he told me. 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. SOLD. Growing up, the ranch didnt seem like a big deal, Bucky told me. [3] It spans six counties[3][6] and is half as large as Rhode Island. Reply Anonymous February 3, 2013 at 8:00 PM Waggoner Estate office building in downtown Vernon, and most importantly, the exclusive right and use of the iconic Waggoner Ranch name, historic brand, and related rights are expected to convey within the sale. St Louis, Missouri, United States. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. What the hell could he do with oil! After a big wedding in Decatur, the couple honeymooned in Europe and then planned to settle in Philadelphia. Now 56, Bucky is one of the protagonists in the battle over the future of the ranch. 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. 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. 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. A unified decision has now been made by the shareholders to sell this legendary ranch. The greatest annual precipitation occurs to the east, in Archer and Wichita Counties, at just over 29 inches per year annually. They cant wait to get started. Subscribe Contact Us We love our customers, so feel free to visit during normal business hours. 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. 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. The ranch includes thousands of cattle, hundreds of horses and oil wells, and 30,000 acres of. As it turned out, he didnt. The entryway is glass, and there is a skylight over the vaulted ceiling above the staircase. 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. Each camp is equipped with a managers house, outbuildings and pens. This is a robust and versatile multi-faceted operation like none other available on the market today. "W. T. Waggoner Estate: Venerable, $725 million ranch about to be sold", American Quarter Horse Association: Waggoner Ranch, "You Can Now Buy a Texas Ranch That's the Size of a Small Nation, For $725 Million", "Waggoner Ranch: 1994 Best Remuda Winner", "NFL Owner Stan Kroenke Buys Texas Mega-Ranch Listed for $725 Million", "Legendary Waggoner Ranch Historical Combination of Then and Now", "Massive Waggoner Ranch, "last of the True West," is up for grabs", "Mammoth estate to be split up, auctioned", "Waggoner Ranch, among US' largest, listed for sale", "Ranch Dressing: Brokers Prep Giant Waggoner Farm for Sale", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Waggoner_Ranch&oldid=1097984814, Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 July 2022, at 17:07. Three pivot sprinkler systems are used to distribute irrigation water to three large fields on the ranch. The assets of the estate have been estimated at $200 to $300 million, but it would surely fetch far less if liquidated. Members of American Quarter Horse Association, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, National Beef Council, Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, and the Texas Land and Mineral Owners Association. They gathered information on the value of individual pastures, with the help of foreman Jimmy Lee Smith. The W. T. Waggoner Estate is seeking a working relationshipwith an industry partner to furtherexplore and develop the ranchlands. We have unique items that feature our brand. It was notable for being the largest ranch within one fence in the United States. [10], By 1909, W.T. You get in here far enough, it just swallows you up, Hughes tells me. Though its a nicer house, the Willinghams have never moved up there. 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. [6] Thirty cowboys, and about 120 people overall, are employed on the property. After her husband died, Electra II did not keep up the pressure on Bucky, as John Biggs and Killen Moore had done.

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