Its a weird deal. Stretching across six North Texas counties, the Waggoner Ranch is considered to be extremely well located. The Waggoner Ranch was ordered liquidated. 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. Disgusted, he continued drilling for water. Poco Bueno died in 1969 and was buried in a standing position in front of the main ranch entrance. Our horses are American Quarter Horses and we raise them for our use on the ranch. Waggoner Ranch - AQHA - American Quarter Horse Association The Waggoner Ranch was established in 1849 by Dan Waggoner. 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. The 1905 hunt was a classic Waggoner production. In early 1963 Buster filed a lawsuit, seeking a dispensation to sell shares, but he died before the matter was litigated. Making Texas history: Legendary Waggoner Ranch sells to Rams owner One side wants the ranch divided equally but otherwise left intact. 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). 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. The Municipal Airport at Wichita Falls is served by American Eagle, and the runway is 13,100 feet long. 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. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. 20% off all products! Vernon Regional Airport has a 5,100 foot long runway. Three pivot sprinkler systems are used to distribute irrigation water to three large fields on the ranch. The W. T. Waggoner Estate is the nation's largest ranch under one fence. 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. Meanwhile, W.T.s widow, Ella, ran the ranch as dowager empress until her death, in 1959. Moore resigned as trustee in the early eighties, at a critical moment for the estate. After her husband died, Electra II did not keep up the pressure on Bucky, as John Biggs and Killen Moore had done. Main interests of the company are ranching, oil, and approximately 26,000 acres in cultivation. Its been vacant ever since. 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. The party bagged seventeen wolves (some of which were really coyotes), and the president beat a five-foot rattlesnake to death with his quirt. Waggoner acquired more land. W.T. Electra died in 1925 at the age of 43, her life and much of her fortune spent on extravagance. Bickering and backstabbing have been a way of life in the family. After Biggs fell ill with cancer in the early seventies, Moore was essentially running things, and the boardwhich then consisted of Electra II and Buckyappointed him trustee after Biggs died, in 1975. It was notable for being the largest ranch within one fence in the United States. When it is necessary for them to be in the same room, they let third parties do the talking. B. Wharton III, known as Bucky. Now the fate of the ranch was up to the court. Hughes grew up in Vernon and has been hunting and fishing on the ranch since high school. He usually dresses in jeans, a polo shirt, and cowboy boots; in the three times I was with him, he never wore a hat or tried to act like a cowboy. Some whitetail deer on the Waggoner Ranch are estimated to be of Boone and Crockett quality. After the first freeze, 120,000 geese will land on Santa Rosa Lake and feast on winter wheat fields. Bucky Wharton didnt think of the ranch as his heritage until he was in high school at Culver Military Academy, in Indiana. The cowboys are already waiting on horseback just outside the loading pens, cutting up like schoolboys awaiting the bell for recess. What he got was just the opposite. Waggoner Ranch cattle have been 60 percent Hereford and 40 percent Angus/Hereford and Brangus/Hereford. "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. Even when he was a young lad of 14, W.T. Dan and W.T. | By the turn of the century, settlers were overrunning Indian reservations, and the open range was all but gone. 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). Waggoner first settled his wife and son, William Thomas (Tom) Waggoner,qv in a home on Catlett Creek near the site of present Decatur. As previously noted, this massive holding spans six North Texas counties. Oil production soon followed. 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. Even the water in Beaver Creek was reda sign, Bucky said, that it was fresh and contained no gypsum. He went on and on about how heartbroken he was and how much he missed them, but he didnt write them. He began buying land in western Wise County in 1870. 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. 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. [6] However, in 1923, he changed his mind, and set up a Massachusetts trust. We farm approximately 25,000 that we use to graze cattle and raise crops for sale and internal use. We would love to have our customers come by and see us and see our newly remodeled store. Quality horses are always the pride of a true rancher, and this original set of broodmares became a huge influence in the development of the Quarter Horse breed. In one last attempt to keep the range open, W.T. Cowboying isnt a profession, its a life, but if the Waggoner Ranch is broken up into pieces, that life will exist no more. Salt cedar is found along creek and river courses, and cedar is moderate to dense in the rougher, eroded areas of the ranch. Two large, privately-owned lakes are located on the Waggoner Ranch. 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. Brokers: Sale of Waggoner ranch looks hopeful as bidding ends - Chron When Judge Tom Neely, who is in charge of the current lawsuit to break up the ranch, was a young attorney in a previous round of Waggoner lawsuits during the sixties, he and other lawyers found some of E. Pauls letters to Helen. Its like watching the death of a huge and magnificent animal: People cant bear to look, yet theyre powerless to turn away. 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. After Guy died, E. Paul and Buster faced the issue of what would become of his shares in the Waggoner estate. (Waggoner) hit oil instead. Waggoner Ranch livestock have access to water at both lakes. [6] Meanwhile, Electra Waggoner Biggs became a renowned sculptor. Now 56, Bucky is one of the protagonists in the battle over the future of the ranch. You Can Now Buy a Texas Ranch That's the Size of a Small Nation, For It is as much a part of the legacy as horses, cattle, oil, opulent mansions, divorces, and drunken sprees. (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.. Or so people say.. Things were working smoothly at that moment, but neither side believed the harmony would last. The Bronc-busting, Cow-punching, Death-defying Legend of Boots ONeal, At Texas Swingers Clubs, the Lifestyle Is Booming. 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. Dan Waggoner, who was born in Tennessee in 1828, moved to Texas with his family in the mid-1840s. [3][14][15] It was ultimately sold in February 2016 to billionaire Stan Kroenke, the husband of Wal-Mart heiress Ann Walton Kroenke and current owner of the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams and the Premier League's Arsenal F.C. While drilling for water, W.T. [5], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}3354N 9900W / 33.9N 99.0W / 33.9; -99.0. The squabbling that has ensnared the ranch for almost a century began on Christmas Day of that year, when W.T. And so they were, for a hundred years and more. [11] Buster raised polo ponies and established the El Ranchio Polo Club on the ranch. This treated water is used for human consumption to serve the substantial headquarter improvements. Some area ranches have rural water systems available, but still principally rely on creeks and ponds as their major water source. Buckys home sits on one side of the square. The Waggoner Ranch can be characterized as a potential sportsmans paradise. 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. 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. In total, the ranch spans nearly 800 square miles. 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. He built the newlyweds an eighteen-room mansion in Fort Worth, where he later built a twenty-story office building as the base for his empire. 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. [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. Now look at it! Moreover, a sale would be taxed and so would the distribution of the money. . Some people believe that she would never have permitted the sale of the Waggoner Ranch. [4] It was acquired by Stan Kroenke, who is married to Ann Walton (niece of Sam Walton), in February 2016. Consequently, climate data can vary over such a large area of the state. In 1869 Dan made seventeen-year-old W.T. Bucky and Gene and their lawyers were there. PRIMARY USE cow-calf, feed yard, farming, horses, oil and gas, wild game hunting, birding . Rani's World Foods (Texas & Nevada) - Indian supermarket chain. The settlers, most of them German or Czech, moved north of Paradise Creek, which runs just beyond the present northern boundary of the ranch. All pens are very well maintained. Back in town, I am introduced to 79-year-old G. L. Proctor, the old cowboy who Weldon Hawley has modeled himself after. 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. A portion of this acreage is seeded to very productive Coastal Bermuda. An enormous picture window with a panoramic view of the ranch replaced the porthole-size window of 1910. declared a misdeal and had them draw again. According to a 2005 article in The Western Horseman Magazine, But another event in 1902 had a lasting impact on the Waggoner Ranch. Hawley is the ranch manager, and Im sitting in the passenger seat of his pickup, holding my third cup of coffee. 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. This huge block of farmland is crossfenced into large manageable fields which are suitable for grazing thousands of head of wheat pasture cattle. Oil was a nuisance, and any good cattleman knew the value of water. Waggoner Estate operating approximately 150 of these wells and 40 independent operators operating the balance. After the Biggses requested liquidation, he hired Hughes and Roberson to draw a map, splitting the ranch in a way that would be acceptable to both sides. Slaughter (Slaughter Ranches), Jim Loving (JA Ranch) and Dan and W.T. The house eventually fell apart and was torn down. Hunting big game in Africa and hosting extravagant parties at the ranch occupied most of Busters time. All canvas prints are professionally printed, assembled, and shipped within 3 - 4 business days and delivered ready-to-hang on your wall. 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. Some people dont see it, but shes beautiful. 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. We met in the boardroom at the Waggoner building, Roberson told me. Horses like Waggoners Rainy Day, Midnight, One Eyed Waggoner, Yellow Wolf, Yellow Jacket, Pretty Boy, Pretty Buck, Snipper W, Pep Up, Jesse James and of course Poco Bueno still appear in the pedigrees of many great horses today. In later years, W.T. Mrs. Biggs called ahead and had the director meet us on the front step. Cowboys worry that the feud will destroy the ranch. Some of the wells discovered in the 1920s are still in operation. The W. T. Waggoner Ranch is five-time winner of the Texas Ranch Roundup and a recipient of the American Quarter Horse Association's "Best of the Remuda Award". When full, Lake Kemp covers an area of over 16,540 surface acres and Lake Diversion covers approximately 3,420 surface acres. Anne was the granddaughter of W.T.s friend Burk Burnett and hardly the type to sit around waiting for a roving husband. I worked a couple of weeks gauging wells. . Waggoner Ranch with all of its history and be a part of its future unbridled potential. W.T. Gene is, by all accounts, gregarious and outgoing, a typical good ol boy who enjoys playing dominoes at the country club. Another formula was used to calculate mineral rights, pipelines, cattle, horses, equipment, other assets. By the 1880s, the Waggoners Victorian mansion, El Castile, was the most prominent structure in Decatur. Be alert all the time and ready to go, he says in a strong, sure voice. W. T. Waggoner Ranch is currently developing hunting opportunities for quail, wild hog and deer. As a boy, Bucky visited the ranch at Christmas and during the summer, but he was never close to his father and knew nothing about cattle or oil. On each of those transactions, Kroenke had relied on Leadbetter's counsel and the insights of Sam Connolly, general manager of Kroenke Ranches. The answer lies in the rich and rowdy heritage of the Waggoner clan. Waggoner biographer Roze McCoy Porter writes that Electra spent $90,000 remodeling the one-year-old mansion and another $55,000 on draperies. 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. Mesquite is the major invader in this part of Texas. [8] W.T. She finally pulled up in front of the Vernon drugstore, pieces of gate and fence hanging off the car, Bucky tells me. The history and the legend surrounding the Waggoner Ranch are as big as the ground it covers. Numerous smaller cultivated fields are scattered throughout the ranch. Hostile Comanches and Kiowas, plus a few foolhardy nesters trying to scratch out a living, occupied this endless stretch of grassland. What does it take to be a good cowboy? I ask. [8] Although it still spans six counties, it is primarily centered on Wichita County and Wilbarger County. Genes got to drive within fifty feet of Buckys house every morning and again every evening to get to his own place. In his entire life, he never drew a paycheck from anyone but the Waggoners. Its a constant battle. Over these past three decades, Bucky has absorbed every inch of this ranch and most of its colorful history. For years, its two feuding clans have agreed on only one thing: They want to break up their vast eight-hundred-square-mile spread and close this chapter of Texas history. Each camp is equipped with a managers house, outbuildings and pens. 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