Our cattle herd consists of approximately 10,000 mother cows comprised of 60 percent Hereford and 40 percent Angus/Hereford and Brangus/Hereford cross. 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. Its like watching the death of a huge and magnificent animal: People cant bear to look, yet theyre powerless to turn away. When full, Lake Kemp covers an area of over 16,540 surface acres and Lake Diversion covers approximately 3,420 surface acres. Its second only to the King Ranch in size, and second to none in its history of drink, divorce, and dissension. For the past 15 years, champions at both the National Reining Association and the National Cutting Horse Association Futurity have had Waggoner bloodlines in their pedigree. These cows are bred to Hereford, Angus, and Charolais bulls. The only thing I can figure, it was give to them. (and future trustees) would have the sole right to make all management decisions. Mesquite is the major invader in this part of Texas. The King Ranch, based in south Texas, has more acreage spread over several parcels. Who was going to be responsible for it? has created a haven for deer, turkey, quail, dove, waterfowl and feral hogs. Inside the Decades-long Effort to Commemorate a Notorious Waco Lynching. Today, it is estimated there are over 1,000 producing oil wells on the Waggoner Ranch, with the W.T. Potential buyers include a group of Japanese investors, Ross Perot Jr., Boone Pickens, even the Mormon churchor so go the rumors. One thing you dont see on the ranch is windmills. Poco Bueno sired 36 AQHA Champions, and many of his offspring have excelled in all the different disciplines of modern day horse events. This is a diverse operation consisting of cattle, horses, farming, oil, recreational lakes and wildlife. All I ever knew is the Waggoner Ranch, he tells me. 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. Two years after Prathers resignation, Bucky gave notice of termination of the trust in a letter to Electra IIs family. The majority of the ranch is in native pasture, supporting a mixed variety of palatable native grasses. W.T. Its absence symbolizes the fate of the Guy Waggoner clan in the history of the ranch. 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. 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. 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. The land was used primarily to raise crops, beef cattle and horses as well as for oil production. Subscribe Contact Us We love our customers, so feel free to visit during normal business hours. The W.T. A unified decision has now been made by the shareholders to sell this legendary ranch. As the frontier pushed westward, he expanded his herd and bought more land, in Clay and Wichita counties. Thats the case that has been snaking through Judge Tom Neelys Forty-sixth District Court, in Wilbarger County, for these past twelve years. The 1905 hunt was a classic Waggoner production. 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 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. Dan sent Tom (his son), who was only 16 years old at the time, to Kansas City with a herd of 5,000 steers. divided the ranch that he and his dad had founded into four large tracts. 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. Shortly before she ended her eighteen-year marriage to A.B., she purchased another magnificent home on Preston Road in Highland Park and named it Shadowlawn. His daddy worked this ranch for fifteen years, and Shane grew up on Cowboy Row. The rich and spoiled siblings nearly squandered the family fortune on wild parties, all-night poker games, trips around the world, and divorce settlements. As land was cleared for settlement, he gradually moved west and by the late 1870s settled along Beaver Creek near Electra Texas. The W.T. 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. Free shipping for many products! All pens are very well maintained. Many carry the bloodline of Poco Bueno. The main set of shipping pens are located along the highway at the Zacaweista Headquarters Division. Jim Jennings, in a 2005 article in The Quarter Horse Journal, states, By 1868, the Waggoner outfit had grown considerably, but help was still short. G. In May, Judge Neely heard the motion for partial summary judgment and made his ruling. Marketing is done through private treaty and production sales. In one, he wished Electra happy birthday and said, I bought you a $2,500 bond.. 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. In the Roaring Twenties, Electra Waggoner was the most infamous socialite in Texas. These camps range in size from just over 20,000 acres to nearly 40,000 acres each. 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. It's one of the largest ranches in the world with 825,00 acres. B. Wharton III, known as Bucky. Genes got to drive within fifty feet of Buckys house every morning and again every evening to get to his own place. Millionaire ranchers from Argentina and the elite of East Coast society came in their private planes for weekends of polo and debauchery. Now look at it! This is your chance to purchase the W.T. It seems inconceivable that they cant agree on a compromise. Buster never liked cows; the only thing about the ranch he cared about was horses, especially his polo ponies. Approximately 160,000 acres of the 560,000 acres areproven prolific oilproperties. He offered him pennies on the dollar for his fifty percent share., It was a paltry amount, Roberson agreed. In The American Quarter Horse Journal, Jim Jennings writes, The Waggoner contribution to the Quarter Horse industry has long been recognized. But we are so far from the lights of townany townthat half an hour before daylight its still pitch black. 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. When they presented the map to Gene, they say, he asked for more details. At an early age, Dan started building what would become a ranching empire and founded the Waggoner Ranch in 1849. [9], In August 2014, the ranch was listed on the real estate market with an asking price of US$725 million. The nearly 30,000 acres of farmland is generally farmed in wheat for grazing, but Coastal Bermuda fields and haygrazer fields are baled and used to feed cattle and also to supply quality hay for the large horse operation. He was the first quarter horse ever to be insured for $100,000. (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. Though there are more than two thousand miles of road inside the ranch, there are hardly any road signs or navigational landmarks. [9] One of the lakes on the ranch provides water for the City of Wichita Falls. Maybe thats why Judge Neely told me that he has no intention of setting a deadline. [14] Her second cousin, Albert Buckman Wharton III, also known as Bucky Wharton, who was Buster Wharton's son, appealed to stop the liquidation. Waggoner Ranch is, the five-time winner of the Texas Ranch Roundup and a recipient of the American Quarter Horse Associations Best of the Remuda Award.. One side wants the ranch divided equally but otherwise left intact. As land was cleared for settlement, he gradually moved west and by the late 1870s settled along Beaver Creek near Electra Texas. 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. But even as board members, they were powerless to exercise any authority over the ranch, except to elect future trustees. 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. These live creeks and their tributaries provide a desirable source of livestock water throughout the property. From the highway, its pastures seem timeless and impregnable. 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. Though its a nicer house, the Willinghams have never moved up there. Consequently, climate data can vary over such a large area of the state. Then, in 1997, Bucky and Roberson drew another map, this time setting aside the two homesteads, and again offered Gene first choice. Oil production soon followed. 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. 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. He secretly wanted his favorite, Electra, to draw Zacaweista, because it was nearest to his homestead. 940-552-2521 x:270. a full partner, gave him $12, a group of drovers, and fifty hard-used saddle horses, and sent him to Abilene, Kansas, with a herd of five thousand steers. W.T. Enlow is an advertising, media and fine arts photographer based in Fort Worth. 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. Some of the wells discovered in the 1920s are still in operation. In a deposition filed with the court in 2001, Bucky acknowledged: We do not meet face to face, just he and I. The land was used primarily to raise crops, beef cattleand horsesas well as for oil production. The Waggoner Ranch got into oil in a big way, and today oil wells still methodically pump as cattle graze around them.. [7] Parts of it can be seen from highways U.S. 183 The Waggoner Ranch, 550,000 acres extending into six counties, a realm steeped in Texas history, teeters on the brink of liquidation. It doesnt seem real to even think about it, he says. Back in town, I am introduced to 79-year-old G. L. Proctor, the old cowboy who Weldon Hawley has modeled himself after. That became the seed money for the Waggoner empire. This iconic ranch property has been owned and operated by Waggoner heirs for approximately 165 years. In the late eighties, as the oil revenue began to peter out, the new trustee of the Waggoner estate, Charles Prather, resigned. Meanwhile, the Waggoner family tree was sprouting more branches. . 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. John and Electra had two daughtersa third Electra and Helen. He pointed to an impenetrable thicket of mesquite and told me, Thirty years ago we cleared that pasture, all the way to Beaver Creek. Dan and W.T. 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. They seldom speak and hardly ever socialize. 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. Heath@WaggonerRanch.com 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. After a hard rain, this endless maze of graded red clay becomes a network of quagmires. Passing under a granite arch, we head down a long, paved driveway to Zacaweista, an Indian word meaning good grass. Its the name of both the ranch headquarters and the sprawling rock-and-wood home that Electra built in 1910. [8] The ranch spanned more than a million acres of land. Biggss brother-in-law was the president of General Motors, and he later named a Buick model for Electra. [14] After Electra Waggoner Biggs's death, her share was inherited by Electra Waggoner Biggs's daughter Helen Biggs and her husband, Gene Willingham. The property is divided into approximately 16 camp or division units. [6] Other towns nearby include Electra and Seymour. [6] Guy Waggoner lived there with his wife Anne Burnett, the daughter of Samuel Burk Burnett and heiress of the 6666 Ranch from 1922 until their divorce. Because of Toms great influence on the horse industry, he became a founding member of the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). Its now the residence of Gene and Helen Willingham. W.T. 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. Gene has told people that the ranch would sell in no time, the whole 520,000 acres. Waggoner, a widower, and his young son, William Thomas, settled on Catlett Creek, near present-day Decatur. Moore astonished Bucky by trying to buy his stock in the estate. The Waggoner Ranchis a historic north Texasranch located 13 miles south of Vernon, Texas. After the first freeze, 120,000 geese will land on Santa Rosa Lake and feast on winter wheat fields. How could things have spun so wildly out of control? Behind his back, other employees referred to Moore as Rasputin. [6] Meanwhile, Electra Waggoner Biggs became a renowned sculptor. 2021 Chas S Middleton and Son. 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 Waggoner Ranch Store is located in the Waggoner Estate building in Vernon Texas. Currently, Waggoner Ranch offspring are excelling in multiple competitive associations, including AQHA, Stock Horse of Texas, NRHA, NRCHA and NCHA. She was strikingly pretty, with a long, sensitive face and dark, sparkling eyes. Bucky and Gene run the operation from offices in the W. T. Waggoner Estate Building. All during the spring and summer of 2003, they talked of little else. A complete list of this inventory can be made available. 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. 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. [10], By 1909, W.T. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. Lonny Morrison [Genes attorney] said he knew an expert who could advise on that matter. King Ranch. Concerned about the future of the ranch, W.T. My dockets not that crowded, he said. 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. The Bronc-busting, Cow-punching, Death-defying Legend of Boots ONeal, At Texas Swingers Clubs, the Lifestyle Is Booming. Depending upon weather and moisture conditions, the ranch has been operated with 11,000 14,000 mother cows, plus calves, bulls and replacements; however, due to the recent drought, and in order to protect the ranch, current stocking rates have been reduced to around 7,000 mother cows/calves, plus replacements and bulls. Growing up, the ranch didnt seem like a big deal, Bucky told me. Our horses are American Quarter Horses and we raise them for our use on the ranch. 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. Waggoner found oil while drilling for water. 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. The settlers, most of them German or Czech, moved north of Paradise Creek, which runs just beyond the present northern boundary of the ranch. Both were famous for breeding, the King Ranch for Santa Gertrudis cattle, the Waggoner Ranch for cutting horses. Nobodys sure. B. [9] It also includes 30,000 acres of arable land and about 1,100 producing oil wells. This sprawling property is approximately three-fourths the size of Rhode Island. After dinner by the creek, Dan suggested that they all ride into Frederick, Oklahoma, personally setting the pace. As previously noted, this massive holding spans six North Texas counties. This legendary horse was named the Grand Champion Stallion at Denvers National Western Stock Show, the Fort Worth Southwestern Exposition and Fat Stock Show, the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, and the American Royal Livestock Show in Kansas City. Its a trade that suits only a select few for whom the life satisfies rather than restricts. 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. Santa Rosa Lake covers approximately 1,400 surface acres when full. In one last attempt to keep the range open, W.T. Jim Jennings, in a 2005 article in The Quarter Horse Journal, states, By 1868, the Waggoner outfit had grown considerably, but help was still short. [3] It spans six counties[3][6] and is half as large as Rhode Island. They include a bunkhouse for single cowboys, more homes for the foreman and senior cowboys, a cookhouse, several maintenance sheds, and a truck barn. 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. But Gene and Helen seem determined to do just that. 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. In 1879, the Waggoners foiled rustlers by changing their brand from the D-71 to the now-legendary three reverse Ds. While drilling for water, W.T. [6], In 1991, Electra Waggoner Biggs sued to be able to sell the ranch. Some whitetail deer on the Waggoner Ranch are estimated to be of Boone and Crockett quality. 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. Another number brand is placed on the left hip to denote the year. Sign up to hear from us about specials, sales, and events. [8] Although it still spans six counties, it is primarily centered on Wichita County and Wilbarger County. While the last of the calves are being loaded onto the trucks, I talk to a 22-year-old cowboy named Shane Bone, a handsome young man in dusty brown chaps and a well-used cowboy hat. We invite you to browse through our store and shop with confidence. Ill tell you one thing: Mrs. Biggs [Electra II] was the nicest person in the world to me, said Jimmy Lee Smith, who cowboyed at the ranch for 38 years, rising from cowpuncher to foreman and ranch manager. As their cattle business grew, the ranch needed more grazing land, especially as barbed wire began to close in the open range. They married in 1969. 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. The house sits on high ground, mostly hidden by oak and pecan trees and a fieldstone wall. 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. They are already being augmented by Kroenke Ranches' world-class commercial Angus herd. 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. He went on and on about how heartbroken he was and how much he missed them, but he didnt write them. Waggoner Ranch livestock have access to water at both lakes. They cant wait to get started. Seymour, the county seat of Baylor County, is several miles south of the ranch, and has a runway that is 4,300 feet long. The house eventually fell apart and was torn down. The history and the legend surrounding the Waggoner Ranch are as big as the ground it covers. HOUCHRON CAPTION (07/27/2003): A calf is branded on the ranch in 1983.