Shareholders of the ranch reside at these two divisions. Dan and W.T. After the first freeze, 120,000 geese will land on Santa Rosa Lake and feast on winter wheat fields. 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. You get in here far enough, it just swallows you up, Hughes tells me. Nearby Vernon, which serves as the famed headquarters for the ranch operations office complex, receives an average of 28 inches per year. After her husband died, Electra II did not keep up the pressure on Bucky, as John Biggs and Killen Moore had done. By the turn of the century, settlers were overrunning Indian reservations, and the open range was all but gone. Hostile Comanches and Kiowas, plus a few foolhardy nesters trying to scratch out a living, occupied this endless stretch of grassland. 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. 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. E. Paul was a dapper, dashing Hollywood-style cowboy, with a mustache and mischievous eyes. But for how much longer? (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.. . 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. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? 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. Then, in 1997, Bucky and Roberson drew another map, this time setting aside the two homesteads, and again offered Gene first choice. According to a 2005 article in The Western Horseman Magazine, But another event in 1902 had a lasting impact on the Waggoner Ranch. Buckys home sits on one side of the square. [6], In 1991, Electra Waggoner Biggs sued to be able to sell the ranch. (Tom) Waggoner had a good eye for quality horse flesh and developed a herd of broodmares to produce working ranch geldings for his cowboys. Originally, the trust was supposed to expire after twenty years, in 1943, but the terms of the trust allowed it to be routinely extended in twenty-year increments until 1983. After Buckys father died, Lula [the last of Busters four wives] stripped this place. Many thousands of additional acres of native pasture are suitable for cultivation, if desired. The Waggoner (Three D) Ranch had its beginnings in the early 1850s when Daniel Waggonerqv and a fifteen-year-old black slave trailed 242 longhorn cattleqv and six horses into Wise County. Dan died in 1903, leaving everything to Tom. 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. 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. The ranch is approximately 175 miles northwest of the Dallas/Ft. They almost killed him with kindness, literally. 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. Dan took advantage of this great opportunity. 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. Bickering and backstabbing have been a way of life in the family. That became the seed money for the Waggoner empire. [7] Parts of it can be seen from highways U.S. 183 The cowboys sided with Bucky, who felt that hunters left litter, cut fences, and left gates open. 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. 2021 Chas S Middleton and Son. Heath Ownbey. 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. Both families are already fabulously wealthy, though the wealth is in the land rather than their pockets. No Waggoner is buried on the ranch, only this one cowboy and a few early settlers in unmarked graves. I got two dollars a match. Cecil Smith, the world-famous ten-goal player, rode with Busters Waggoner Ranch team. 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 invite you to browse through our store and shop with confidence. Its absence symbolizes the fate of the Guy Waggoner clan in the history of the ranch. Weve root-plowed, sprayed, pulled it up with a tractor, dug it up with a backhoe. When Helens father died, in 1975, they moved to the ranch, where Gene gradually assumed the position of head of the family. She hosted parties of celebrities, movie stars, and barons of capitalism, including the daughter of J. P. Morgan. Another number brand is placed on the left hip to denote the year. After dinner by the creek, Dan suggested that they all ride into Frederick, Oklahoma, personally setting the pace. They have been up since three and have had a hefty cookhouse breakfast of eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, biscuits, and gravy. Lonny Morrison [Genes attorney] said he knew an expert who could advise on that matter. You have no voice here and you never will.. Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. They ride the trails of their forebearers, living a life and practicing skills that have almost disappeared. It may be many years before a similar ranch of this magnitude becomes available, if ever. I didnt ask for the nuts and bolts, he said and walked away. On a Dan Waggonerfinanced trip to Fort Worth, Chief Yellow Bear was asphyxiated and Quanah nearly was when the Indians blew out the gas lamp in their hotel room before retiring. G. The rich and spoiled siblings nearly squandered the family fortune on wild parties, all-night poker games, trips around the world, and divorce settlements. 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. An additional 320 acres were then purchased in 1856 near the small town of Decatur, marking the first major expansion of Waggoner's estate. He began buying land in western Wise County in 1870. In 1877, Burk Burnett (6666 Ranch), Col. C.C. 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. Numerous smaller cultivated fields are scattered throughout the ranch. W. T. Waggoner Ranch is located 13 miles south of Vernon, Texas with office headquarters in Vernon. The answer lies in the rich and rowdy heritage of the Waggoner clan. I worked a couple of weeks gauging wells. But there has been no substantial rain for days now, and we kick up a trail of dark red dust as we head toward Santa Rosa, the area that E. Paul inherited and where his daughter, the second Electra, grew up. My dockets not that crowded, he said. Sign up to hear from us about specials, sales, and events. Northwest Texas was open range in the 1850s, when Dan Waggoner and his fifteen-year-old black slave trailed 242 Longhorn cattle and 6 horses to Wise County. 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. 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). 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. Killen told Bucky, Take this, go back to New Mexico, and live your life. 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. These cows are bred to Hereford, Angus, and Charolais bulls. One side wants the ranch divided equally but otherwise left intact. The wooded river and creek courses offer exceptional cover and desirable habitat for native game. In 1923, W. T. formed what is known today as the W. T. Waggoner Estate. Hunting big game in Africa and hosting extravagant parties at the ranch occupied most of Busters time. All-night parties that started at Shadowlawn sometimes ended up on the ranch, after a trip by private railroad car, so that Eastern dandies could be treated to the sights of cowboys branding and castrating calves. 1700 Deaf Smith St., Vernon, TX 76384, US. In a January 2003 deposition, Gene said he sent Bucky his own draft of the map but never got a reply. 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. 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. 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. Either Guys two children would become their partners or E. Paul and Buster would have to buy them out. [8] By 1903, he sold some of the land near China Creek to developers. The letters were typed by his secretary, Neely told me. In his entire life, he never drew a paycheck from anyone but the Waggoners. Buckys pride in this place was unmistakable. Its the Story of Shankleville, One of the States Early Freedom Colonies. As previously noted, this massive holding spans six North Texas counties. Hes not a large man, but his pleasant and unassuming manner and his quiet, considered confidence give him stature. Beaver Creek feeds Santa Rosa Lake, and the Wichita River feeds Lake Kemp and Lake Diversion. Potential buyers include a group of Japanese investors, Ross Perot Jr., Boone Pickens, even the Mormon churchor so go the rumors. As it turned out, he didnt. Neither the Willinghams nor the Whartons have the funds to buy the other out. The Wichita River, the two branches of Beaver Creek, countless small streams and tributaries, and dozens of stock tanks supply the ranchs water. The history of the land and the Waggoner family is so entwined with myth and legend that nobody can untangle the truth. Its second only to the King Ranch in size, and second to none in its history of drink, divorce, and dissension. The land was used primarily to raise crops, beef cattle and horses as well as for oil production. With the trust on the verge of expiring, Bucky and Electra II agreed to extend it until March 31, 2003. reclaimed all land and assets in 1923 and placed them in a so-called Massachusetts trust, a draconian arrangement in which he, as the trustee, controlled everything, including one of the biggest shallow oil fields in the world. The only thing I can figure, it was give to them. 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. They chose the latter. I think there were twenty-five or twenty-seven attorneys involved, he recalled. Its now the residence of Gene and Helen Willingham. [4] It was acquired by Stan Kroenke, who is married to Ann Walton (niece of Sam Walton), in February 2016. Horses have always been big business at the Waggoner Ranch. The Municipal Airport at Wichita Falls is served by American Eagle, and the runway is 13,100 feet long. The other half belonged to Electra Waggoner Biggs, through various trusts. When it is necessary for them to be in the same room, they let third parties do the talking. 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! By contrast, Bucky is reserved, private, and serious about his business affairs. 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. We see a bunch of javelinas too, and a bobcat as big as a mountain lion. 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. Shortly after leaving, he got his draft notice, at the height of the Vietnam War. They work six and sometimes seven days a week, from daylight until the job is done, often late at night. They plied him with extravagant gifts: engraved pearl-handled revolvers, diamond stick pins, junkets to Fort Worth, Dallas, and Washington, D.C. 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. The Willingham house is a low, ranch-style brick structure, set behind a wall of trees. [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. 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. The property is divided into approximately 16 camp or division units. 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. In the late sixties Bucky attended the University of the Americas, in Mexico City. [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. 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.