Now the fate of the ranch was up to the court. Without question, this legacy ranch represents a once-in-a-lifetime chance for an investor with vision and love of the land the rare opportunity to take this legendary offering to the next level. He was a nineteen-year-old Army sergeant at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, when he learned that the lawsuits had been resolved and that he was heir to 50 percent of the W. T. Waggoner estate. He didnt want to sell the ranch, but he thought it could be divided, that a line could be drawn on a map so that each side would have a separate but equal share. It comprises 520,000 acres in six counties, and is the home for 12,000 mother cows. Ranching operations began with 230 head of longhorn cattle and some horses. Some whitetail deer on the Waggoner Ranch are estimated to be of Boone and Crockett quality. We see a bunch of javelinas too, and a bobcat as big as a mountain lion. [6] Thirty cowboys, and about 120 people overall, are employed on the property. 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. Numerous food plots are located adjacent to these protected creek bottom areas, and these food plots serve as a magnet for wildlife. (It still is, except for the magnificent Wise County courthouse.) SOLD. Since his retirement, in 1991, Proctor has lived in Vernon, raising a few cows and tending his yard. We opened it up. Today the home is bright and welcoming. The history of the land and the Waggoner family is so entwined with myth and legend that nobody can untangle the truth. They almost killed him with kindness, literally. To make the trip, Dan gave Tom $12, a group of drovers, and 50 saddle horses, all of which had sores on their backs from heavy use. She joined him in the apartment, and they set to work remodeling the Zacaweista mansion, which had sat vacant for nearly a dozen years. Moreover, a sale would be taxed and so would the distribution of the money. In addition to land and cattle, the family owned five banks, three cottonseed mills, and a coal company. [9], In August 2014, the ranch was listed on the real estate market with an asking price of US$725 million. The cowboys are already waiting on horseback just outside the loading pens, cutting up like schoolboys awaiting the bell for recess. Our horses are American Quarter Horses and we raise them for our use on the ranch. [4][8] From 1889 to 1903, they acquired land in Wichita County, Wilbarger County as well as Foard County, Knox County, Baylor County and Archer County. [3] It spans six counties[3][6] and is half as large as Rhode Island. At every opportunity, Dan Waggoner purchased land. Not a shred, she told me. The Municipal Airport at Wichita Falls is served by American Eagle, and the runway is 13,100 feet long. Dan Waggoner, who was born in Tennessee in 1828, moved to Texas with his family in the mid-1840s. Busters card room, on the second floor, which was once walled in leather, now has the original wood exposed. By 1881, his ranch had reached its modern dimensions: half a million acres sprawling over six counties the largest ranch in Texas under a single fence. I worked for six months with various people in the oil and the ranching divisions, he told me. The cowboys of the Waggoner Ranch are living legends, men who embody the attributes of the lean and dusty riders who braved the wild a century ago to make room for a herd. Behind his back, other employees referred to Moore as Rasputin. Hawley has a cell phone handy, and the ranch radio under the dash crackles with voices from isolated posts miles away. This iconic ranch property has been owned and operated by Waggoner heirs for approximately 165 years. The terrain varies from fairly level to gently rolling, sloping and hilly, but there are areas of rougher breaks and scenic, very eroded, red clay badland. Waggoner found oil while drilling for water. 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. 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. 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. The greatest annual precipitation occurs to the east, in Archer and Wichita Counties, at just over 29 inches per year annually. An enormous picture window with a panoramic view of the ranch replaced the porthole-size window of 1910. 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. Joe Roberson, who was the estates auditor for many years, describes him this way: Big belt buckle, expensive boots, a bottle of whiskey. E. Paul had a good eye for horseshe bought Poco Bueno, the great cutting horse sireand loved to be seen as the ultimate cattle baron, but a retired Waggoner Ranch foreman named G. L. Proctor told me, He wasnt much of a rider. The Waggoner Ranch fully supports the AQHA initiative to implement the Ranchers Heritage Breeders Program and the AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse Program with current staff serving as a member of two AQHA Committees. Moore resigned as trustee in the early eighties, at a critical moment for the estate. I cant sit down, never could, he tells me. Bucky and Gene run the operation from offices in the W. T. Waggoner Estate Building. Electra prevailed, as usual. The other wants to sell the ranch and divide the assets. G. 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. No way I could live in the city. He means Vernon (population: 12,000). What does it take to be a good cowboy? I ask. At least thats what everyone outside the two families, their lawyers, and the judge believe happened. But for how much longer? [11] Buster raised polo ponies and established the El Ranchio Polo Club on the ranch. Located about a three-hour drive north-west of Dallas, the Waggoner ranch was founded in 1849 and has remained in the family ever since. King Ranch. They were super, super people. Nevertheless, Smith resigned in 1997, tired of being caught in the middle of the power struggle. Dan sent Tom (his son), who was only 16 years old at the time, to Kansas City with a herd of 5,000 steers. $720,000,000 In 1877, Burk Burnett (6666 Ranch), Col. C.C. All together, as one may imagine, with this many contiguous acres, there is an immense variety of land types on the Waggoner. Because of Toms great influence on the horse industry, he became a founding member of the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). W.T. 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. Find a huge selection of trailers from DooLittle and SureTrac in MO. discovered oil while trying to drill for water, Hughes tells me. The operation can breed outside mares as well as ship cooled or frozen semen. The property is divided into approximately 16 camp or division units. On the other three sides are a number of buildings constructed of identical reddish-brown stone, quarried on the eastern part of the ranch. It may be hard to truly comprehend the sheer vastness of the Waggoner Ranch. The ranchs famous reverse triple-D brand, for example, supposedly got that way when a blacksmith inadvertently read W.T.s hand-drawn design upside down. Concerned about the future of the ranch, W.T. asked his children to draw cards for the three parcels. 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. 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. All rights reserved. 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. Vernon, the county seat of Wilbarger County, is located approximately 12 miles due north of the ranch. 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. All framed prints are professionally printed, framed, assembled, and shipped within 3 - 4 business days and delivered ready-to-hang on your wall. Ill draw a line and you take first pick, he offered. No one, it seems, wants to witness the breakup of a mythic Texas ranchexcept the Waggoner heirs. Waggoner Estate Ranch and related assets are now, for the first time ever, being offered for sale at a guideline listed price of $725,000,000. I saw them together at a backyard wedding two years ago, but they stayed on opposite sides of the yard, Jim Hughes told me. By the turn of the century, settlers were overrunning Indian reservations, and the open range was all but gone. Anne was the granddaughter of W.T.s friend Burk Burnett and hardly the type to sit around waiting for a roving husband. Either way, your shopping cart will be active until you leave the store. 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. [5], The ranch is located west of Wichita Falls, Texas, south of Vernon, near the Red River. Slaughter (Slaughter Ranches), Jim Loving (JA Ranch) and Dan and W.T. [13] He once played there with polo champion Cecil Smith. Its now the home of Electras grandson, Bucky Wharton, his wife, Joline, and their two children. The facility is equipped to do embryo transfers and has both indoor and outdoor arenas, two barns, and over 30 stalls. Even the water in Beaver Creek was reda sign, Bucky said, that it was fresh and contained no gypsum. (Waggoner) hit oil instead. Thats the case that has been snaking through Judge Tom Neelys Forty-sixth District Court, in Wilbarger County, for these past twelve years. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. The major block of this farmland, which is located on the northwest side of the ranch, contains approximately 14,000 acres. Approximately 41.67% of the mineral rights with a pro-rata portion of the executive leasing rights are expected to convey with the sale. A number that denotes the foal's dam is placed on the left shoulder, and the ranch's famous D brand is placed under that. All canvas prints are professionally printed, assembled, and shipped within 3 - 4 business days and delivered ready-to-hang on your wall. The W. T. Waggoner Estate is seeking a working relationshipwith an industry partner to furtherexplore and develop the ranchlands. My dockets not that crowded, he said. Waggoner acquired more land. Rani's World Foods (Texas & Nevada) - Indian supermarket chain. Main interests of the company are ranching, oil, and approximately 26,000 acres in cultivation. This treated water is used for human consumption to serve the substantial headquarter improvements. Even when he was a young lad of 14, W.T. 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). [6] Meanwhile, Electra Waggoner Biggs became a renowned sculptor. has created a haven for deer, turkey, quail, dove, waterfowl and feral hogs. By the 1880s, the Waggoners Victorian mansion, El Castile, was the most prominent structure in Decatur. Waggoner Ranch is now officially, for the first time ever in its history, offered for sale on the international marketplace. We have unique items that feature our brand. Seafood City (California, Hawaii, Washington, Nevada, Illinois) - Filipino American. 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. On each of those transactions, Kroenke had relied on Leadbetter's counsel and the insights of Sam Connolly, general manager of Kroenke Ranches. It is doubtful there is any other contiguous area of this magnitude in Texas which has had no commercial hunting pressure since the land was first settled. The dispute seemed to highlight Bucky and Genes contrasting attitudesone loved the land, the other loved the money. Gene has told people that the ranch would sell in no time, the whole 520,000 acres. Cowboys ambling from the bunkhouse to the cookhouse for their five-thirty breakfast see her loping across pastures, dodging bulls and pump jacks. (Tom) Waggoner had a good eye for quality horse flesh and developed a herd of broodmares to produce working ranch geldings for his cowboys. This historic brand has been used in one form or another since that date, making it one of the very oldest brands in Texas. Recently, new ownership has brought substantial investment in both equipment and design. 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. Though its a nicer house, the Willinghams have never moved up there. WHAT WE DO: We deliver strategic, brand-driven marketing communications solutions and deploy content that truly resonates . This sprawling property is approximately three-fourths the size of Rhode Island. 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. They plied him with extravagant gifts: engraved pearl-handled revolvers, diamond stick pins, junkets to Fort Worth, Dallas, and Washington, D.C. But Buckys mother was not about to give up her sons inheritance without a fight. Poco Bueno died in 1969 and was buried in a standing position in front of the main ranch entrance. After a time everyone seemed in agreement on all except one pointmaintenance of the dam at Santa Rosa Lake. FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) One of the largest ranches in the U.S. and an icon for Texas horse and cattlemen has been listed for $725 million, marking the end of a decades-long courtroom battle among. 940-552-2521 x:270. In May, Judge Neely heard the motion for partial summary judgment and made his ruling. One side wants the ranch divided equally but otherwise left intact. The major drainages through the ranch are Beaver Creek, which starts on the west side of the ranch and runs through the entirety of the northern portion of the property, and the North Wichita and the South Wichita Rivers, which converge in the southwest portion of the ranch and meander through the entire south side of the property. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? Marketing is done through private treaty and production sales. Some people believe that she would never have permitted the sale of the Waggoner Ranch. Waggoner had built a great ranch, but in 1909 he was 57 years old and thinking about its future. 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. W.T. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. . The assets of the estate have been estimated at $200 to $300 million, but it would surely fetch far less if liquidated. There is also a rumor that the Willinghams have already bought a home in Fort Worth. How could things have spun so wildly out of control? 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. Some say these deer may have never heard a rifle shot. We try not to put stress on the livestock.. I didnt ask for the nuts and bolts, he said and walked away. Each camp is equipped with a managers house, outbuildings and pens. Buster never liked cows; the only thing about the ranch he cared about was horses, especially his polo ponies. Potential buyers include a group of Japanese investors, Ross Perot Jr., Boone Pickens, even the Mormon churchor so go the rumors. A granite marker, weighing four tons, notes his grave site. Guy had a weakness for the ladies; he once skipped town with the lead actress from a traveling burlesque show. 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. Be alert all the time and ready to go, he says in a strong, sure voice. The cattle will be sold, along with the trucks that haul them, and the vast pastures will be chopped up, and who knows what will replace them. But by the 1920s, with the advent of the automobile, W.T.s attitude about oil had changed. But we are so far from the lights of townany townthat half an hour before daylight its still pitch black. He began buying land in western Wise County in 1870. Settling into an apartment attached to Busters former home at Zacaweista, he enrolled at Midwestern State University, in Wichita Falls, and commuted between ranch and campus, pursing a degree in business administration while learning the ins and outs of the estate. It seems inconceivable that they cant agree on a compromise. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. It is as much a part of the legacy as horses, cattle, oil, opulent mansions, divorces, and drunken sprees. When I asked Joline if they had found any memorabilia from Electras time, she laughed. 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. [8] The ranch spanned more than a million acres of land. Poco Bueno sired 36 AQHA Champions, and many of his offspring have excelled in all the different disciplines of modern day horse events. After her husband died, Electra II did not keep up the pressure on Bucky, as John Biggs and Killen Moore had done. 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. Or you draw a line and Ill take first pick.. Without a trustee to keep them at arms length, they set off on a collision course. 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. 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. 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. Skyfood Supermarket (six locations in New York) - Asian Oriental Supermarket. It was in terrible condition, Joline explained as she showed me through their home. Buster Wharton Jr., a polo player, playboy, and famous drunk who died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1963. The majority of the cultivated land is farmed on a dryland basis, but three circle pivot systems are used to irrigate a small portion of the farmland. Now 56, Bucky is one of the protagonists in the battle over the future of the ranch. But Gene and Helen seem determined to do just that. The three smaller, 85,000-acre parcelsZacaweista, Four Corners, and Santa Rosawere gifts to his three children, Electra, Guy, and E. Paul. As their cattle business grew, the ranch needed more grazing land, especially as barbed wire began to close in the open range. You have no voice here and you never will.. By contrast, Bucky is reserved, private, and serious about his business affairs. Some of the larger main shipping pens are equipped with hydraulic chutes and scales. Who was going to be responsible for it? Wharton, a Philadelphia blue blood she met while traveling in the Himalayas. Maybe thats why Judge Neely told me that he has no intention of setting a deadline. The W.T. [11], The ranch has been surveyed by the United States Department of Agriculture for matters of preservation. Subscribe Contact Us We love our customers, so feel free to visit during normal business hours. 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. 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. Hes not a large man, but his pleasant and unassuming manner and his quiet, considered confidence give him stature. Lonny Morrison [Genes attorney] said he knew an expert who could advise on that matter. When E. Paul drew Zacaweista instead, W.T. Fort Worth-based Jeremy Enlow was given exclusive access to the cowboys behind the prestigious reversed triple D brand of the Waggoner Ranch, the largest ranch in the United States under one fence. 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. Two years after Prathers resignation, Bucky gave notice of termination of the trust in a letter to Electra IIs family. 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.