"We pasture breed everything," O'Neal said. Tom's dad, Dan Waggoner, migrated from Tennessee to Texas in 1840, settling first in the area north of Fort Worth. So just how big is the Waggoner Ranch? How about a size In later years, W. T. 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.". Then you start going through that sickness. 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. Upon its sale in 2016 to Stan Kroenke, Waggoner Ranch was listed for $725 million. Waggoner left behind in East Texas the grave of his wife. Then, in 1923, he developed what is known today as the W.T. In 2020 the only major change was that families were evicted from leased homes on the two lakes within the property, although one lake remains accessible to daytime fishermen and tourists. The Waggoner contribution to the Quarter Horse industry has long been recognized. His first brand was a D61, but about 1866 he began branding with three Ds in reverse, a brand easy to recognize and difficult for rustlers to alter. Waggoner Ranch Lake Number 1 Texas - Bing Maps Its interests include the cow/calf operation, farming and oil operations and horses. Land Broker and Land Appraisalfirm established in 1920. Roberts, who was a dead shot, proved an effective deterrent to rustlers. W.T. accessed May 01, 2023, Wichita Falls, the county seat of Wichita County, is approximately 20 miles east of the eastern boundary of the ranch. The discovery of oil at Electra in 1911 (see WICHITA COUNTY REGULAR FIELD) caused the Waggoners to combine oil production and refining with ranching activities; the refinery cars and tanks bore the image of the Waggoner cattle brand. 500 feet. The sale of the iconic Waggoner Ranch, while marking the end of one era, creates for a new owner the opportunity to begin another. The cows at the ranch are bred to Hereford, Angus and Charolais bulls. The largest Two large, privately-owned lakes are located on the Waggoner Ranch. O'Neal noted that they were looking for another stallion for next spring. The greatest annual precipitation occurs to the east, in Archer and Wichita Counties, at just over 29 inches per year annually. 008: Waggoner Ranch cowboys live in tidy native-stone houses in line camps on the ranch. If they get 30 or 40 rides during the year, they won't forget that. Historically, the Waggoner Ranch has been operated as a cow/calf ranching unit, with stocker cattle used for seasonal grazing on wheat fields. Waggoner Ranch is known for breeding cattle and Quarter horses. All those living at headquarters have their horses turned out together in a horse pasture. Ranch Things to do in Seabrook: A guide to Washington's cozy 5 farmhouses to book for an agritourism getaway, Des Linden unveils new book, shares race day must-haves, Preorder 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom' today. Vernon Regional Airport has a 5,100 foot long runway. Many of the oil wells on the ranch are historical, dating back to the 1930s. You breed one at three, and she's four before she has a colt. Distances and surface areas are magnified at higher latitudes, according to MAPfrappe, thus the ranch cannot be directly compared to other areas on the globe. "A new stud is the same way. The facility is equipped to do embryo transfers and has both indoor and outdoor arenas, two barns, and over 30 stalls. 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. Also see our guide to King Ranch, the largest ranch in the US. Oil Field, Wichita and Archer Counties, Tex. In 1877, Burk Burnett (6666 Ranch), Col. C.C. We provide analysis and insight on the oil and gas industry. Vernon, the county seat of Wilbarger County, is located approximately 12 miles due north of the ranch. Waggoner Ranch would swallow Houston whole. By 1868, the Waggoner outfit had grown considerably, but help was still short. Both sandy beaches and deltaic deposits are present. These cows are comprised of 60 percent Hereford and 40 percent Angus/Hereford and Brangus/Hereford cross. In some ways, the job of cowboy on the Waggoner Ranch hasn't changed much since 1903, when W. T. Waggoner gave Lige Reed that advice about how to manage the hands. You may opt-out by. A portion of this acreage is seeded to very productive Coastal Bermuda. WebStretching across six North Texas counties, the Waggoner Ranch is considered to be extremely well located. In 1871, with the westward push of the frontier, the Waggoners moved their headquarters to Clay County and settled temporarily on the Wichita River in southeastern Wichita County. Horses have always been big business at the Waggoner Ranch. Until around 1882, the ranch used a D71 brand on their horses. In 1902, Dan passed away and W.T. The Best Remuda Award honors one ranch each year judged to have the best remuda of working ranch horses. Even when he was a young lad of 14, W. T. had said, "I want to run the most cattle, breed the best horses and work harder than anyone." It covers parts of Wilbarger, Baylor, Wichita, Archer, Knox and Foard counties. How big is it? Waggoner Estate may seem relatively inexpensive. "Of course," he continued, "it takes so long before you know anything for sure. He also had one slave, a young wife and an infant son, Tom. The many improvements and related assets mentioned above combine to offer the purchaser an extremely attractive depreciation schedule. It may be hard to truly comprehend the sheer vastness of the Waggoner Ranch. .hs-input{width: 100%; border-radius: 3px;} Most sets of pens are capable of handling several thousand head of cattle at one time. O'Neal noted that although the colts are broken as two-year-olds, they are not ridden very much at that time. Late that year they wintered a herd in Clay County, and in the spring of 1870 young Tom headed a drive to the Kansas market and netted a profit of $55,000, which was the basis of their ranch fortune. So just how big is the Waggoner Ranch? 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. Shareholders of the ranch reside at these two divisions. Beijing: an unlikely spot for the Waggoner Ranch. Disgusted, he continued drilling for water. Feedback. Waggoner Estate. When full, Lake Kemp covers an area of over 16,540 surface acres and Lake Diversion covers approximately 3,420 surface acres. 2018. When the horses turn three, they are used a little more, but they are normally four or five years old before they are really used much in the ranch work. 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. However, some things never change. Austin would stay pretty weird if the city suddenly became Waggoner Ranch overnight. This stallion was leased, but he has been returned to his owner. (Bucky) Wharton III and sculptor Electra Waggoner Biggs. The year before, so sure was he that the law would pass, Waggoner started construction on a $2-million racetrack on property he owned in Arlington, Texas. However, he is credited with being the primary force in legalizing parimutuel wagering in Texas in 1934. The new buyer will reportedly be receiving 42% of the mineral estate, and the Waggoner family will (very wisely) retain 25% mineral interest in the land. Stretching across six North Texas counties, the Waggoner Ranch is considered to be extremely well located. 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. Married cowboys not assigned to camps live in houses at the headquarters. Courtesy ofThe Quarter Horse Journal Rollie P. Dobbins, Marion L. Ayers, and Roger E. Lewis. Of course, a number of factors including mapping techniques, elevation, different latitudes and surface area distort the ranch's shape as it moves around the map. The ranching operation consisted of fifteen camps or divisions, each with from 20,000 to 30,000 acres. Using a rough outline based off of materials provided by the ranch and the online map-creating tool MAPfrappe, it's now easier to see just how big. Originally, the brand of Waggoner Ranch was a D61, however, around 1866 the ranch began branding with three Ds in reverse. The Grand Canyon could fit a bit snugly inside Waggoner Ranch. Dan Waggoner, who was born in Tennessee in 1828, moved to Texas with his family in the mid-1840s. The ranch originally operated under the name of Dan Waggoner & Son. 2023 horseyhooves.com, part of the Hopnetic network. } W.T. If you change your mind, you can easily unsubscribe. Some of the wells discovered in the 1920s are still in operation. continued to expand and operate the ranch. The Reversed 3Ds is still used as a symbol representing the historic Waggoner Ranch. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. When the next day's mount is selected each evening, those horses are brought to the corrals at the headquarters so they will be easy to catch before daylight the next morning. When Buster Wharton died in 1967, the issue of inheritance led to one of the most contentious lawsuits seen in Texas courts. As previously noted, this massive holding spans six North Texas counties. Tier 1 Acreage. Sold: 5927 Waggoner Ranch Trail, Katy, TX 77493 $185,001 - $215,000 1,230 Sqft, 3 beds, 2 full baths, Single-Family View more. Waggoner Ranch is located in North Texas and spans nearly 535,000 acres. In later years the trustee position was filled by several men appointed from outside the family. Three pivot sprinkler systems are used to distribute irrigation water to three large fields on the ranch. You have a bunch of horses on the ground before you really know what you are getting. Paying about $1 an acre, the Waggoners slowly built their cattle and horse empire. The geology is defined by the Electra Arch (center) and the Red River Arch (above), which runs east west across the northern border of Wilbarger, Wichita, and Clay Counties. Gary Cartwright, Showdown at Waggoner Ranch, Texas Monthly, January 2004. (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.