Waggoner Ranch
W. T. Waggoner Estate United States of America | |
---|---|
Construction started | 1849[1] |
Owner | Stan Kroenke |
Grounds | 510,527 acres |
The Waggoner Ranch is a historic
Location
The ranch is located west of Wichita Falls, Texas, south of Vernon, near the Red River.[6] Other towns nearby include Electra and Seymour.[6] It is the second largest ranch in Texas (after the King Ranch),[6] enclosing 510,527 acres (207,000 ha; 798 sq mi; 2,070 km2) of land.[3] It spans six counties[3][6] and is half as large as Rhode Island.[7] Parts of it can be seen from highways U.S. 183 and 283.[6]
History
The ranch was originally established in 1852 near Vernon, Texas, by
After the death of Daniel Waggoner in 1902, his son W.T. Waggoner acquired more land.[8] By 1903, he sold some of the land near China Creek to developers.[8] Although it still spans six counties, it is primarily centered on Wichita County and Wilbarger County.[8] W.T. Waggoner raised Quarter Horses on the ranch, including Poco Bueno, who was buried on the ranch.[9] In 1902, W.T. Waggoner found oil while drilling for water.[10]
By 1909, W.T. Waggoner divided the Waggoner Ranch into four subsections: one for himself (White Face); and three smaller 8,500 acre sub-ranches for his children: Zacaweista, Four Corners, and Santa Ros.
After W.T. Waggoner's death, his three children,
When Guy Waggoner died in 1950, his sons sold their share of the estate to members of the family.
In 1991, Electra Waggoner Biggs sued to be able to sell the ranch.[14] Her second cousin, Albert Buckman Wharton III, also known as Bucky Wharton, who was Buster Wharton's son, appealed to stop the liquidation.[14] After Electra Waggoner Biggs's death, her share was inherited by Electra Waggoner Biggs's daughter Helen Biggs and her husband, Gene Willingham.[11]
The ranch has been surveyed by the United States Department of Agriculture for matters of preservation.[6] Thirty cowboys, and about 120 people overall, are employed on the property.[6] It has about 14,000 cows and bulls as well as 500 horses.[9] It also includes a 367 MW wind farm,[15] 30,000 acres of arable land and about 1,100 producing oil wells.[9] One of the lakes on the ranch provides water for the City of Wichita Falls.[9]
In August 2014, the ranch was listed on the real estate market with an asking price of
References
- ^ a b Kane, Colleen (October 29, 2015). "W. T. Waggoner Estate: Venerable, $725 million ranch about to be sold". Fortune.
- ^ American Quarter Horse Association: Waggoner Ranch Archived November 29, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d Gruley, Bryan (July 21, 2015). "You Can Now Buy a Texas Ranch That's the Size of a Small Nation, For $725 Million". Bloomberg Business.
- ^ a b Jennings, Jim. "Waggoner Ranch: 1994 Best Remuda Winner". The Quarter Horse Journal. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
- ^ a b Gruley, Bryan (February 9, 2016). "NFL Owner Stan Kroenke Buys Texas Mega-Ranch Listed for $725 Million". Bloomberg Business. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Cartwright, Gary (January 2004). "Showdown at Waggoner Ranch". Texas Monthly.
- ^ Cochran, Mike (December 22, 1984). "Legendary Waggoner Ranch Historical Combination of Then and Now". Schenectady Gazette.
- ^ a b c d e f Anderson, H. Allen (June 15, 2010). "Waggoner Ranch". Handbook of Texas (online ed.). Texas State Historical Association.
- ^ a b c d Holley, Joe (September 12, 2014). "Massive Waggoner Ranch, "last of the True West," is up for grabs". Houston Chronicle.
- ^ "The Waggoner Ranch". Western Horseman. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ^ a b c Moore, Evan (July 27, 2003). "Mammoth estate to be split up, auctioned". Houston Chronicle.
- ^ "History of Thistle Hill". Historic Fort Worth. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-8007-4.
- ^ a b c Schmall, Emily (August 8, 2014). "Waggoner Ranch, among US' largest, listed for sale". Houston Chronicle.
- ^ Ellichipuram, Umesh (August 5, 2021). "Ørsted completes 367MW Western Trail wind project in Texas". Power Technology. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ Hudson, Kris (August 12, 2014). "Ranch Dressing: Brokers Prep Giant Waggoner Farm for Sale". The Wall Street Journal.
External links
33°54′N 99°00′W / 33.9°N 99.0°W