The Waggoner Ranch - Western Horseman
Growing up in the shadow
of the Waggoner Ranch had a huge impact. The Ranch is just south of Vernon,
established in 1852 by Dan Waggoner and his son, W.T. They began with 230
longhorn cattle and some horses. In 1873, W.T. conducted a cattle drive up the Western Trail to Kansas and returned with $55,000 seed money to begin an
empire. From 1889 to 1903, they acquired land in Wichita, Wilbarger, Foard,
Knox, Baylor and Archer Counties, spanning more than a million acres covering
798 sq miles. They had an impact on all of that area. The W.T. Waggoner Estate was
formed and they struck oil in 1902. It is the largest ranch under one fence in
the U.S., the size of a small nation, second largest ranch after the King
Ranch. The Waggoner family was known worldwide and were a rich and famous
family. W.T.’s daughter Electra built a mansion called Zacaweista.
When I was 5 years old, my lollypop teacher (that was a kindergarten before it was mandated) was Mozelle McCarty. Her husband Hershel was the assistant purchasing agent for the Ranch. Mother and Daddy were friends with them, and I remember taking Sunday drives on the expansive ranch. Dean Raines, the dad of my high school boyfriend, worked as the head carpenter at Zacaweista.
W. T. Waggoner raised Quarter Horses and his son, E Paul Waggoner, purchased a brown quarter horse stallion Poco Bueno that became famous in his own rite as the grand champion stallion in the 1940s at 5 different shows. When he died, he was buried in a standing position in a grave across from the ranch entrance. E. Paul was recognized as outstanding breeder of quarter horses in America.
