THE RANCHING INDUSTRY

Includes contracts, papers of receivership, naturalization papers, and bank checks.
A rancher and businessman in San Angelo, Abbott emigrated to West Texas from Great Britain.

Aldous, Herbert
Papers, 1881-1941
1 microfilm reel (30 ft.) : negative

Includes correspondence, financial and legal documents, personal diaries, printed articles, and miscellaneous items pertaining to the Panhandle livestock industry and Aldous' role in it.
Aldous was a rancher in the Texas Panhandle region.

Allen, Rosa
Papers, 1862-1945
5 microfilm reels : negative

Includes business records, financial and legal documents, maps, and newsclippings related to the Allen family's business activities and connections.
Allen was a daughter-in-law of Samuel W. Allen, owner of one of the oldest and largest ranches in southeast Texas. The Allen Ranch site has become the present-day commercial area of Houston.

Arnett, D. N.
Papers, 1866-1939
4 boxes (4.0 linear feet)

Includes personal and business correspondence, financial and printed material, and literary productions. The collection bulks with personal and business correspondence (1908-1909), general files (1866-1939), and financial records pertaining to Arnett's career as manager of Ellwood's ranching business (1895-1917). Some of the correspondence was written by J. Frank Norfleet, foreman of the Spade Ranch from 1891-1904, which details weather and business concerns of ranch life.
Arnett was a West Texas rancher, trail boss, ranch manager, and banker. Born in 1847 in Milam County, Texas, he served in the Civil War as Texas Home Guard, joined the regular Army (CSA) in 1864, and became a Texas Ranger in 1867. He began "trailing cattle" in 1870, was employed as "trail boss" by D.H. and J.W. Snyder from 1877-1879, and became the manager of the Snyder's Yellow Wolf Ranch in Coke County, Texas, in 1881. By 1882, Arnett had acquired his own ranch, the Scissors Brand Ranch, in Mitchell County, Texas. From 1891-1912, he worked as the manager of the Renderbrook and Spade Ranches owned by barbed wire manufacturer, Isaac L. Ellwood. Later, Arnett raised cattle near Colorado City, Texas, and helped organize the City National Bank of Colorado City, Texas, where he served as bank vice-president. He died in 1934 in Colorado City, Texas.

Baggett, William Ramsey
Papers, 1907-1957
1 microfilm reel (50 ft.) : negative

Includes business accounts of Baggett's ranch, livestock records, genealogical material, weather accounts, and formulas for prairie dog poison and sheep dip.
Baggett was born in 1878 and moved to Crockett County in 1898. There, he and his brother, Monroe, built up a 22 section ranch three miles north of Ozona. He married Caroline Mary Perner in 1908 and the marriage produced two children. Active in church and community affairs in Ozona, Baggett was also the director of the Ozona National Bank. He died in 1966.

Bar S Ranch
Records, 1872-1939
1,183 leaves

Contains correspondence and legal and financial materials pertaining to business activities and management of the Bar S Ranch (later Rocker B). The collection bulks (1881-1936) with financial materials, which include promissory notes, tax receipts, and cancelled checks.
Located in Reagan County and Irion County, Texas, this 172,000 acre ranch was originally owned by the Sawyer Cattle Company (1884-1954). Later owned by the Blakley Braniff Association from 1954, when W. A. Blakley purchased the ranch, until 1975, when the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children became the owner. The ranch was managed by Louis Farr and his son and grandson, Louis Farr, Jr. and Louis Farr III, from 1918-1969. The name of the ranch was changed to Rocker B in 1954.

Botsford, E. M.
Papers, 1893-1952
168 leaves

Includes financial material, scrapbook material, and photographs pertaining to ranching, "wild west" shows, and Anglo and Native American "wild west" show performers.
Botsford was a cowboy and "wild west" show performer. Born in 1869 in Illinois, he was later employed by C. C. Slaughter as a ranch hand in Texas and Montana. He performed in the Buffalo Bill Show, Pawnee Bill Show, and Miller Brothers 101 Ranch Show until the 1930s, and arranged Indian performances for the Texas Centennial in 1936. Botsford later purchased land near Littlefield, Texas, and opened a service station and grocery store.

Boyd, Hiley T., Sr.
Papers, 1897-1967
2,236 leaves, 1 microfilm reel (90 ft.) : negative

Includes correspondence, financial and legal materials, photographs, and printed and scrapbook materials. The collection bulks (1898-1934) with correspondence and financial and legal materials pertaining to Boyd's career as ranch foreman and ranch owner.
Born in 1867 in Mississippi, Boyd moved to Texas in 1881, and worked for cattleman C. C. Slaughter on the Lazy S Ranch, serving as foreman from 1897-1910. In 1910, he established his own ranch in Southeastern Cochran County, Texas. He was also involved in real estate development in Lubbock, Texas, and served as county commissioner for Cochran County. Boyd married Margaret Collins in 1907, and the marriage produced three children. He died in 1952.

Bruce, Leona Banister
Papers, 1864-1982 and undated
2 boxes and 1 scrapbook (3.0 linear feet)

Includes manuscripts of Bruce's books, photographs, scrapbook material, a family Bible, and other miscellaneous materials.  Also includes correspondence, brand books, legal items, reports, and other memorabilia relating to her father, who was an inspector for the Texas Cattle Raisers' Association.  Other items of interest concern the Texas Rangers.
Leona was the daughter of pioneer rancher, John R. Banister, and was born near Santa Anna, Texas in 1899. She later came to own most of the land around the West Santa Anna Peak. Bruce published several books on the history of that area.

Burnett, S. B., Estate
Records, 1874-1981, and undated
69 boxes, 3 oversized boxes, and 1 oversized package

    This collection of 69 boxes consists of business correspondence, financial material, files on horses, legal material, and oil and gas material dating from 1874 to 1981.  The correspondence, financial material, and oil and gas material outline Burnett’s business activities with banks, oil companies, his ranches, and real estate.  These records also include maps and architectural plans of ranch houses, oil and gas fields, and land plats of property owned by Mr. Burnett.  For further details, click here:   Burnett.
    The legendary S. B. Burnett, known widely as Burk Burnett, was a wealthy Texas rancher, banker, and oilman.  He was born on January 1, 1849 in Bates County, Missouri.  In the late 1850s Burnett’s father moved his family to a small ranch at Denton Creek in Denton County, Texas.  In 1871, Burk Burnett began his own ranch known as the Four Sixes.  In 1881, Burk Burnett established his ranch headquarters near Wichita Falls after shifting operations to North Central Texas.  After years of operating the ranch, Burk leased the land to his son Tom Burnett in 1910.  By this time, the 6666 Ranch included the “8” Ranch near Guthrie in King County and land purchased in Carson County.  At its height, Burk Burnett controlled 206,000 acres with 20,000 cattle throughout Oklahoma, Texas, and Mexico.  Burk’s wealth increased with the discovery of oil in 1912 near Burkburnett.  Later he moved his headquarters to Fort Worth where he lived until his death on June 27, 1922.  In addition to his ranches and oil, he was also director and principal stockholder of First National Bank of Fort Worth and president of the Ardmore Oil Milling and Gin Company.  He had four children through two marriages.  His first wife whom he married in 1869 was Ruth B. Lloyd and they were later divorced.  His second wife was Mary Couts Barradel of Weatherford whom he married in 1892 and they had one son.

Burns, Douglas R.
Papers, 1850-1980
8,888 leaves, 1 microfilm reel (25 ft.) : negative

Includes correspondence, financial and legal material, letters from organizations, photographs, Pitchfork Ranch documents, real-estate ventures, printed items, scrapbook material, and newsclippings.
Born on July 8, 1895 in Cuero, Texas, Burns grew up in a ranching environment. He graduated from Texas A&M with a B.S. in Animal Husbandry, and married Mamie Sypert in 1924. Burns ranched for 13 years in Dawson County, Texas, and later managed the Pitchfork Ranch from 1942 to 1965. He was a member oh the Texas Hereford Association, the American Quarter Horse Association, served as director of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raiser’s Association, and as the first chairman of overseers of the Texas Tech University Ranching Heritage Association. Burns died in 1977 in Lubbock, Texas.

Campbell, Henry Harrison
Papers, 1869-1897
228 leaves, 1 microfilm reel : negative

Includes correspondence, financial records and a journal. The collection bulks (1879-1890) with an unidentified journal and cash book, and with a weather diary from 1890. Of particular interest is a letter from A. M. Britten.
A Civil War veteran (20th Texas Regiment), cattleman, founder of the Matador Ranch (1878), and the first county judge of Motley County Texas (1891), Campbell was born in 1840, and came to West Texas in 1877 and established the Matador Cattle Company, the parent company of the West Texas ranch. He sold the ranch in 1883 to the Scotland syndicate and then established the Campbell Ranch. Campbell helped organize Motley County and later homesteaded a section of land on which the town of Matador, Texas, is now located. His wife was the town's first postmaster. Campbell died in 1911.

Cattle Raisers Association of Texas
Records, 1910-1914
ca. 1011 leaves

Contains brand books detailing and identifying earmarks, brands, ranch names, owner's location, and post office addresses of ranches primarily in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Other surrounding Southwestern states and Northern Mexican ranches are identified less extensively.
Founded in 1877, the Northwest Texas Cattle Raisers Association was the first cattle raisers association. It grew into the Texas Cattle Raisers Association in 1893, and became the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association in 1921. The association is active in controlling cattle theft and promotes legislative interests of cattle raisers.

Coggin Brothers and Associates (Brownwood, Texas)
Records, 1848-1930 and undated
3 boxes (2.3 linear feet)

Contains correspondence, financial and legal material, and lists pertaining to the business activities of the Coggin brothers and their business associates. The collection bulks with records of the Coggin Brothers Ranch (1848-1908) and Coggin Brothers and Ford, Bankers (1874-1930). Of special note are materials pertaining to Indian Depredation Claims made by the Coggins against the U.S. Government (1872-1902).
Samuel Richardson Coggin (1831-1910) and Moses (Mody) J. Coggin (1824-1902) were early (1857) residents of Brownwood, Brown County, Texas, who had ranching interests in Brown, Coleman, Comanche, and Brewster counties. They had banking interests in Brownwood and mining interests in Idaho with Henry Ford, another Brownwood resident. The men were also involved in ranching interests with Frank Collinson.

Denham, Claude Spaulding
Papers, 1975-1980
2 microfilm reels : negative

Consists of the personal files of Claude Denham relating to his service on the Executive Committee of the Ranching Heritage Association in Lubbock. These include minutes of meetings, copies of the Ranch Record, by-laws, budget proposals, and ranch histories.
Born January 22, 1904, in Floydada, Texas, the son of an area rancher, Denham attended Texas A&M University, Hardin-Simmons University, and Texas Technological College, where he received his BA in Education in 1926. Denham worked for rural schools in Crosby and Crockett counties, where he taught history, coached basketball and served as superintendent of the Ozona Public Schools. He married Pauline Maddox in 1930. He retired to Lubbock to look after their ranch properties. Denham published several articles on area history and was a charter member of the Ranching Heritage Association, where he was very active. He died on February 28, 1981.

Double U Company (Texas)
Records, 1907-1948
ca. 87,000 leaves

Contains correspondence, financial and legal material, maps, lists, and literary productions pertaining, in extensive detail, to the activities of the Double U Company and the settlement of Post, Texas. The collection bulks (1907-1923) with correspondence and financial material. Of particular interest are materials on Mr. Post's "rain battles," or weather modification attempts from 1910-1913, and materials concerning agricultural experiments and the development of pump irrigation. The collection also contains material on city utilities, railroads, and weather in Post, Texas. Bulks (1908-1913) with records from the Post City Weather Bureau.
The Double U Company was a land colonization company chartered in 1907 by breakfast food magnate Charles William Post (1854-1914) of Battle Creek, Michigan. From 1906-1907, Post purchased over 200,000 acres of land in Garza, Lynn, and Hockley counties of Texas, which included the Curry Comb Ranch, the O. S. Ranch, the F. G. Oxsheer[H.A.] Ranch, and a portion of John B. Slaughter's U-Lazy-S Ranch. Originally named Post City, the town of Post, Garza County, Texas, began as a tent city in 1906, and by 1916, after an extensive real estate campaign, Post and the surrounding area contained approximately 3,000 inhabitants and 14 private corporations which together held over 1.2 million dollars in capital stock. The Double U charter expired in 1957, and C. W. Post's heirs established the Post-Montgomery Ranch and the Double U Ranch, consisting of rangeland near Levelland, Tahoka, and Post, Texas.

El Capote Ranch (Guadalupe County, Texas)
Records, 1830-1913
368 leaves

Contains correspondence, financial, and legal material, diaries, literary productions, and maps pertaining to the El Capote Ranch. The collection bulks with legal material (1834-1877), including deed records and the will of Jose de la Baume, and correspondence (1845-1913) from the Erskine family.
El Capote is a 2600 acre ranch comprising a Mexican land grant in the DeWitt Colony located near Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas. Acquired by Jose de la Baume (the eldest son of Count de la Baume of the County of Baume, Provence of Avignon, France) in 1828, and after his death, by Michael Erskine, who moved his family to the ranch in 1840. In 1878, the ranch was sold to an investment syndicate owned by Thomas W. Pierce, George F. Stone, and Daniel Tyler. In 1897, the ranch passed into the ownership of a Judge Denman, and upon his death in 1916, the ranch was managed by his widow until her death in 1948. A cabin from the ranch was donated to the Ranching Heritage Center of Texas Tech University in 1970.

Ellwood, Isaac L.
Isaac L. Ellwood and William L. Ellwood Papers, 1878-1935
663 leaves

Includes and bulks (1878-1919) with financial material concerning Isaac L. Ellwood, of DeKalb, Illinois, and William L. Ellwood, of Lubbock, Texas, and their business activities. Also includes legal materials and correspondence, primarily concerning debt collections, and business affairs.
Co-inventor and manufacturer of barbed wire, businessman, and land owner, Ellwood was born in 1833 in New York. With his sons, William L. and Erwin P., he began purchasing Texas ranch lands in 1889, including the Spade and Renderbrook ranches. After his death in 1910, his sons, along with A. W. Fisk, managed the estate. Beginning in 1924, portions of the Spade Ranch were sold for farming and colonization.

Ellwood Estates
Records, 1860-1966
58,268 leaves

Contains correspondence, financial and legal material, photographs, printed material, and scrapbook material concerning the business operations of Ellwood Estates and the Ellwood family. The collection bulks (1878-1966) with financial material relating to Ellwood's ranching operations during his life time and the sale of farm properties after his death.
Ellwood Estates was formed in 1910 after the death of Isaac L. Ellwood (1833-1910). Ellwood, co-inventor and manufacturer of barbed wire, purchased the Spade Ranch (located in Lubbock, Hale, Hockley, and Lamb counties, Texas) in 1891, and the Renderbrook Ranch (located in Mitchell County, Texas) in 1889. The Ellwood Estates were formed from these ranch properties and were administered by Ellwood's sons, William L. (1859-1933) and Erwin P. (1874-?), and A. W. Fisk. Beginning in 1924, the Ellwoods sold portions of the Spade Ranch for farming and colonization.

Ellwood Farms
Records, 1900-1967
ca. 237,000 leaves

The collection bulks with land sales records of the Ellwood Land Company containing deeds, abstracts, liens, correspondence, tax statements, mineral rights deeds, loan applications, foreclosure notices, right of way deeds, and oil leases. Also included are records of other land-related companies, including the Ropesville Farms Project (also called the Ropesville Resettlement project), and the Spade Land Company.
Formed in 1924 after the death of Isaac L. Ellwood (1833-1910), co-inventor and manufacturer of barbed wire, who purchased the Spade Ranch in 1891 and the Renderbrook Ranch in 1889. In 1924, the Ellwood Farm Company began selling farm-size plots of Spade Ranch land. The business, based in Lubbock, Texas, for over forty years, was administered by William L. and Erwin P. Ellwood, sons of Isaac L. Ellwood, and by R. C. Hopping and T. B. Zellner. In 1946, the Spade Land Company purchased a portion of the Ellwood Farms land and operated it as the Ellwood Farm Company.

English, Rosemary
Papers, 1887-1977
1 microfilm reel (25 ft.) : negative

Includes correspondence, charts, legal documents, photographs, literacy manuscripts, and printed items used in researching the history of the Kentucky Cattle Company, founder of the Two-Buckle Ranch.
English is married to Dr. Otis W. English, who purchased with his father, the Two-Buckle Ranch in Blanco Canyon near Crosbyton, Texas.

Espuela Land and Cattle Company, Ltd.
Records, 1880-1979
31,711 leaves

Consists of correspondence, legal documents, financial records and journals. The collection bulks (1885-1909) with financial records relating to the operation of the Spur Ranch. The correspondence includes several letters from leading ranchers, and the journals detail the daily routine of ranching.
The Espuela Land and Cattle Company, Ltd., a British syndicate, founded the Spur Ranch in the early 1880s. The ranch was located in Dickens, Kent, Crosby, and Garza counties of West Texas and encompassed approximately 439,000 acres.

Finch Brothers
Papers, 1837-1945
10,340 leaves

Includes correspondence, legal documents, financial documents, printed material and photographs. The collection bulks with financial and legal documents pertaining to the Finchs' ranching and business interests in Burlingame, Kansas and Dalhart, Texas.
Austin Finch and his son, John, came to Burlingame, Kansas, in 1875 and established ranching and banking interests. In 1905 John began to divest his property to his children, Frank, Fred, Winnie, Orville, and Howard by establishing the Finch Brothers Company. Part of the property included ranch lands near Dalhart, Texas, which brothers Frank and Orville took over.

Gardner, Dan
Papers, 1897
1 microfilm reel (20 ft.): negative.
Includes a diary concerned with life, events, and transactions on the Pitchfork Ranch for 1897, when Gardner was general manager.
Gardner was the co-founder and first general manager of the Pitchfork Ranch in Dickens and King counties, Texas.

Halsell, Ewing
Papers, 1881-1977
218,417 leaves

The collection bulks (1904-1972) with financial materials from Halsell's ranching affairs, materials related to personal investments, and tax, land, and leasing records. Also includes personal correspondence and related materials and general files pertaining to ranching and farming, oil, gas, and mining.
A rancher whose operations spanned both Texas and Oklahoma, Halsell helped to open the Texas South Plains to farm settlement. He was born in 1877, in Jacksboro, Texas. He purchased Bird Creek Ranch in Vinita, Oklahoma, from his father in 1899, and assumed management of the Spring Lake Ranch in Lamb and Bailey counties of Texas. Halsell contracted for the digging of the first irrigation well in Lamb County and, in the 1920s, along with a small group of other ranchers, initiated the use of milo maize as cattle feed in the arid regions of West and Southwest Texas. He built feed lots on his Oklahoma and Texas ranches in the 1930s and 1940s. He formed the Halsell Farms Company in 1923 to facilitate land sales from the Spring Lake Ranch (Mashed O) to settlers, and founded the Texas towns of Amherst and Earth to further promote land sales. He purchased the 100,000 acre Farias Ranch southwest of San Antonio, Texas, in 1944, and moved his home and business headquarters there. A life member and former vice-president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, he was also a charter member of the Santa Gertrudis Breeder International Association and member of the Blue Stem Cattle Raisers Association. Halsell died in 1965 at his Farias Ranch.

Hunter and Evans Land and Cattle Company
Records, 1885-1887
146 leaves

Consists of company minutes and legal documents.
The company was established in 1885 to deal in cattle sales, breeding and trading, land sales, and in leasing. The principal stock holders were Robert D. Hunter, Albert G. Evans, and Edgar S. Marston. These individuals also acted as the officers of the company. The company was based in Illinois, but handled business in Montana, Nevada, and the Indian Territory. The longevity of the company is unknown.

JA Cattle Company
Records,
218 boxes (205 linear feet)

    The JA Cattle Company records contains a variety of materials detailing the history and operation of the ranch mostly during the 20^th Century. Items include personal and professional correspondence, aviation files, financial material, legal materials, land abstracts, survey calculations, bank statements, maps, architectural plans, literary productions, printed material, post office materials, literary productions, artifacts, and scrapbook materials.  For further details, click here:  JA.
    The JA Ranch located in the Panhandle of Texas is the oldest privately owned cattle company. Its history can be traced as far back as 1876 when Charles Goodnight began his own ranch. The JA Ranch began with the partnership of Charles Goodnight and John G. Adair. After several years of managing the ranch, Goodnight took his part of the ranch and left the JA Ranch. Cornelia Ritchie Adair became sole owner of the ranch after the death of John Adair.  She ran it until her death in 1921. Her only remaining son Jack Ritchie passed away shortly in 1924. Jack Ritchie was Montie’s father. The ranch was incorporated in the late 1940s and became the JA Cattle Company. It is currently handled by the Ritchie family which is situated in the Palo Duro Canyon and consists of over 335,000 acres of land. The land covers portions of Armstrong, Briscoe, Donley, and Hall counties. Much of the land is leased to local ranchers to ease the cost of operations. Montie Ritchie operated the ranch until his death in July 19, 1999. The heirs to the ranch are his daughter, Cornelia "Ninia" W. Ritchie and her son Andrew M. Bivins.

Jones, Clifford Bartlett
Papers, 1836-1973
247,747 leaves

Includes correspondence, legal material, financial material, photographs, genealogical material and newsclippings relating to the business, educational and personal activities of Clifford B. Jones. The collection bulks (1919-1972) with materials pertaining to Texas Technological College and the Spur Ranch. Of special interest are pamphlets of the White Citizens Council, a segregationist group.
A businessman, ranch manager and college president, Jones was born in 1885 in Rico, Colorado. He was a manager of the Spur Ranch in Dickens County, Texas, from 1913-1939. Jones was also instrumental in the establishment of Texas Technological College, served on the original Board of Directors, and was the third president of the college from 1939-1944. He was a member of the West Texas Chamber of Commerce and the Good Roads Movement. Active in land sales and colonization, banking and politics, and numerous social, historical and fraternal organizations, Jones died in 1972 in Lubbock, Texas.

Jones, Coleman
Family papers, ca. 1885-1966
156 leaves

Includes photocopies of correspondence, news clippings and literary productions pertaining to the Coleman Jones family of Hale County, Texas, and the pioneering activities of that area. The collection bulks (ca. 1887-1965) with literary productions by Coleman Jones, which includes articles, reminiscences, and poems.
A poet, writer, and farmer, Jones was born in 1885 in Paint Rock, Texas, and, in the same year, his family moved to Hale County, Texas. He farmed in the Running Water Community in Hale County until 1945. He then worked for the Agriculture Stabilization Office in Plainview, Texas, until 1957. He married Lillie Ray, also of Hale County, in 1909, and the couple had five sons. Jones' father, Thorton Jones, was one of the original settlers of Plainview, Texas. Jones wrote numerous articles and poems concerning pioneer days in Texas and the South Plains. He died in 1966 in Plainview, Texas.

Jones, Helen DeVitt
Papers, 1944-1995 and undated
6 boxes (8 linear feet)

     Collection includes mostly personal papers of Helen DeVitt Jones and her association with banks and her estate. Mostly financial materials such bank statements, ledgers, and charitable support groups as well as personal and professional correspondence involving her contributions to the fine arts. There are some records of the Mallet Ranch. Also contains some memorabilia and awards.  For further details, click here:  HJones.
     Helen DeVitt Jones was the daughter of David DeVitt co-founder of Mallet Ranch. The Mallet Ranch at one time covered some 200 sections in four counties: Hockley, Terry, Cochran, and Yoakum. By 1990, the Mallet Ranch covered nearly 45,000 acres. Currently the Johnson and DeVitt family members run the ranch. Oil was later discovered in the late 1930s. Helen DeVitt Jones was an active philanthropist and donated much of her wealth to the fine arts, culture, and education. Helen is the founder of the Helen Jones Foundation. She passed away in September of 1997. Her sister Christine was just as active in the business.

Jones, Otto F.
Papers, 1826-1976 and undated
10 boxes (9.3 linear feet)

Includes correspondence, financial and legal materials, literary productions, printed materials and scrapbook materials related to Jones' personal and business activities. The collection bulks (1892-1975) with financial material related to the ranch and Jones' "Day Books" (1910-1975), which document ranch operations and weather conditions and contain handwritten recollections. Also contains a significant number of printed materials including livestock brochures, pamphlets, rodeo programs, and news clippings dealing with the ranching and cattle trade.
A ranch manager, Jones was born in 1888 in Nolan County, Texas. He joined Isaac Ellwood's Renderbrook Ranch in 1907 and managed the Renderbrook Ranch from 1912-1966. Jones married Mrytle "Honey" Annie Bartlett in 1914. He was active with the Texas Cowboy Reunion and served as its president in 1954. Jones was a master Mason and member of the Sweetwater Chuck Wagon, Knights Templar, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, Southwestern Ranchers Association, Texas Hereford Association, and was a charter member of the Ranch Headquarters Association of Texas Tech University. Jones died in 1975.

Keith, George Donathan, Sr.
Family papers, 1912-1977
21,324 leaves

Contains detailed records concerning cattle breeding, cattle sales, property taxes, and the financial operations of a breeding farm. The collection bulks with financial material (1916-1977) and cattle records (1925-1977). Significant amounts of correspondence (1919-1977) and general files (1914-1977) are also included. There are lesser amounts of legal material (1912-1977), printed material (1922-1977), and scrapbook material (1912-1977). These items reflect both business and personal activities of the Keith family.
Keith was born in 1875 in Falmouth, Tennessee. He was vice-president and founder of the Ben E. Keith Company, owner of the George D. Keith & Sons Ranch near Wichita Falls, Texas, and active in Hereford cattle and Palomino horse breeding. He served as the first president of the Texas and Oklahoma Fair Association and was active in civic affairs. Keith married Meta Ransom in 1897, and the marriage produced two sons. A second wife, Mollie Black, whom he married in 1908, also bore him two sons. His brother, Ben E. Keith, operated the Ben E. Keith Company, a fruit and vegetable brokerage, from its Fort Worth headquarters. Mollie Black Keith and her sons, Kenneth and Jim, operated the ranch after George Keith's death in 1955. Jim Keith was killed during a robbery at the ranch in 1973.

Kentucky Cattle Raising Company
Records, 1886-1894
1 microfilm reel (58 ft.) : negative

Consists of a letterpress book of the Two-Buckle Ranch describing cattle, supplies, wages, and farming and ranching conditions.
The Kentucky Cattle Company, organized by the Tilford Brothers at Louisville, Kentucky in 1883, started the Two-Buckle Ranch in Blanco Canyon in 1884, with C. M. Tilford as resident manager. At its peak, the ranch was stocked with nearly 14,000 head of cattle and 130 saddle horses and covered over 200 sections of land in Crosby County. The Panic of 1893 caused the Kentucky Cattle Company to go out of business and sell the entire herd. Over the next several years, the ranch was leased and eventually parceled out to various owners.

Mallet Ranch
Records, 1865-1992 and undated
135 boxes and 9 ledgers (138 linear feet)

    The collection of materials details the activities and expenses of the ranch and the DeVitt family, the landowners.  Most records are financial materials in the form of banks statements and cancelled checks and oil and gas records in the form of revenue statements and oil runs.  A few boxes are correspondence, account ledgers, abstracts, grazing files, farm and ranch management files, right-of-way files, and legal files.  The majority of the collection is twentieth century material.   Some maps describe the efforts of various oil companies to drill for oil on the Mallet Ranch and the lay out of DeVitt’s property.  Click here for further details.
    D. P. Atwood sold some of his lands from his West Texas ranch to two entrepreneurs willing to invest in the growing market of the cattle industry.  The Mallet Land and Cattle Company, founded by David M. DeVitt and John Scharbauer in 1885, was incorporated in 1903.  Its brand assumed the shape of a croquet mallet.  The Mallet Ranch at one time covered some 200 sections in four counties:  Hockley, Terry, Cochran, and Yoakum.  By 1990, the Mallet Ranch covered nearly 45,000 acres in Hockley County.   Around 1903, C. C. Slaughter who ran the Lazy S Ranch became rivals to the DeVitt’s due to a land dispute in Hockley County.  The land dispute resulted in some fence cutting threats and eventually a lawsuit.  Currently the Johnson and DeVitt family members operate the ranch.  Oil a useful resource was discovered in the late 1930s, which made the land more valuable and the DeVitt family wealthy.  Oil and taxes became a problem to the DeVitt’s that he Mallet cooperation was dissolved in 1944.  It is now held in common by Johnson and DeVitt family members. 
    After Mr. DeVitt’s death in 1934 his surviving family included wife Florence (d. 1945) and two daughters Christine (1885-1983) and Helen (1899-1997).  Christine DeVitt managed the ranch for the family.  She became a philanthropist like her younger sister and founded the CH Foundation.  Helen DeVitt Jones was a philanthropist dedicated to education, arts, and the community in Lubbock, Texas.  With the establishment of the Helen Jones Foundation, she has contributed to Texas Tech University, Lubbock’s food bank, and other organizations.  The Mallet Ranch has long survived the test of time from the depression of the cattle economy, land disputes, the discovery of oil, droughts, to better land management.  It continues to operate in the South Plains of Texas as a historic ranch first founded in the late 19^th Century.

Masterson Family
Papers, 1873-1957
29,603 leaves

Includes correspondence, legal material, financial material, scrapbook material, and printed material. Bulks (1945-1957) with financial and legal materials dealing with ranch business and estate and trust management. Also contains a considerable amount of correspondence dealing with business and family matters.
The Mastersons were a pioneer Texas ranching family, owners of the JY Ranch, and breeders of Aberdeen Angus cattle. The ranch, begun by Robert B. Masterson in the 1880s, consisted of 73,000 acres and was operated by his descendants for three generations. In 1957, following the death of Masterson's grandson, Tom Masterson Jr., a well known cattleman and longtime director of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, the ranch was sold to G. H. and Ed Lawrence of San Antonio, Texas.

Matador Land and Cattle Company
Records, 1880-1960
350,000 leaves

Records are divided into five series that encompass the activities of the home office in Dundee, Scotland (1881-1952), the American offices in Denver (1880-1954), Trinidad, Colorado (1890-1926), the headquarters of the Matador (1880-1961), and Alamositas (1899-1953). The collection includes financial and legal material, land records, payrolls, herd books, range diaries, Board of Director's minutes, correspondence between the Dundee, Scotland office and American offices and ranches, and correspondence among the British investors. Correspondence between the managers and division superintendents include: Murdo Mackenzie, Alexander Mackay, Alfred Markham Britton, Henry Harrison Campbell, William Sommerville, Arthur B. Ligertwood, John MacBain, J.M. Jackson, John Mackenzie, Maurice J. Reilly, Lewis F. Robertson and John V. Stevens. Also included is Murdo Mackenzie's correspondence from Brazil when he served as manager of the Brazil Land, Cattle, and Packing Company from 1912 to 1917.
Established in 1879 by Alfred Markham Britton, Henry Harrison Campbell, and associates, the ranch covered one and a half million acres in Motley, Cottle, Floyd, and Dickens counties of Texas. In 1882 the founders sold their cattle and range rights to a syndicate based in Dundee, Scotland. Additional acreage was leased in south central Kansas, the Texas Panhandle, Canada, South Dakota, and Montana, and by 1933, the Matador's Texas holdings totaled nearly 900,000 acres. With rare exceptions, during periods of drought, substantial dividends were paid annually. Company stocks increased from an original $ .70 to $23.70 per share in 1951, when the stockholders sold their shares to Lazard Brothers and Company. Principals in the ranches' operations included manager Murdo Mackenzie, and the company secretary in Scotland, Alexander Mackay.

Matthews, Watt
Papers, 1886-1970
1 microfilm reel (95 ft.) : negative.

Includes photographs, newspaper clippings, correspondence, certificates, and programs. Fifteen scrapbooks contain materials pertaining to activities and events in Albany, Texas, the Fort Griffin Fandangle, the Matthews Ranch, and the personal life of Watt Reynolds Matthews.
Matthews managed the Lambshead Ranch and the J.A. Matthews Cattle Company in Albany, Texas. He received the National Golden Spur Award in 1981.

McEntire Family
Papers, 1821-2000 and undated
4 boxes (4 linear feet)

    Collection of correspondence, financial materials, and scrapbook material that detail some of the activities of the McEntire family from the late 19th Century to the 1950s.  Includes personal materials of Ruth McEntire’s great grandfather W. R. McEntire as a Civil War veteran and rancher, her grandfather George H. McEntire, Sr., and her father George H. McEntire, Jr., her grandmother Elliott Taylor McEntire, and her mother Geraldine Cowden McEntire.  The Civil War materials include responses from Confederate veterans detailing their military experiences.  George McEntire, Sr. was an amateur writer who wrote poems, short stories, and letters between 1930-1950.  Copies of his materials are included.  They describe daily life on the ranch, history of the region and people, local events, family humor, and philosophy of life.  Also includes the air service records of George, Jr. who was a test pilot for Lockheed.  Of interest is the Koon Kreek Klub file, a fishing, hunting, and boating organization in Dallas, Texas.
    The McEntires run the U Ranch, which is located northeast of Sterling City, Texas.  It was founded by Col. W. R. McEntire in 1880.  W. R. was a native of Georgia who moved to Texas after the Civil War.  A prominent banker, he acquired ranch land in Sterling County to raise cattle and sheep.  The land was past down to George H. McEntire, Sr. who past it down to his son George "Little George" H. McEntire, Jr.  Currently the ranch is owned by Ruth McEntire Caldwell, daughter of George, Jr.  See the U Ranch Records for more details.

Miller, John P.
Papers, 1922-1972
1 microfilm reel (60 ft.) : negative

Includes photograph albums (1922-1972), newspaper clippings (1942-1967), and programs which pertain to three generations of the J. P. Miller family.
J. P. Miller's Rafter 3 Ranch, located in northeastern Coleman County, Texas, was once part of the extensive Morris Ranch established in 1883 by Miller's grandfather, J. P. Morris (ca. 1847-1938).

Miller, Mattie B. Morris
Papers, 1855-1967
1 microfilm reel (30 ft.) : negative

Includes correspondence, legal documents, printed material, and photographs pertaining to the Miller family's ranching activities. Also includes land grants by the Texas Governor to the family from 1855 to 1920.
Miller attended Baylor Female College in Belton, Texas, and married John Andrew Bedford Miller in 1899; the marriage produced eight children. She was the president of the Rafter 3 Cattle Company, and participated in community activities in Coleman, Texas.

Mooar, John Wesley
Papers, 1871-1943
818 leaves

Includes correspondence, financial material, printed material, and a diary relating to the business and personal concerns of the Mooar brothers. The collection bulks (1871-1900) with financial materials of the Mooar brothers' business enterprises. There are lesser amounts of correspondence dealing with personal and family matters. Of particular interest is a letter describing the battle of Adobe Walls.
A buffalo trader and rancher, Mooar was born in 1846 in Pownal, Vermont. He lived in New York from 1861 to 1872, receiving and selling buffalo hides sent by his brother J. Wright Mooar. He joined his brother in Kansas in 1872, and they moved to Texas in 1873. With the decline of the buffalo trade, the brothers established the Mooar Brothers Ranch in Scurry County, Texas. John Wesely Mooar married Margaret McCollum and they had two children, Lydia Louise Mooar and John Combs Mooar. In addition to his ranching and business interests, Mooar assisted in bringing the Texas and Pacific Railroad to Colorado City, Texas. Mooar died in 1918 in Colorado City, Texas.

Morris Ranch Estate
Records, 1887-1966
9,847 leaves

Contains correspondence, financial and legal materials, literary productions, maps, photographs, and printed material. The collection bulks (1910-1938) with financial documents which include account books, bank notes, daybooks, invoices and receipts, and stock certificates.
The Morris ranch was established in 1883 in Coleman County, Texas, by Joseph Phillip Morris. In 1922 the ranch was divided among Morris' six children. Mattie B. Morris (1874-1969), president of the Rafter 3 Cattle Company, was very active in civic affairs in Coleman, Texas. Her son, J.P. Miller (1900-1974), also managed the Rafter 3 Ranch.

Morris (Rafter 3) Ranch Company
Records, 1855-1982 and undated
38 boxes (38 linear feet)

   Collection includes business and personal correspondence, financial material, legal material such as deeds and abstracts, livestock records, oil and gas records, survey records, printed material, and scrapbook material of J. P. Morris, Mattie B. Miller, the Morris family, the Miller family, and Morris (Rafter 3) Ranch activities.  For further details, click here:  Morris.
    The Morris-Miller ranching material stems from the ranching activity of J. P. Morris of Coleman, Texas and his descendants, especially the Mattie B. Miller family. J. P. Morris began his ranching career at a young age trailing cattle herds to northern markets. By 1884, he purchased land in the Jim Ned Valley of Coleman County and moved his family there in 1888. He added to his holdings so that he eventually built a ranching empire of 100,000 acres. He later became involved in banking, and real estate. His daughter Mattie B. Miller along with her children established the Rafter 3 Ranch from their share of the Morris Ranch holdings. They used the original Morris brand. One of her sons, Morris Miller ran the Shackelford County operations. Doris Miller the daughter of Morris Miller, currently runs the Bluff Creek Ranch of Shackelford County.

Pitchfork Land and Cattle Company
Records, 1837-1976
54,448 leaves 1 : microfilm reel (90 ft.) ; negative

Contains correspondence (1877-1976), legal documents (1837-1964), financial material (1886-1979), maps and charts (1954 and undated), and diaries (1953-1964). Also includes scrapbook material, printed material, news releases, speeches, minutes and an agenda, a literary production, news clippings, photographs, and general files.
Organized in 1881 by D.B. Gardner and Eugene F. Williams, the enterprise was incorporated in 1883 as the Pitchfork Land and Cattle Company. Management of the company operations continues today by the same family under the same corporate structure, and is headquartered near Guthrie, Texas. The Ranch has also operated divisions near Laramie, Wyoming, and Eskridge, Kansas.

Powell, I. R.
Papers, 1873-1924 and undated
1 box (1.0 linear feet)

The collection involves three ranches:  Half-Circle-S Ranch, Kentucky Cattle Raising Company and Z-L Ranch.  Bulks with legal documents including warranty and quit claim deeds dating from the 1870s-1890s, and with patents to large tracts of land in Crosby, Dickens, and Floyd counties. Includes correspondence, financial material, and legal material pertaining to land developments in West Texas. Also contains correspondence regarding cattle sales, cattle count, and brands from 1915-1918.
Manager of the Z-L Ranch in Crosby County, Texas, from 1918-1919, Powell was also associated with the Half-Circle S Ranch and Crosbyton Cattle Company. These ranches all occupied land originally patented to the Kentucky Cattle Raising Company of Louisville, later owned by A. W. Hudson and then Frank Cross.

Pryor, Ike T. (Isaac Thomas)
Papers, 1899-1923
1 microfilm reel (30 ft.) : negative

Contains copies of speeches of Ike T. Pryor concerning the cattle industry and its operations and problems.
Pryor established Pryor Brothers Ranch in 1885, operating holdings with as many as 45,000 head of cattle annually. Pryor was President of the American National Livestock Association and Cattle Raisers Association of Texas, and a member of the Trans-Mississippi Commercial Congress. He died in San Antonio in 1937.[H.A.]

Reynolds Land and Cattle Company
Records, 1856-1959
ca. 35,753 leaves

    Contains correspondence, legal and financial documents, and general office files. The collection bulks (1919-1956) with financial documents, specifically the records of cattle sales and tallies. Of special interest are the records of companies run by the Reynolds Family such as the Cisco Oil Mill, Monroe Cattle Company, Ralls County Cattle Company, Reynolds Brothers and Conrad, and the Rock Pile Ranch.  For further details, click here:  Reynolds.
    A ranching corporation of a pioneer West Texas family dating back to the 1850s, its operations were conducted from Fort Worth, Texas, but properties were located in Shackelford, Haskell, Borden, Scurry, Dallam, Hartley, Jeff Davis, and Culberson counties of West Texas, with leased operations in Montana, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Cattle, sheep, horse raising, general farming, oil lease activities, and horse racing have been among the company's operations, although land acquisition and development are its primary concerns.

Runge, J. Forrest
Papers, 1876-1970
1 microfilm reel (55 ft.) : negative

Includes correspondence, financial documents, legal documents, printed material, miscellaneous material, and photographs pertaining primarily to the Las Moras Ranch. Other subjects include ranches and ranch brands in Texas, soil conservation, the 65th Field Artillery, and Texas A&M University.
A rancher and conservationist, Runge was born in 1892 in Galveston, Texas, and spent his first eight years living at the Las Moras Ranch in Menard County, Texas. He served as a second Lieutenant in the 65th Field Artillery during World War I. Runge owned ranches in Menard and Schleicher counties, and was very interested in water and soil conservation. In 1941, he founded the Eldorado Divide Soil Conservation District and served as its president until his death. He also served as Vice-President of the Tom Green Historical Society. Runge wrote and published articles on West Texas ranches and ranching. He died in 1963 at Cristoval, Texas.

Slaughter, Alexander Averill, 1881-1931
Papers, 1878-1966 and undated
26 boxes and 26 ledgers (31 linear feet)

    Includes correspondence, financial material, legal records, daily journals and cash books, literary productions, some printed material, and photographs. The collection bulks with the minute details relevant to the daily operation of a ranching enterprise in West Texas and eastern New Mexico, and later (post-1937), the development of the petroleum industry in West Texas.
    A rancher and entrepreneur, Slaughter was born in 1881 as the third son of Colonel C. C. Slaughter. He served in an official capacity in the family-owned-and-operated C. C. Slaughter Cattle Company. Slaughter died in 1931. His widow, Dorothy L. Slaughter, assumed direction of the estate in 1931 and participated in the development of the petroleum industry in West Texas.  For further details, click here:  AASlaughter.

Slaughter, Allie D.
Papers, 1891-1947 and undated
1 box (0.3 linear feet)

    Collection concerns the Slaughter estate, including Allie’s children’s inheritance; her grandsons’ letters and copies of her letters after George M. Slaughter’s death.  For further details, click here:   ASlaughter.

Slaughter, C. C., Cattle Company
Records, 1912-1964
7 boxes (7 linear feet)

    Consists of financial material in the form of cancelled checks of the C. C. Slaughter Cattle Company from 1912-1964.  For further details, click here:  Slaughter.

Slaughter, Christopher Columbus
Papers, 1876-1953 and undated
1 box (1 linear foot)

    Includes correspondence, financial and legal material, photographs, and printed material pertaining to Slaughter and his family. Bulks (1876-1921) with correspondence written to him by his second wife Carrie Averill Slaughter, and with legal materials pertaining to Slaughter's death and the division of his estate (1921). Of particular interest is a speech written by Slaughter in 1907 entitled "The Passing of the Range" and his scrapbook pertaining to the Confederate Veteran's Reunion held in Dallas, Texas, in 1902.  For further details, click here:  CCSlaughter.
    A trail driver, Texas Ranger, banker, philanthropist, and cattleman, Slaughter was born in 1837 in Sabine County, Texas. With his father, George Webb Slaughter, and his brothers, he established a frontier ranch in Palo Pinto County, Texas, in 1857. He participated in the Civil War as frontier militia and also served in the Texas Rangers. Slaughter drove cattle over the Chisholm Trail and later moved operations to West Texas where, by 1905, he owned 40,000 head of cattle and controlled over one million acres. Slaughter was the founder of the American National Bank of Dallas (1884), co-founder of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (1877), the Texas Baptist Education Commission (1897) and Baylor Hospital of Dallas, Texas (1904). He died in 1919 in Dallas, Texas.

Slaughter, Carrie Averill
Family Papers, 1862-1960
1 microfilm reel (50 ft.) : negative

    Consists of Slaughter family scrapbooks and genealogies (1862-1960). Also includes genealogies of the Averill and Sherman families and news clippings relating to the Slaughter estate settlement.  Carrie was the wife of C. C. Slaughter, who was a rancher, banker, and trail driver.

Slaughter, George Morgan
Papers, 1879-1973 and undated
1 microfilm reel and 2 boxes (2 linear feet)

    The collection contains correspondence, newspaper clippings, biographical information, genealogical data, poetry and essays, and scrapbooks. The majority of the correspondence is between George Morgan Slaughter and his father, Colonel C. C. Slaughter. The scrapbooks contain the writings of E. M. Pierce as well as newspaper clippings on the Slaughter family, the "Long S" ranch, and the prize Hereford bull, "Sir Bredwell." Other newspaper clippings include the story of Jack Alley, an employee of the Slaughter family for forty years. Several notebooks contain essays on George M. Slaughter and his wife, Alice Louise Donohoo Slaughter, while others contain genealogical information on the descendants of C. C. Slaughter.
    George Morgan Slaughter, the eldest son of C. C. Slaughter, by his first wife, Cynthia Ann Jowell, was born in Palo Pinto, Texas, on November 2, 1862. He received formal training both in Texas schools and at the Virginia Military Institute, and later served in the Spanish-American War. He married Alice Louise Donohoo and they had three children. Slaughter managed ranches for his father in West Texas and New Mexico and became a prominent cattle breeder. In 1910 he was elected president of the Panhandle Cattle Raisers Association. He moved to Roswell, New Mexico, in 1900, where he served as a president of the American National Bank. George Morgan Slaughter died on the Cochran County, Texas, ranch on July 15, 1915, and was buried in Roswell.  For further details, click here:  GSlaughter.

Slaughter Land and Cattle Company
Records, 1909-1916 and undated
1 box and 1 wallet (0.4 linear feet)

    Concerns various business and financial transactions of the Slaughter Land and Cattle Company in Mexico while George M. Slaughter served as its president.  For further details, click here:  SlaughterLCC.

Slaughter, Luther
Papers, 1925-1954 and undated
1 wallet (0.1 linear feet)

    Collection contains correspondence of Luther Slaughter from Saint Jo, Texas.  For further details, click here:  LSlaughter.

Slaughter, Robert Lee, Jr.
Papers, 1921-1960 and undated
4 boxes (4.0 linear feet)

    Includes correspondence, financial materials, maps, and photographs. The collection bulks (1938-1956) with financial documents and with correspondence between R. L. Slaughter, Jr. and Ira Wells regarding the operation of the ranch.
    A rancher, oilman, and entrepreneur, Slaughter was born in 1892, and was a grandson of C. C. Slaughter. He operated (1915-1916) the family's 300,000 acre ranch in Sonora, Mexico, until forced to leave as a result of the Mexican Revolution. Slaughter then operated the family ranch in West Texas and became involved with the growth of the oil industry in Hockley County, Texas. He died in 1969.  For further details, click here:  RSlaughter.

Sneed, Arch
Papers, 1937-1940
1 microfilm reel (2 ft.) : negative

Consists of scrapbook material relating to Arch Sneed. Includes newspaper clippings, photographs, and printed material (1937-1940 and undated).
Sneed was a cowboy for the XIT Ranch from May 1901 until November 1904. He worked for the Rock Island Railroad from 1904 until 1951 as an engineer.

Spade Ranch
Papers, 1939
1 oversized item (2 linear feet)

6666 Ranch (Texas)
Photograph collection, 1959
18 copy prints

Consists of photographs of the cowboys of the 6666 Ranch and their activities (1959).
Established by Samuel Burk Burnett in 1889, the 6666 Ranch covers over 300,000 acres in King and Dickens Counties in West Texas. Burnett built a large rock mansion in 1917, popularly known as the "Cowboy Castle." The 6666 Ranch continues today as a working ranch.

Anson, William
Photograph collection, 1880-1910
33 copy prints, 34 copy negatives

Consists of photographs of William Anson's Head-of-the-River Ranch near Christoval, Texas (1880-1910), and bulks with photographs of the horses raised on this ranch (1880-1910).
William Anson established the Head-of-the River Ranch near Christoval, Texas, in the late 1880s, and raised quarterhorses and English Suffolks. For many years Anson's ranch supplied horses to the U. S. Cavalry and also bred a renowned string of polo ponies.

Boyd, Hiley
Photograph collection, 1900
27 copy prints

Consists of photographs of working cowboys on the Boyd Ranch (1900).
Boyd was a foreman for the Slaughter Cattle Company from 1897-1910, who later established his own ranch in Cochran County, Texas. His son, Hiley Jr., ranched and served as a director of the Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech University.

Bridwell, Joe S.
Bridwell Ranch photograph collection, 1932-1965
47 copy prints

The collection consists of photographs of the prize-winning cattle on the Bridwell Hereford Ranch (1932-1965).
In 1932, Joe S. Bridwell purchased from Sidney Webb 16,000 acres of the Two Buckle Ranch in Archer and Clay Counties of north central Texas. The Bridwell Ranch became known for its herd of registered Hereford cattle.

Conatser, Ron
Photograph collection, 1957-1958
38 photos

Consists of photographs of ranch life and work on the Matador Ranch (1957-1958).
Ron Conatser worked as a cowboy on the Matador division of the Matador Land and Cattle Company in Motley County, Texas, during the 1950s.

Crump, Bob
Photograph collection, 1908-1915
18 copy prints

Consists of photographs of the Crump family and the 2 Buckle Ranch (1908-1915). It also contains photographs of the Lone Star School, Lubbock County (1910); covered wagons (1910); The "Ripley Special" (July 4, 1911); and Shallowater School, Shallowater, Texas (1911).
Bob Crump was a member of a pioneer Lubbock county family.

Daffern, Albert
Photograph collection, 1910
65 copy negatives

Consists of negatives of ranch work and family life on the Matador Ranch (1910).
Albert Daffern worked as a wrangler and cowboy for the Matador Division of the Matador Land and Cattle Company during the early 1900s. L. J. (Charlie) Fullingham served as camp manager on one of the division's line camps.

Harris, Ted
Photograph collection, 1880-1960
81 copy prints

Consists of photographs of the Ted Harris family and ranch operations in Reagan County, Texas (1880-1960), and bulks with the scenes of sheep ranching and family photos (ca. 1940).
Beginning in the 1870s, the Harris family conducted ranching operations in Coke, Crockett, Reagan, Upton, and Pecos Counties of Texas. Around 1900, they acquired extensive ranch lands near Big Lake in Reagan County, southwest of San Angelo. Ted Harris was born there in 1903 and spent his life working the ranch.

Hiatt, Dean B.
Photograph collection, 1914-1917
183 copy prints

Consists of photograph of surveyors on the Texas XIT Ranch (1914- 1917). The collection also contains photographs of swimmers (1915); wagons (1914);surveying equipment (1914-1917); bridge construction (1916); railroad equipment (ca. 1916-1918); and gasoline plants in Thurber, Texas (1920s).
Born in 1897 in Amarillo, Texas, Dean B. Hiatt worked as a surveyor in early twentieth century Texas. After completing a resurvey of the XIT Ranch in the Texas Panhandle, he was employed by the Santa Fe Railroad and the Texas and Pacific Coal and Oil Company.

1598. J. A. Ranch (Texas)
Photograph collection, 1910
3 copy prints

Consists of photographs of the J. A. Ranch (1910) and bulks with photographs of cowboys and chuckwagon scenes.
Charles Goodnight and John Adair of Ireland established the J. A. Ranch in 1877. It was located on 427,000 acres of the Texas Panhandle in Armstrong, Donley, Swisher, Briscoe, and Hall Counties. Adair provided the capital, while Goodnight furnished the herd and managed the ranch. Following Adair's death in 1885, his widow Cornelia Adair took over the ranching enterprise. Her son, James Ritchie, and his son, Montgomery, continued as owners and managers of the J. A. Ranch.

John Sauls Ranch
Photograph collection, 1918
5 copy prints

This is an artificial collection consisting of photographs of the John Sauls Ranch in Coke County, Texas, which bulks with photographs of geological formations on the ranch (1918). It also contains a photograph of mud swallows' nests.
The John Sauls Ranch covers 60,000 acres on the Colorado River in Coke County, Texas. In 1918, drought in the area became so severe that the entire ranch supported only 35 head of cattle.

Jones, Helen DeVitt
Photograph collection, 1921
1 copy print

Consists of a portrait of David Mantz DeVitt, which was made in Fort Worth, Texas, at the Heirloom Studio (ca. 1921).
David M. DeVitt established the Mallet Ranch on 52,000 acres in Hockley, Cochran, and Terry Counties of Texas in 1903. His daughter, Helen DeVitt Jones, was a strong supporter of the Museum and Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech University.

Jones, Otto F.
Photograph Collection, 1859-1975 and undated
2301 b & w prints
SWCPC 836

Includes black and white photographs depicting ranch life on the Renderbrook Ranch and Otto F. Jones' family.  Subject matter various from cattle, horses, ranch homes, family portraits, cooking, roundups, and working cowboys.
    A ranch manager, Jones was born in 1888 in Nolan County, Texas. He joined Isaac Ellwood's Renderbrook Ranch in 1907 and managed the Renderbrook Ranch from 1912-1966. Jones married Mrytle "Honey" Annie Bartlett in 1914.  Their daughter was Pauline Jones.  He was active with the Texas Cowboy Reunion and served as its president in 1954. Jones was a master Mason and member of the Sweetwater Chuck Wagon, Knights Templar, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, Southwestern Ranchers Association, Texas Hereford Association, and was a charter member of the Ranch Headquarters Association of Texas Tech University. Jones died in 1975.

Jowell, George R.
Photograph collection, 1888-1972
29 copy prints

Consists of photographs of the Jowell family in Deaf Smith County,Texas (1888-1910; 1970-1972).
James A. Jowell brought his family to Texas from Alabama in 1835. For a time, he farmed in Rusk County and then moved to Palo Pinto County, where he began raising cattle. His oldest son, Richard, served in the frontier army and also as a Texas Ranger. Another son, George, after serving in the Confederacy, entered the cattle business, moved west, and established a ranch in Deaf Smith County in the Texas Panhandle. George's son and nephews were instrumental in founding the Hereford industry in Deaf Smith County.

Lambshead and Davis Ranches
Photograph collection, 1971
22 copy prints

Consists of photographs of Watt Matthews and daily work and life on the Lambshead and Davis Ranches near Albany, Texas (1971).
Watkins Reynolds Matthews was born in 1899 to Sallie Ann Reynolds and John A. Matthews, members of prominent West Texas ranching families. Watt attended Princeton University and then helped his brother, Joe, manage the family properties. For many years, he has served as manager of the ranch at Lambshead in Shackleford and Throckmorton Counties of Texas.

Lott, John F.
Photograph collection, 1895-1920
68 photos

Consists of photographs of the Slaughter family and some of their homes (1885-1920) and bulks with portrait photographs of the Slaughter family (1890-1910).
In 1857, George Webb Slaughter established a cattle ranch in Palo Pinto County, Texas. Following the Civil War, Slaughter and his sons were among the first cattlemen to drive herds over the trail to markets in Louisiana and Kansas. Two of his sons, Christopher Columbus Slaughter and John B. Slaughter, built ranching empires in West Texas. John established a ranch in the South Plains in Glasscock, Borden, and Garza Counties. He sold some of this land to cereal manufacturer, C. W. Post, in 1906 to build the farming community of Post, Texas. John's U Lazy S Ranch continues to operate on 56,000 acres under the direction of his grandson, John F. Lott.

Luckett, Jack
Photograph collection, 1900-1910
15 copy prints, 1 Photo, 17 copy negatives

Consists of photographs of the Luckett family of Matador, Texas (1900-1910), and also contains photographs of the Masonic Lodge (1905) and Matador Ranch cowboys (1900).
Luckett left home at age 17 and lived for a time with the Ponca Indians. Later he was employed on the Matador Ranch in Texas, where he rose to the position of wagon boss. In 1902, he married Lenora McClure. They moved to Matador, Texas, where he and T. J. Duncan built the first cotton gin in Motley County.

Mashed O Ranch
Photograph collection, 1920-1925
30 copy prints

Consists of photographs of the Mashed O Ranch and Amherst, Texas (1920-1925). It also includes photographs of the demonstration farm built by the Halsall Land Company, the Amherst Hotel, Duncan and Pennington Store, Will Rogers, a town barbeque, and a prize fight held in Amherst (1920).
William E. Halsall and his brother, Glen Halsall, ran cattle with the Mashed O brand in Indian Territory during the 1890s. In 1901, W. E. Halsall bought 300,000 acres from the XIT Ranch located in Lamb and Bailey counties on the South Plains of Texas. This property supported 20,000 cattle and was known as Spring Lake Ranch or the Mashed O Ranch. The Halsall Land and Cattle Company continues to operate the Mashed O Ranch, although only one-third of the original property is used for ranching.

Masterson, Robert
Photograph collection, 1870-1966
20 photos, 38 copy negatives.

Consists of photographs of the Masterson family and their JY Ranch near Amarillo, Texas (1870-1900; 1966).
Dr. Robert Masterson brought his family to Texas in 1854 and established a ranching operation in San Saba County. His son, Ben Masterson, founded the JY Ranch in Wheeler County in the Texas Panhandle. The Masterson family continued to raise Aberdeen Angus cattle on the ranch until 1956.

Matador Land and Cattle Company (Texas)
Photograph collection, 1921-1938
38 photos, 2 copy prints

Consists of photographs of the recreational area at Roaring Springs, Texas, and the nearby Matador Ranch line camp (1921-1938).
In 1879, the Matador Land and Cattle Company established a camp in southern Motley County, Texas, on Roaring Springs, a natural outlet to Dutchman Creek. The Quanah, Acme, and Pacific Railroad opened a townsite near the springs in 1912. The pure spring water made Roaring Springs a popular recreational area during the 1930s.

Matador Land and Cattle Company
Photograph collection, 1883-1961
489 photos

Consists of photographs of the people, places, and livestock on the Matador Ranch in West Texas (1883-1961). The collection also includes photographs of a mail wagon (1900), the community Christmas tree in Dickens, Texas (1900), a steer sale in Denver, Colorado, and the Quannah, Acme, and Pacific Railway.
In 1878, Henry H. Campbell purchased a small herd and range rights in Motley County on the South Plains of Texas. With A. M. Britton and S. W. Lomax, he formed the Matador Cattle Company with capital of $50,000. In 1882, Campbell and his partners sold the company to an investment corporation in Dundee, Scotland, which became the Matador Land and Cattle Company, Ltd. The Scottish venture grew to include 300,000 acres in Motley, Dickens, Cottle, and Floyd Counties; 200,000 acres on the Alamocitas Division in Oldham County; and also northern ranges in South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. In 1891, the company appointed Murdo Mackenzie as ranch manager. The Scottish company liquidated assets of over $19 million in 1951, selling the ranch lands to Lazard Brothers, an American syndicate. During the 1950s, these holdings were divided and sold, creating numerous smaller ranches.

Matador Land and Cattle Company (Alamositas, Texas)
Photograph collection, 1902-1920
9 photos

Consists of photographs of scenes and daily work on the Alamositas Divison of the Matador Ranch in Oldham County, Texas (1902-1920).
The Alamositas Division originally formed part of the XIT Ranch in Oldham County in the Texas Panhandle. The Matador Land and Cattle Company purchased Alamositas in 1902, thereby adding over 200,000 acres to their original holdings.

Matador Land and Cattle Company (Denver, Colorado)
Photograph collection, 1882-1950
217 photos

Consists of photographs of daily business and activities on the Matador Ranch divisions in Texas, Colorado, and Montana (1883-1890; 1900-1936; 1949-1950).
As the Matador Land and Cattle Company expanded, a ranch office in Denver, Colorado, helped coordinate business on the northern ranges in Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Saskatchewan, Canada. The records of all Matador holdings were kept in Denver and in the general manager's office in Trinidad, Colorado.

Matador Land and Cattle Company (Red Lake Camp, Texas)
Photograph collection, 1885-1967
40 copy prints, 41 copy negatives

Consists of photographs of domestic life and daily work activities of the ranch hands at Red Lake Camp in Dickens County, Texas (1885; 1909; 1938-1940; 1967).
Red Lake Camp, a line camp on the Matador Division of the Matador Land and Cattle Company, was located approximately two miles south of the South Pease River in Dickens County, Texas. A half dugout was used as quarters for the ranch hands through the 1930s. Russell Lundberg and Chester Sullivan both worked as cowboys at Red Lake Camp during the 1930s and early 1940s.

Matador Land and Cattle Company (Saskatchewan, Canada)
Photograph collection, 1920
8 photos

Consists of photographs of daily activities on the Matador Ranch near Kyle, Saskatchewan, Canada, (1920).
During the early twentieth century, the Matador Land and Cattle Company acquired ranges as far north as Saskatchewan, Canada for grazing herds of cattle before bringing them south to market. The Canadian ranch near Kyle, Saskatchewan provided open range when the divisions in Texas began to dwindle as settlement expanded.

Murrah, David J.
Photograph collection, 1990
22 copy prints

Consists of photographs of the A. B. Robertson Ranch, the Forrest Ranch, the Santa Fe Depot, and the Harvey House of Slaton, Texas (1990). The collection bulks with photographs of the Forrest Ranch (1990).

Parker, Jackson
Photograph collection, 1900-1971
39 copy prints

Consists of photographs of Jackson Parker bronc riding and cattle roping at various rodeos across the Southwest (1900-1971). Photos of the family ranch are also included.
Jackson Parker was the son of James E. Parker, a pioneer rancher in the Midland-Odessa, Texas, area. He became involved in the oil pipeline business during the oil boom of the 1920s. Parker continued to manage ranch properties from a headquarters in Andrews County, north of Odessa.

Parramore Family
Photograph collection, 1890-1930
35 photos

Consists of photographs of the J. H. Parramore family of Abilene, Texas, and the San Simon Ranch of Arizona, (1890-1930), and bulks with photographs of Parramore family (1900-1910). The collection also includes photographs of Terry's Texas Rangers Monument, Austin, Texas, by sculptor Pompeo Coppini; a black couple who worked for the Parramore family (ca. 1910); and an antelope hunt in Arizona (ca. 1900)
James H. Parramore, a Confederate veteran, began cattle ranching in Runnels County, Texas, in 1879, and played a prominent role in the founding of Abilene, Texas. With C. W. Merchant, Parramore operated the San Simon Cattle Company in Arizona. His twin sons, D. D. and Jack, ranched in Sterling County and King County, Texas.

Pearce, William Martin, 1913-
Photograph collection, 1891-1950
21 photos, 29 copy negatives

Consists of photographs of people and events on the Matatdor Ranch in West Texas and South Dakota (1891; 1909-1911; 1950), and bulks with activities in LeBeau, South Dakota (1909-1911).
William M. Pearce served as academic vice president and professor of history at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. In 1964, he published a book, The Matador Land and Cattle Company, using the Matador Ranch records housed in the Southwest Colleciton at Texas Tech University.

Ranching Heritage Center (Lubbock, Texas)
Photograph collection, 1895-1978
11 photos, 52 copy negatives

Consists of photographs from the XIT Ranch and of buildings on exhibit at the Ranching Heritage Center, Lubbock, Texas (1895-1900; 1978).
The Ranching Heritage Center formally opened in 1976 as part of the museum at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Dedicated to preserving the ranching history of Texas, the center contains over 20 original ranch buildings moved from historic ranches throughout Texas.

Renderbrook Ranch (Texas)
See Otto F. Jones Photograph Collection, SWCPC 836.

Reynolds Long X Ranch (Texas)
Photograph collection, 1896-1948
60 copy prints

Consists of photographs of the Reynolds Long X Ranch located near Kent, Texas (1896-1948; 1960), and bulks with photographs of ranch activities (1896-1915).
W. D. Reynolds and his brothers established the Long X Ranch on property in Jeff Davis and Hartley Counties, Texas, in 1882. The Reynolds Land and Cattle Company ran over 14,000 head of cattle on the ranch during the 1880s and 1890s. By the 1930s, the company had expanded to sheep raising and continued to run about 20,000 cattle out of its headquarters at Kent, Texas.

Runge, Louis H.
Photograph collection, 1889-1958
42 copy prints

Consists of photographs of the Louis H. Runge family and Los Moras Ranch in Menard County, Texas, and bulks with photographs of sheep ranching in Texas (1915-1928). The collection also contains photographs of Lyndon Baines Johnson attending an REA meeting in Abilene Texas (1957), the Sheep Rustlers' Parade (1914), and of wool marketing (undated).
Louis H. Runge was part-owner and manger of the 106,000 acre Los Moras Ranch in Menard County, Texas. Originally a sheep ranch, the range was opened to cattle in 1886. Runge's son, J. Forrest, ranched near Christoval, Texas.

Schreiner, Armand
Photograph collection, 1900-1920
28 copy prints

Consists of photographs of the Armand Schreiner family including various residences and places of employment (1900-1920). The collection also contains copies of early legal documents such as land grants, land scripts, deeds, and land patents pertaining to the family.
Captain Charles Armand Schreiner was born in the Alsace region of France in 1838. In 1852, he emigrated to Texas where he joined the Texas Rangers and later served in the Confederate Army. He married Lena Enderle in 1861 and after the Civil war, established the YO Ranch near Kerrville, Texas. In 1869, Schreiner opened a general merchandise business in Kerrville and later opened a bank bearing his name. His estate was divided among eight children, and the their families continue to operate his business enterprises.

Schreiner, Charles
Photograph collection, 1976
13 contact prints

The collection consists of contact photos from 35 mm negatives. Charles Schreiner and D. Burns are shown participating in a Longhorn Trail Drive (ca. July 1976).
Charles Schreiner III is the owner of the YO Ranch and game preserve in Kerr County, Texas. D. (Douglas) Burns was manager of the Pitchfork Ranch in Dickens and King Counties and a director of the Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech University.

Spade Ranch (Texas)
Photograph collection, 1900-1932
43 photos, 14 copy prints, 63 copy negatives

Consists of photographs of people, places, and daily activities on the Spade Ranch on the South Plains of Texas (1900-1932), and includes prints of the last roundup on the ranch in 1924.
Isaac Ellwood, inventor of barbed wire fencing, established the Spade Renderbrook Ranch near Colorado City, Texas, in 1889. Through the 1930s, the ranch averaged over 5,000 head of cattle on 128,000 acres, which included parts of Lamb, Hockley, Lubbock, and Hale Counties.

Spiller, Wade F.
Photograph collection, 1890-1959
36 copy prints

Consists of photographs of the Spiller family and their residences (1890-1930; 1959).
Wade F. Spiller came to McCulloch County, Texas with his family in 1865. He established a ranch at the foot of the Brady Mountains and, in 1900, he bought a general merchandise store in the town of Voca. Spiller married Betty Davis in 1881. Their son, Ed, continued the ranching business and became a successful horse trainer.

Spur Ranch (Texas)
Photograph collection, 1890-1915
17 copy prints

Consists of photographs of the working cowboys at the Spur Ranch in Dickens County, Texas (1890-1915).
In 1879, M. M. Hall established the Spur Brand, using it on a herd of cattle he located near Soldier's Mount in Dickens County, Texas. He sold his Dickens County interests to the Espuela Land and Cattle Company in 1882. The 243,000 acre ranch was later sold to Swen M. Swenson and Sons in 1907. The Spur Ranch continues to breed Angus Cattle on 80,000 acres of the original holdings.

Stevens, Johnny
Photograph collection, 1908-1959
8 contact prints, 75 copy prints

Consists of photographs of ranch life and daily activities on the Matador Ranch in West Texas (1908-1959).
Johnny Stevens began work for the Matador Land and Cattle Company in 1939 and became superintendent of the Matador Division in 1946. During the 1950s, he served as Matador Ranch manager.

Swenson Land and Cattle Company (Texas)
Photograph collection, 1910-1940
494 copy prints

Consists of photographs of the people, livestock, equipment, buildings, and ranching scenes of the Swenson Land and Cattle Company (1910-1940).
Swen Magnus Swenson came to Texas from Sweden in 1836. With his sons, Swenson acquired extensive property around Stamford in West Texas. In 1880, the sons, Eric and Swen, established a herd of cattle and began ranching. They purchased 100 head of registered Herefords in 1906 to begin the present purebred herds. In 1926, the family incorporated as the Swenson Land and Cattle Company. This company operates four ranches: Throckmorton Ranch in Throckmorton County; Tongue River Ranch in King, Cottle, Motley, and Dickens counties; Spur Ranch in Garza and Kent counties; and Flat Top Ranch in Jones, Haskell, and Stonewall counties.

Tyler Ranch (Hansford County, Texas)
Photograph collection, 1940- 1972
10 copy prints

Consists of photographs of the Tyler Ranch home (ca. 1940; 1972). Built in the 1880s, this unusual stone dwelling was, at one time, the only house of its kind constructed between Tascosa and Dodge City.

Wallis Ranch (Texas)
Photograph collection, 1971
9 photos, 11 photo negatives

Consists of photographs of Sam Wallis and his ranch in Llano County, Texas (1971).
The Wallis family established a ranch in Llano County, Texas, in the early 1900s. They participated in the government cattle program of the 1930s and, during the 1940s, began to crossbreed and develop "Brangus" cattle. Sam Wallis continues to crossbreed varieties of cattle for sale.

Warren, E. K.
Photograph collection, 1913-1930
291 copy prints

Consists of photographs of the Y. L. Ranch in Bailey County, Texas (1913-1930). The collection also includes a photograph of prairie sod being broken for row crops (1913).
In 1902, E. K. Warren of Michigan purchased 85,000 acres from the XIT Ranch and established a ranching operation in Bailey County, Texas, near the present town of Muleshoe. Warren, a successful manufacturer of corset stays and buggy whips, also owned ranches in New Mexico, Colorado, and Chihuahua, Mexico. His U Bar cattle brand used the outline of a muleshoe from which the town of Muleshoe got its name.

Wilmans Family
Photograph collection, 1922-1950
1 photo, 22 copy prints, 24 copy negatives

Consists of photographs of the Wilmans family on their ranch in Jack County, Texas (1922-1950).
Edith Eunice Therrel was born in Lake Providence, Louisiana, in 1882 and married Jacob Hall Wilmans in Dallas, Texas in 1900. She studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1918. Wilmans became active in women's suffrage efforts and, in 1922, she was the first woman elected to the Texas state legislature. In 1935, she bought a farm near Vineyard in Jack County, Texas.

Witherspoon, William A.
Photograph collection, 1892-1906
16 copy prints

Consists of photographs of the Witherspoon family and their ranch near La Plata, Texas (1892-1906).
In 1890, William A. Witherspoon drove a herd of cattle and horses from Ellis County, Texas, to Deaf Smith County in the Texas Panhandle. He established a ranch near the town of La Plata. His oldest son, Claude, later became county judge. Another son, Vern, was a cowboy for the XIT Ranch and, later, a city commissioner for Hereford.

Womble Family
Photograph collection, 1919-1926
10 copy prints

Consists of photographs of the Womble family and their ranch in Deaf Smith County, Texas (1919-1926), and includes a print of a windmill tower being raised.
John C. Womble of Tennessee brought his family to Deaf Smith County in the Texas Panhandle in 1891. They settled on three sections of land south of Wildorado, where they raised grain and cattle. John's son, Troy, established a ranch in 1898 on land which later became the site for the town of Hereford.

XIT Ranch (Texas)
Photograph collection, 1880-1920
229 copy prints, 2 photos

Consists of photographs of the XIT Ranch (1880-1920), and bulks with general photographs of the ranch (1900-1920). The collection also contains photographs of the 125-foot windmill tower on the Yellow House Division and a photograph of a map of the XIT Ranch lands.
Charles B. and John V. Farwell formed the Capitol Syndicate of Chicago to operate the XIT Ranch on 3,050,000 acres in the Texas Panhandle, which they received for building the Texas state capitol. Organized in 1885, the XIT ran 150,000 head of cattle in Dallam, Hartley, Oldham, Deaf Smith, Parmer, Castro, Bailey, Lamb, and Hockley counties of Texas. The ranch took its name from the fact that it covered ten counties in Texas--'X' for "ten", 'I' for "in", and 'T' for "Texas". The brand created by John and Abner Blocker was adopted because it could be made with one bar of iron and was difficult to change. The ranch operated out of divisional headquarters known as Buffalo Springs, Middle Water, Rito Blanco, Ojo Bravo, Alamositas, Escarbada, Spring Lake and Yellow House. Beginning in 1901, the Capitol Syndicate sold the ranch lands by division, creating many smaller ranches and farms. By the 1930s, only 320,000 acres remained of the original XIT Ranch.

Zollner's "Hobo Ranch"
Photograph collection, 1971
8 copy prints

Consists of photographs of Henry Zollner's family and his "Hobo Ranch" in Rockwall County, Texas (1971).
Massey Zollner and his wife, Elizabeth, established a ranch near Fate, Texas, in Rockwall County in 1876. Immigrants from Germany by way of Australia, the Zollners soon developed a successful cotton crop on 320 acres of North Texas land. For labor, they hired men of every trade who were temporarily unemployed. Because of this practice, their place became known as "Hobo Ranch." Zollner's son, Matthew, and grandson, Henry, have continued this hiring practice to the present time.