Waggoner Ranch, among US' largest, listed for sale (In Texas, 510,000 acres, asking $725million)

Yahoo! News / The Associated Press ^ | August 8, 2014 | Emily Schmall

[vetvetdoug]

Having grown up in Burkburnett, the Waggoner Ranch was just a few miles West of my home. I hate to see it split up.

[The Cajun]

One heck of a read on the history of that ranch!

Hate to see a ranch like that being torn apart because of hard headed jackasses.

[okie01]

In the article, one of the Waggoner Ranch cowboys is quoted as saying "I went off to school in the big city. But I got back here fast as I could, 'cuz I ain't no big city boy."

The "big city" he was referring to was...

Wait for it.

...Vernon!

Being from Burkburnett, you can relate...

[okie01]

Glad you liked it.

I could see three movies coming out of this story. The Waggoner Ranch Trilogy: How It Came To Be, At The Top, The Dissolution. Each a powerful -- and entertaining -- story involving some very unique characters.

I don't think that it was mentioned in the article, but another point of interest is Poco Bueno's grave. Pokie was a legendary quarter horse sire and he is buried upright -- opposite the entrance to Zacawiesta, just across U.S. 283 from the gate.

Pokie's Grave

[vetvetdoug]

I read that about big city Vernon. I had the honor of being thrown out of every bar on the four corners of Punkin Center (Harrold). Anyone drinking at the Waggoner water hole had better be very nice and congenial or one helluva good fighter. I considered Lawton or Wichita Falls the big city.