Texas Tidbit - The Cattle Ranching Heritage of Texas
Welcome to this months Texas Tidbit, featuring a little glimpse into Texas history and the Texans that helped shape it.
Some of you may have ancestors who were cattle ranchers. The Bullock Museum has a great page dedicated to cattle folk. You can read all about the history of Texas cattle ranching and if you scroll to the bottom there is even a timeline that shows the events some of your cattle ranching ancestors may have gone through.
One influence in Texas cattle ranching was that of Samuel G. Ragland. I'd never heard of him till I picked up his photo in an antique store last year. But some internet research quickly filled me in on the effect he had on ranching.
S.G.R. (Sam Ragland). Taken August 24th, 1886 in San Antonio, TX
Sam RAGLAND was born 25 January 1853 in Victoria, Texas to Nathaniel Manson RAGLAND and Sarah Peninah SCOTT. In addition to being active in his community (Postmaster, County Commissioner, and more) he was also a well known cattle rancher for the King Ranch owned by Mrs. Henrietta King:
In Caesar Kleberg and the King Ranch, author Duane M. Leach writes of Robert KLEBERG'S, hiring of Sam RAGLAND:
"With the nodding approval of Henrietta King, Kleberg Sr. had continued to enlarge her land holdings, improve the breeding stock of her horses and mules, and professionalize the beef-producing operation. The latter he sought to accomplish with the hiring of one, Sam Ragland. Kleberg felt comfortable when dealing with the business and legal aspects of the ranch, but an in-depth understanding of livestock, particularly cattle, was not yet his own. Ragland's reputation buttressed by the recommendation of his longtime friend and attorney James Wells eased Kleberg's mind. Ragland's appointment would prove fortuitous. Not only did he mentor Robert Kleberg Sr., but he tutored his sons and a generation of Kineños as well in the art of handling cattle. Moreover, with an experienced livestock man to oversee Mrs. King's great herds, the burden of day-to-day management might lessen a bit."
Bob KLEBERG was a young man who grew up on the ranch with Sam as his mentor. Page 80 of the Jul 15, 1957 issue of LIFE Magazine reads:
"From the time when he was a very small boy he lived with Sam Ragland, the veteran superintendent of the Santa Gertrudis. The fledgling ranchman and the bluff old bachelor had their meals at the big house with other members of the family. But they had their quarters at Ragland's cottage a hundred yards away. In this companionship and in the long days on the pastures and in the corrals young Bob absorbed what the years had taught Sam Ragland about the complicated chemistry that produced beef from grass. Bob Kleberg as a man would remember the evenings when the rain came pounding on the cottage roof and old Sam in his nightshirt would come lighting up his pipe, strolling into Bob's room, to listen to the welcome rain, to talk, to think aloud about the coming grass, and how best to use it. "When you see the cow chips floating," Sam would say, "then we've had a rain."
Samuel was named as a Trustee in the will of Mrs. Henrietta KING who died March 31, 1925. Samuel never married. He died at the age of 82 on 4 September, 1935.
ATTEND RELATIVES FUNERAL
Mrs. Susan Ragland and her children, Mrs. Monroe Wells, Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Thompson and Mr. and Mrs. Fred McDaniels were in Kingsville where they attended funeral services for their brother-in-law and uncle, Samuel G. Ragland, 82, who died last Thursday.
Mr. Ragland was one of the pioneer cattlemen of that section of the country and while a young man became foreman of the Santa Gertrudis Ranch, owned by the late Robert J. Kleberg. Mr. Ragland served as foreman and advisor and at the death of Mr. Kleberg was one of the trustees of the estate. He was a county commissioner from his district for over 40 years and was active until a short time before his death. A large crowd of friends from over the State were present for the services.
-Kerrville Mountain Sun (Kerrville, Texas) 12 Sep. 1935, Thu. Pg. 1
You can read more of what I've found of Samuel's life here: http://allboundtogether.blogspot.com/2020/03/out-of-obscurity-samuel-g-ragland.html
S.G.R. (Sam Ragland). Taken August 24th, 1886 in San Antonio, TX. Gifted to R.S.N. a second cousin
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