U Lazy S Ranch facts for kids
The U Lazy S Ranch is a very old and important ranch located in Garza County, Texas, USA. It was once known by a different name, the Square and Compass Ranch. This ranch has a long history of raising cattle and managing land in Texas.
Contents
History of the U Lazy S Ranch
How the Ranch Started
The U Lazy S Ranch began in 1884. Back then, it was called the Square and Compass Ranch.
John B. Slaughter Takes Over
In 1901, a man named John Bunyan Slaughter bought the ranch. At that time, it covered about 99,188 acres. Mr. Slaughter also bought 5,000 cattle. He added 6,000 more cattle that he already owned.
He changed the ranch's name to 'U Lazy S'. This was the name of his cattle brand, which he had registered during the American Civil War. In 1902, he built a ranch house. A few years later, the ranch grew even bigger, reaching about 126,227 acres. In 1906, he sold 50,000 acres to C. W. Post. Mr. Post then used this land to start the town of Post, Texas.
The Next Generation
In 1928, John B. Slaughter's son, John B. Slaughter, Jr., took over the ranch. He had studied at Phillips Exeter Academy and Yale University. By 1936, the ranch was home to 8,000 Hereford cattle. They grazed on 100,000 acres of U Lazy S land. Sadly, the ranch house, which was a Texas landmark, burned down on January 13, 1936.
New Owners and New Ideas
In 1940, the ranch was inherited by John B. Slaughter, Jr.'s nephew, John F. Lott, and his niece, Mary Belle Lott Macy. John F. Lott divided some of the land into farms. In 1949, he started using an airplane to help manage the cattle. He also used the plane to spray herbicide on the land.
Improving the Land
In the 1950s, the ranch faced a time of very little rain. By 1954, John F. Lott planted 1,400 acres of guar to help improve the soil. He was also the first rancher in Texas to use a special tool called a roto-pitter. This tool helped break up the tough rangeland. Two years later, in 1956, his efforts to improve the land had worked well.
Changes and Donations
In 1965, Mary Belle Lott Macy separated her part of the ranch. She renamed it the Running M Ranch. Meanwhile, John F. Lott's son, Jack Lott, managed the U Lazy S Ranch. By 1966, the ranch covered about 90,000 acres.
In October 1968, John F. Lott and his wife welcomed François Tombalbaye to the ranch. He was the President of Chad, visiting Texas officially. A year later, in 1969, the Lotts gave $10,000 and a carriage house from the ranch to the National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock, Texas. In 1973, the ranch hosted a fundraiser for the public library in Post, Texas.
