U Lazy S Ranch facts for kids
The U Lazy S Ranch was a very large ranch located in Garza County, Texas, in the United States. It was first known as the Square and Compass Ranch.
Contents
The Story of the U Lazy S Ranch
How the Ranch Began
The ranch started way back in 1884. It was first 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 was huge, covering about 99,188 acres! Mr. Slaughter also bought 5,000 cattle. He added another 6,000 cattle that he already owned.
He decided to change the ranch's name. He named it after his special cattle brand, 'U Lazy S'. He had registered this brand during the American Civil War. In 1902, he built a ranch house. Over the next few years, he bought even more land. The ranch grew to an amazing 126,227 acres! In 1906, he sold 50,000 acres to C. W. Post. Mr. Post then started a new town called Post, Texas.
New Owners and Challenges
John B. Slaughter passed away in 1928. His son, John B. Slaughter Jr., inherited the ranch. John Jr. had studied at famous schools like the 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 main ranch house burned down on January 13, 1936.
In 1940, the ranch was passed on again. This time, it went to 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 with ranch work. He would fly over the land to move cattle and spray chemicals to control weeds.
Improving the Land
In the 1950s, the ranch faced a big problem: a drought. This meant there wasn't enough rain. By 1954, John F. Lott planted 1,400 acres of a plant called guar. This plant helped make the soil better. He was also the first rancher in Texas to use a special machine called a roto-pitter. This machine helped break up the tough rangeland. Just two years later, in 1956, his efforts to improve the land had worked!
Changes and Donations
In 1965, Mary Belle Lott Macy decided to split her part of the ranch. She renamed her section the Running M Ranch. Meanwhile, John F. Lott's son, Jack Lott, took over managing the U Lazy S Ranch. By 1966, the ranch still covered a large area of 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. A year later, in 1969, the Lott family made a generous donation. They gave US$10,000 and a carriage house from the ranch to the National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock, Texas. In 1973, the ranch even hosted a fundraiser for the public library in Post, Texas.
