U Lazy S Ranch

The U Lazy S Ranch, formerly known as the Square and Compass Ranch, is a historic ranch in Garza County, Texas, USA.

U Lazy S Carriage House, now at the National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock, Texas.

History

The ranch was established as the Square and Compass Ranch in 1884.[1][2]

By 1901, when it was acquired by John Bunyan Slaughter, the ranch spanned 99,188 acres.[2][3] Slaughter also purchased 5,000 cattle and brought 6,000 head of cattle he already owned.[3] Additionally, he changed the name to his cattle brand, 'U Lazy S', which he had registered during the American Civil War.[4] He built a ranchhouse in 1902 and acquired more acres, owning up to 126,227 acres a few years later.[2][4] In 1906, he sold 50,000 acres to C. W. Post, who founded the new town of Post, Texas.[3][4]

In 1928, the ranch was inherited by Slaughter's son, John B. Slaughter, Jr., who was educated at the Phillips Exeter Academy and Yale University.[5] According to historian William Curry Holden, "By 1936, 8,000 Hereford cattle grazed 100,000 acres of U Lazy S land."[4] The ranchhouse, a designated Texas landmark, burned down on January 13, 1936.[6][7][8]

The ranch was inherited by his nephew, John F. Lott and his niece, Mary Belle Lott Macy, in 1940.[4] Lott split some of the acreage into farms.[4] In 1949, Lott started flying an airplane to drive the cattle and spray herbicide.[4]

In the 1950s, the land was faced with a draught.[9] By 1954, Lott planted 1,400 acres of guar to improve the land.[10] He was also the first Texas rancher to use a roto-pitter to break up the rangeland.[11] Two years later, in 1956, Lott's range improvement program had worked.[9]

In 1965, Macy split her section of the ranch and renamed it the Running M Ranch.[4] Meanwhile, the U Lazy S Ranch was managed by Lott's son, Jack Lott.[4] By 1966, the ranch spanned 90,000 acres.[3]

In October 1968, Lott and his wife hosted François Tombalbaye, the President of Chad, on his official visit to Texas.[12] A year later, in 1969, they donated a carriage house from the ranch and US$10,000 to the National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock, Texas.[3][13] In 1973, a fundraiser for the public library in Post, Texas was held on the ranch.[14]

gollark: ~play from ashes to new - panic
gollark: My collection of "less heavy things" is limited.
gollark: ~q
gollark: +>markov
gollark: Stop killing people's Avian Carriers!

References
  1. Holden, William Curry (June 15, 2010). "Square and Compass Ranch". Handbook of Texas (online ed.). Texas State Historical Association.
  2. Laine, Tanner (June 15, 2000). "U Lazy S Ranch left indelible mark on history of South Plains tackles massive chore". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  3. "Texas Ranch Museum Gains Another Structure". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. November 9, 1969. p. 50. Retrieved December 31, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Holden, William Curry (June 15, 2010). "U Lazy S Ranch". Handbook of Texas (online ed.). Texas State Historical Association.
  5. "College Bred Rancher Undaunted As He 'Rides Out' the Depression". Miami Daily News-Record. Miami, Oklahoma. October 16, 1932. p. 13. Retrieved January 3, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Landmark of Old West Is Razed by Fire Near Post: 20-Room Lazy-U Ranch House Burns on John B. Slaughter Estate; Was Famous for Size". The Waco News-Tribune. Waco, Texas. January 14, 1936. p. 1. Retrieved January 3, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Beautiful U Lazy S Home Destroyed: Old Landmark Near Post, Headquarters of John B. Slaughter Estate, Burns Today". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Lubbock, Texas. January 14, 1936. pp. 6, 9. Retrieved January 3, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "January". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. January 1, 1937. p. 7. Retrieved January 3, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Range Improvement Program Of U Lazy S Ranch Shows Success". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Lubbock, Texas. May 6, 1956. p. 75. Retrieved December 31, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "U Lazy S Ranch Farms At Post Growing 1,400 Acres Of Guar In Rotation Plan". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Lubbock, Texas. August 29, 1954. p. 50. Retrieved January 1, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Post Range Pitting Underway With New Type Rotary Machine". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Lubbock, Texas. July 17, 1955. p. 56. Retrieved January 3, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Area Leaders Fete Chad President With Whirlwind Day Of Activities". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Lubbock, Texas. October 6, 1968. p. 14. Retrieved January 3, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Ranching Heritage Center is unique". The Galveston Daily News. Galveston, Texas. September 9, 1983. p. 6. Retrieved January 3, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Annual Benefit Branding Set Saturday Near Post". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Lubbock, Texas. April 4, 1973. p. 79. Retrieved January 3, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.

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