RICHMOND, Texas — Texas is so connected to its agriculture heritage, their rural roads are numbers following either FM for Farm-to-Market or RM for Ranch-to-Market.
Along FM 782 about 30 miles southwest of Houston is another notable feature of the state’s agricultural heritage. Here, four generations of one family established a ranching dynasty and laid the groundwork for a place where history comes alive as the George Ranch Historical Park.
kAm%96 DE@CJ 368:?D H:E9 w6?CJ y@?6D[ H9@ H:E9 9:D H:76[ }2?4J[ H2D =FC65 E@ |6I:4@’D %6I2D E6CC:E@CJ :? `gad 2D @?6 @7 “%96 ~=5 %9C66 wF?5C65” @C:8:?2= p?8=@ D6EE=6CD] (:E9 E:E=6 E@ c[cag 24C6D[ y@?6D 2?5 2 92?57F= @7 D=2G6D 4=62C65 2?5 A=2?E65 9:D C:49 qC2K@D #:G6C 3@EE@>=2?5 E@ 4@C?[ DH66E A@E2E@6D 2?5 4@EE@?] y@?6D 3C@F89E E96 7:CDE H:=5 $A2?:D9 42EE=6 E@ E96 2C62 :? E96 `gb_D 2?5 6DE23=:D965 9:>D6=7 2D 2 3667 DE@4<>2?]k^Am
kAm&?=:<6 >@DE AC@8C6DD:@?D @7 =2?5 E@ D@?D[ E96 y@?6D AC@A6CEJ A2DD65 E@ 3FD:?6DD\D2GGJ 52F89E6C !@==J[ H9@ 925 2=D@ :?96C:E65 92=7 @7 2 8@572E96C’D =2?5 8C2?E[ E9C66 D=2G6D 2?5 2 D:K23=6 42EE=6 96C5] q67@C6 >2CCJ:?8 (:==:2> #J@? :? `gcd[ !@==J 925 96C 36EC@E965 D:8? H92E >2J 92G6 366? E96 7:CDE p>6C:42? AC6?FAE:2= 28C66>6?E D64FC:?8 96C 4@?E:?F65 C:89E E@ E96 72>:=J =2?5] ~G6C E:>6[ D96 3@F89E @FE >2?J @7 96C `` D:3=:?8D[ AFE ?6H72?8=65 32C365 H:C6 E@ H@C< @? E96 #J@? C2?49[ 56G6=@A65 2? 6?G:23=6 96C5 @7 >@C6 E92? c[___ 3667 42EE=6 2?5 :? `geh[ 24BF:C65 96C A2C6?ED’ 9@>6 AC@A6CEJ]k^Am
kAm%96 #J@?D’ D@?\:?\=2H[ y@9? w] !] “yF586” s2G:D[ H2D ?6IE E@ CF? E96 C2?49] w6 3F:=E :E E@ fd[___ 24C6D H9:=6 EC2?D:E:@?:?8 E96 H@C<7@C46 7C@> 2?E636==F> D=2G6CJ E@ A@DE\r:G:= (2C D92C64C@AA:?8] &?7@CEF?2E6=J[ 5C@F89E 2?5 2 ?2E:@?2= 7:?2?4:2= 4C:D:D 7@C465 E96 D2=6 @7 E9@FD2?5D @7 24C6D 367@C6 9:D 52F89E6C 2?5 D@?\:?\=2H[ |2>:6 2?5 p=36CE v6@C86[ >@G65 E@ E96 9@>6 72C> :? `ghh] u@C E96 ?6IE a_ J62CD[ E96 v6@C86D 282:? 6IA2?565 E96 C2?49 9@=5:?8D[ 3FE 2 DFDE2:?65 5C@F89E 2?5 2?@E96C 56D46?5:?8 7:?2?4:2= 4C:D:D :? E96 62C=J `h__D 282:? 3C@F89E E96 72C> ?62C 4@==2AD6] %96 5:D4@G6CJ @7 @:= @? E96 72C> :? `hab 2?5 2?@E96C 8FD96C :? `hba D64FC65 E96 72C> 2?5 E96 72>:=J’D 7:?2?4:2= 7FEFC6]k^Am
kAmp=36CE v6@C86 925 2 E2=6?E 7@C F?56CDE2?5:?8 E96 3667 :?5FDECJ 2?5 D6E 9:>D6=7 E@ 6DE23=:D9:?8 2 96C5 @7 @FEDE2?5:?8 3C665:?8 DE@4<] w6 DE2CE65 H:E9 qC29>2? 42EE=6 2?5 3@F89E E96 36DE $9@CE9@C? 42EE=6 96 4@F=5 7:?5 E@ 4C@DD3C665 E@H2C5 E96 ?6H=J 56G6=@A:?8 $2?E2 v6CECF5:D 3C665] x? E96 `hc_D 2?5 `hd_D[ E96 v6@C86 #2?49 3642>6 :?E6C?2E:@?2==J C64@8?:K65 @? E96 D9@H 4:C4F:E 7@C $9@CE9@C? 3F==D =:<6 $96:<’D yF3:=66 2?5 sJ?2>:4 sC625?2F89E 2?5 7@C E96 $2?E2 v6CECF5:D 3F==[ !C:?46 p=36CE xx]k^Am
kAm|2>:6[ :? E96 >62?E:>6[ 5:C64E65 96C :?E6C6DED E@H2C5 7:==:?8 ?665D @7 72>:=:6D :? E96 4@>>F?:EJ] x? `hcd[ H:E9 564=:?:?8 962=E9 FA@? E96>[ E96 4@FA=6 6DE23=:D965 E96 v6@C86 u@F?52E:@? E@ 36?67:E E96 A6@A=6 @7 u@CE q6?5 r@F?EJ[ 368:??:?8 H:E9 4@?DECF4E:@? @7 E96 !@==J #J@? |6>@C:2= w@DA:E2= 2?5 4@?E:?F:?8 :?E@ 7F?5:?8 2 ?F>36C @7 @E96C =@42= D6CG:46 @C82?:K2E:@?D]k^Am
kAmp=36CE 5:65 :? `hdd[ 2?5 |2>:6 9:C65 @G6CD66CD E@ CF? H92E H2D E96? <?@H? 2D E96 |2>:6 t] v6@C86 #2?49] qJ `heh[ E96 C2?49 H2D a_[___ 24C6D — a[___ :? C:46 2?5 e__ >@C6 :? @E96C 4C@AD — 2?5 2 AFC63C65 96C5 @7 d__ 42EE=6] |2>:6 5:65 :? `hf`[ 3FE E96 v6@C86 u@F?52E:@? H6?E @? E@ DFAA@CE A9:=2?E9C@A:4 4@>>F?:EJ AC@;64ED[ :?4=F5:?8 2 9@>6 7@C E96 >6?E2==J :== 2?5 E96 6DE23=:D9>6?E @7 2? 9:DE@C:4 A2C< 2E E96 v6@C86 #2?49 9625BF2CE6CD] (9:=6 E96 C2?49 AC@;64E 925 2 3F>AJ DE2CE[ :E :D ?@H >2?2865 3J E96 u@CE q6?5 r@F?EJ w:DE@CJ pDD@4:2E:@? 2D @?6 @7 D6G6C2= 2C62 9:DE@C:42= D:E6D]k^Am
kAm“(6 2C6 2 =:G:?8 9:DE@CJ A2C<[ D@ H6 =@@< 2E %6I2D 9:DE@CJ E9C@F89 E96 6J6D @7 @?6 72>:=J[” D2:5 zCJDE2= (:==63J[ v6@C86 #2?49 AC@8C2> 5:C64E@C] “(6 2C6 F?:BF6 :? E92E H6 E2<6 E9:D 72>:=J 2AAC@249[ 2?5 E92E 2==@HD @FC G:D:E@CD ?@E @?=J E@ D66 9@H A6@A=6 =:G65 :? %6I2D 3FE 9@H E92E W9:DE@CJX 6G@=G65 E9C@F89 @?6 72>:=J]”k^Am
kAm%96 D:E6 9@DED 23@FE b_[___ AF3=:4 G:D:E@CD 7C@> 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5 2?5 2?@E96C b_[___ D49@@= 49:=5C6? 6G6CJ J62C[ (:==63J D2:5]k^Am
kAm$92H? !2CD@?D G:D:E65 E96 C2?49 H96? 96 H2D g J62CD @=5 2?5 E9@F89E :E H@F=5 36 2 ?62E A=246 E@ H@C<] u:G6 J62CD =2E6C[ 96 925 2 ;@3 2?5 92D 366? 2 9:DE@C:42= :?E6CAC6E6C 2E E96 C2?49 7@C E96 A2DE ad J62CD] w6 :?EC@5F46D G:D:E@CD E@ H92E =:76 H@F=5 92G6 366? =:<6 7@C }2?4J 2?5 w6?CJ y@?6D H9:=6 %6I2D H2D DE:== A2CE @7 |6I:4@ 2?5 :? E96 564256D 27E6C :?56A6?56?46]k^Am
kAm“&?4=6 q@3” A@CEC2JD =:76 2D 2 D92C64C@AA6C] u@==@H:?8 E96 r:G:= (2C 2?5 6>2?4:A2E:@? @7 D=2G6D[ 3:8 72C>D =:<6 E96 @?6 CF? 3J E96 s2G:D 72>:=J ?66565 H@C<6CD] u2C> @H?6CD EC2565 2? 2==@E>6?E @7 =2?5 7@C 2 D92C6 @7 E96 92CG6DE]k^Am
kAm&?4=6 q@3 D2:5 9:D C6D62C49 7@F?5 E92E E96C6 H6C6 ad E@ b_ D92C64C@AA:?8 72>:=:6D @? E96 C2?49 :? `h__[ 2?5 2== H6C6 p7C:42? p>6C:42?] $@>6 925 366? @H?65 3J E96 72>:=J 367@C6 E96 r:G:= (2C]k^Am
kAmqJ `h__[ G:CEF2==J 2== @7 E96 4@H3@JD @? E96 C2?49 H6C6 2=D@ p7C:42? p>6C:42?]k^Am
kAms@?E6 qC@H?[ 2? p7C:42? p>6C:42?[ D2:5 96 8C6H FA :? 2 C@56@ 72>:=J] w:D 72E96C H2D 2 DE@4< 4@?EC24E@C 2?5 9:D >@E96C 5:5 32CC6= C24:?8] w6 ?@H H@C<D 2D 2 C66?24E@C 2E E96 v6@C86 #2?49 AFEE:?8 @? 52:=J 56>@?DEC2E:@?D @7 42EE=6 92?5=:?8 2D :E H@F=5 92G6 366? 5@?6 3J 4@H3@JD :? E96 `hb_D] w6 D2:5 E96 9:89=J D<:==65 v6@C86 #2?49 92?5D H6C6 D@>6 @7 E96 7:CDE p7C:42? p>6C:42?D E@ 3C62< :?E@ C@56@D AC@76DD:@?2==J]k^Am
kAm“(96? x 8@E :? 96C6 2?5 DE2CE65 C625:?8 23@FE 5:776C6?E p7C:42? p>6C:42? 4@H3@JD[ :E >256 >6 766= AC@F5[ 3642FD6 E96J A2G65 E96 H2J 7@C >6 E@ 24EF2==J 8@ E@ 2 C@56@] x’> ;FDE 9@?@C65 E@ 36 23=6 E@ =:G6 @? E96:C =6824J E@ <66A 5@:?8 H92E E96J 8@E 5@?6[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmp 4FCC6?E AC@;64E @7 E96 w:DE@CJ pDD@4:2E:@? H:== 7=6D9 @FE E96 9:DE@C:6D @7 7@FC 86?6C2E:@?D @7 p7C:42? p>6C:42? 72>:=:6D H9@ H6C6 A2CE @7 E96 v6@C86 #2?49’D A2DE]k^Am
kAm(:==63J D2:5 @E96C AC@;64ED F?56C 5:D4FDD:@? 7@C E96 C2?49’D 7FEFC6 2C6 2 ?6H A@=6 3F:=5:?8[ ?6H G:D:E@C 46?E6C[ >@C6 6I9:3:E DA246[ 2?5 A@DD:3=J 2 49:=5C6?’D =62C?:?8 2C62 H:E9 2 92?5D\@? A=2J 46?E6C 4@?E2:?:?8 6=6>6?ED @7 2? `gb_D 9@FD6[ @FED:56 E6249:?8 82C56? 2?5 =:G6 2?:>2=D]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F 8@k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m(92Eik^DEC@?8m v6@C86 #2?49 w:DE@C:42= !2C<]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m(96?ik^DEC@?8m %F6D52J E9C@F89 $2EFC52J[ h 2]>] E@ d A]>] W@A6? |6>@C:2= 2?5 {23@C s2J |@?52JDX]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m(96C6ik^DEC@?8m `_a`d u| fea[ #:49>@?5[ %6I2D]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mp4E:G:E:6Dik^DEC@?8m {:G:?8 9:DE@CJ C66?24E>6?ED[ 8F:565 2?5 F?8F:565 E@FCD[ %6I2D 72>:=J 9:DE@CJ >FD6F>[ 8:7E D9@A]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mr@DEik^DEC@?8m p5F=ED[ S`dj 49:=5C6? c\`a[ S`_j b 2?5 F?56C[ 7C66] |:=:E2CJ[ D6?:@C 2?5 72>:=J 5:D4@F?ED 2G2:=23=6]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mx?7@C>2E:@?ik^DEC@?8mU?3DAjk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]86@C86C2?49]@C8QmHHH]86@C86C2?49]@C8k^2m @CU?3DAjag`\bcb\_a`g]k^Am