Daniel Waggoner
Daniel Waggoner | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Lincoln County, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | September 5, 1902 (aged 74) Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Rancher, businessman |
| Known for | Founder of the Waggoner Ranch |
Daniel Waggoner (July 7, 1828 – September 5, 1902) was a pioneering settler and prominent rancher in Texas. His business ventures included ownership of five banks, three cottonseed oil processing plants, and a coal enterprise. He founded the expansive Waggoner Ranch, which extended across eight counties: Wise, Clay, Wichita, Wilbarger, Foard, Baylor, Archer, and Knox. In recognition of his contributions, he was posthumously honored in 1959 by induction into the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
Early life
Born on July 7, 1828, in Lincoln County, Tennessee, Daniel Waggoner was the son of Solomon Waggoner, who worked as a farmer, livestock raiser, and trader of horses and slaves. His mother was Elizabeth (McGaugh) Waggoner. In 1848, he relocated with his family to Hopkins County, Texas.
Career
During the 1850s, Waggoner moved from Hopkins County to Wise County, Texas accompanied by his son, an enslaved African individual, six horses, and a herd of 242 Longhorn cattle. They established themselves on open range land along Catlett Creek, near Decatur.
By 1856, he acquired a 320-acre tract near Cactus Hill and subsequently expanded his landholdings on Denton Creek, situated seven miles east of Decatur. Over the following thirty years, Waggoner progressively increased his estate throughout Wise, Clay, Wichita, Wilbarger, Foard, Baylor, Archer, and Knox counties. While some parcels were secured through coercive measures involving gunman Jimmie Roberts, many small-scale farmers opted to sell voluntarily due to drought hardships. These farmers often resettled in Lockett, Texas to access water from the nearby Seymour Aquifer. Collectively known as the 'Waggoner Ranch,' these lands were managed under the business name 'Waggoner and Son.'
In partnership with his son, he broadened his business interests to include five banking institutions as well as three cottonseed oil mills and a coal company.
Personal life
Waggoner was married twice. His first marriage was to Nancy (Moore) Waggoner—daughter of William Moore—in the late 1840s. They had one son together: William Thomas Waggoner. After becoming widowed early on,
he remarried in 1859 to Sicily Ann (Halsell) Waggoner, daughter of Electious and Elizabeth J. Halsell. At the time of their marriage, she was sixteen years old while he was thirty-one. In 1883, he constructed the notable Waggoner Mansion ('El Castile') in Decatur where he resided with his family.
Death
Daniel Waggoner passed away from kidney disease on September 5, 1902, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.