John M. Shelton
John M. Shelton | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1853 Kentucky, United States |
| Died | 1923-12-07 Fort Worth, Texas, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Rancher, financier, banker |
| Years active | 1880s–1923 |
| Known for | Founder of Bravo Ranch and First State Bank of Shamrock; major Texas landowner |
John M. Shelton (1853–1923) was a prominent American rancher and financier. Originating from Kentucky, he emerged as a significant landowner and banking entrepreneur in Texas following the Civil War. Shelton established both a banking institution and a loan company, while also founding the Bravo Ranch located in Hartley County, Texas. By 1915, his assets included 28,000 cattle and half a million acres within the Texas Panhandle.
Early life
Born in 1853 in Kentucky, John M. Shelton journeyed westward by wagon train to Fort Worth, Texas soon after the conclusion of the American Civil War.
Career
During the 1880s, Shelton began acquiring real estate in Fort Worth. By 1890, he had built a herd numbering between 1,500 and 2,000 cattle and introduced his Lazy J brand. His expansion continued with the purchase of ranch properties in Wheeler County, Texas, along with grazing lands in Wyoming and Montana. He divested the Wheeler County ranch during the 1910s.
In 1904, Shelton partnered with Oscar P. Jones to establish the First State Bank of Shamrock, Texas. Later, in the 1910s, he founded the John M. Shelton Loan Company based in Amarillo.
In 1914, Shelton acquired 211,000 acres spanning Oldham and Hartley County, Texas. The next year, he bought the 111,000-acre Bravo Ranch from the XIT Ranch for $540,000. This purchase increased his total landholdings to approximately 500,000 acres and expanded his cattle herd to 28,000 head. On the Bravo Ranch, he focused on breeding Hereford and Angus cattle.
Personal life
Shelton was married to Flora Exum. Together they had two sons—J. Malcolm Shelton and James M. Shelton—and a daughter named Martha Houghton. Their residences included Fort Worth initially and later Amarillo, Texas. In 1914, they completed their mansion at 1700 Polk Street in Amarillo, situated on what was then regarded as the city's most prestigious avenue.
Death and legacy
John M. Shelton passed away on December 7, 1923, in Fort Worth and was interred at Llano Cemetery in Amarillo.
The Shelton-Houghton House was gifted to the Junior League of Amarillo in 1965 and is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Bravo Ranch continues under family ownership; as of 2015, his great-grandsons Malcolm and Jim Shelton hold majority control.