Lee Bivins
Lee Bivins | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Farmington, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | January 17, 1929 (aged 66) |
| Occupation(s) | Rancher, oil entrepreneur, public official |
| Years active | Late 19th century – 1929 |
| Known for | Largest private cattle owner worldwide; Mayor of Amarillo, Texas; oil entrepreneur |
Lee Bivins (October 12, 1862 – January 17, 1929) was a prominent American rancher, oil entrepreneur, and public official. At the time of his passing, he was considered the largest private cattle owner worldwide, with an estimated net worth of $20 million (equivalent to $ million in ). In his later years, Bivins ventured into the oil sector after significant gas and petroleum reserves were discovered on his property.
Originating from a modest settlement in Grayson County, where his family engaged in ranching and mercantile business, Bivins had built a sizeable cattle operation and operated two general stores by the age of 20. He relocated to the Texas panhandle during the early 1880s and was subsequently elected as a county commissioner. During the 1890s, a notable conflict culminated in the death of his brother and Bivins’ acquittal on charges of attempted murder following his retaliatory actions.
In the early twentieth century, Bivins expanded his landholdings to approximately 500,000 acres throughout the panhandle region. By 1918, he was reputed to have dominated the Texas steer beef market. That same year marked the discovery of natural gas on his Potter County property, which became part of one of the largest fields globally. He passed away on January 17, 1929, while serving his second term as Amarillo’s 11th mayor of Amarillo.
Early life
Lee Bivins entered the world on October 7, 1862, in Farmington, Texas, born to Oliver Cromwell Bivins (1835–1907) and Elizabeth Jane Miller (1842–1925). He had three brothers and two sisters. His father, originally from Indiana, managed a ranch, a general store, and operated the county’s first mill. Bivins received his education through public schools in Grayson County and began working as a cattleman at age sixteen on his family’s ranch. He married Mary Elizabeth Gilbert on August 18, 1882.
Career
By 1889, Bivins had settled in Claude, Texas, initially residing alone in a temporary shelter until his family relocated there following business growth. He launched a grocery store alongside a wheat mill and elevator and purchased land seven miles south of Claude from the Ja Ranch (later known as Mulberry Ranch). In 1890, he secured election as county commissioner.
During the 1890s, tensions escalated between Bivins and saloon owner "Skid" Ellis after Ellis’ son Ed was found to have embezzled funds from Bivins. The dispute intensified when Skid Ellis killed Bivins’ brother Richard. In retaliation, Bivins wounded Ellis during an altercation but was acquitted of attempted murder charges; Ellis was also acquitted regarding Richard’s death and eventually departed the area.
At the turn of the century in 1900, Bivins established a livery stable in Amarillo and leased extensive acreage to support his expanding cattle herd. His initial significant acquisition was the Cross Bar Ranch situated along the Canadian River. A disagreement over LX Ranch territory with rancher R. Ben Masterson was settled by a coin toss: Masterson received the northern portion while Bivins obtained the southern section including LX Ranch headquarters constructed in 1902. He gained ownership rights to the LX Brand along with land valued at $79,000.
Following a fire that destroyed the Bivins Building in 1915, he purchased 53,329 acres from the American Pastoral Company for approximately $203,000. By 1918, he had added another 50,000 acres of LIT land through partnership with Berkeley Dawson and acquired Coldwater Ranch (part of XIT holdings) plus properties near Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Between 1918 and 1919, he effectively controlled the Texas steer beef market and emerged as the largest individual cattle proprietor by the following decade. Additionally, he contributed to founding Amarillo’s inaugural airport—the Panhandle Aerial Service and Transportation Company—serving as its first president.
Bivins dedicated eight years as an Amarillo City Commissioner before winning election as Amarillo’s 11th mayor of Amarillo in April 1925; he was re-elected in 1927. After falling ill in January 1927, he succumbed to a heart attack on January 17, 1929, at a hospital in Wichita Falls.