Sneed Liked Fine Cattle
Branding on Sneed Ranch
Joseph Tyre Sneed, Jr. grew up in Georgetown in Williamson County. His father had built up a substantial ranching operation based in the county and young Joe had developed a keen interest in the cattle business.
He came to the Panhandle around 1900 and worked in banking with the Dalhart National Bank, then the Amarillo National Bank.
When the LX Ranch was liquidated i n1906, Sneed, Robert Benjamin (Ben) Masterson and Lee Bivins purchased the land. Before buying the land, Sneed, his younger brother, John Beal, and an uncle made an inspection tour of the range land. "The uncle was very enthusiastic about the country."
According to a family history in Windswept Land, the uncle advised 'You boys should borrow every dime you can and buy every acre of this wonderful country you can get your hands on.' Unfortunately, a dust storm blew through and they had to battle the storm for two days and nights. The third morning they stepped out into a beautiful calm, clear day. One of the boys asked, 'Well, Uncle Jim what do you think of this country this morning?' His reply, 'I wouldn't have an acre of it if you'd give it to me!'
Joe chose to follow the uncle's first advise and starting putting land together, buying from several different sources. He ran a steer operation with his father until 1912 when his father died. He continued to deal in steers, but started a cow and calf business also. It soon became strictly a cow and calf operation.
First headquarters were on Plum Creek on the south side of the ranch. In 1918, he bought the Lee Morrison place which was more centrally located. The property had an old three-room house sitting on a rock foundation. He renovated the house, set it on a concrete foundation, added three more rooms and moved his headquarters there.
Daughter, Elizabeth Sneed Pool Robinett, recalled her experience with ranch life, "If we wanted to go to town, we went to Channing about 28 miles west. Amarillo was hard to get to as there wasn't a good highway bridge across the Canadian River. It would wash out every time there was a rise in the water. In fact, the best way to get to Amarillo was to go to Channing and take the train. Of course, the train bridge washed out occasionally too, but the railroad could throw up a new one in two or three days."
"Everything used on the ranch was freighted in from Channing. Such things as construction materials, coal for fuel, groceries, livestock feed, everything was loaded on a wagon pulled by a two or three span of mules and hauled the 28 miles. Papa kept one man who did nothing but freight. He would go in one day, make good time with no load. He would load the next day and maybe have to get part of the way home, or maybe wait until early the third morning. Pulling a load was slower going and he might be up in the night getting in. Then, he would turn around and repeat the process."
Cattle that were sold were driven to Channing and loaded on railroad cattle cars. The drive would take a day and a half or two days. Lew Haile was foreman and range boss for many years. The daughter remembered, "Lew was a perfect exponent of the tradition of the range -- tall, handsome, able, a find handler of men." Mrs. Robinett told one story of a incident that happened on one of the cattle drives, "On one drive to Channing, things were not going so well. He was short handed to start out with, the weather was unpleasant and the cattle were not handling well. One of the hands began to bellyache and finally said, "When we get to Channing I'm gonna quit. As quick as a flash, Lew said, "You've done quit. Unsaddle your horse and turn him loose." The boys went on with the herd and left the complainer standing beside his saddle there in the middle of the prairie."
Joe was known during his lifetime as a man who liked fine cattle and believed in keeping his ranch in top condition.
By 1936, he owned more than 200,000 acres in Dallam, Moore and Hutchison counties and in Cimarron County, Oklahoma.
He served as president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association from 1938 to 1940.
He supported charitable organizations such as the Preventorium and the Childrens' Home in Amarillo and Southwestern University in Georgetown. He was chairman of the board of directors at Texas Tech College in Lubbock where a dormitory was named for him.
He died of a heart attack in his home in Amarillo on October 15, 1940, leaving his daughter Elizabeth Sneed Pool Robinett, and her son, Joseph H. Pool to continue his ranching operations.
Compiled from:
Family history in Windswept Land
Articles in Moore County News-Press, June 12, 1969
He came to the Panhandle around 1900 and worked in banking with the Dalhart National Bank, then the Amarillo National Bank.
When the LX Ranch was liquidated i n1906, Sneed, Robert Benjamin (Ben) Masterson and Lee Bivins purchased the land. Before buying the land, Sneed, his younger brother, John Beal, and an uncle made an inspection tour of the range land. "The uncle was very enthusiastic about the country."
According to a family history in Windswept Land, the uncle advised 'You boys should borrow every dime you can and buy every acre of this wonderful country you can get your hands on.' Unfortunately, a dust storm blew through and they had to battle the storm for two days and nights. The third morning they stepped out into a beautiful calm, clear day. One of the boys asked, 'Well, Uncle Jim what do you think of this country this morning?' His reply, 'I wouldn't have an acre of it if you'd give it to me!'
Joe chose to follow the uncle's first advise and starting putting land together, buying from several different sources. He ran a steer operation with his father until 1912 when his father died. He continued to deal in steers, but started a cow and calf business also. It soon became strictly a cow and calf operation.
First headquarters were on Plum Creek on the south side of the ranch. In 1918, he bought the Lee Morrison place which was more centrally located. The property had an old three-room house sitting on a rock foundation. He renovated the house, set it on a concrete foundation, added three more rooms and moved his headquarters there.
Daughter, Elizabeth Sneed Pool Robinett, recalled her experience with ranch life, "If we wanted to go to town, we went to Channing about 28 miles west. Amarillo was hard to get to as there wasn't a good highway bridge across the Canadian River. It would wash out every time there was a rise in the water. In fact, the best way to get to Amarillo was to go to Channing and take the train. Of course, the train bridge washed out occasionally too, but the railroad could throw up a new one in two or three days."
"Everything used on the ranch was freighted in from Channing. Such things as construction materials, coal for fuel, groceries, livestock feed, everything was loaded on a wagon pulled by a two or three span of mules and hauled the 28 miles. Papa kept one man who did nothing but freight. He would go in one day, make good time with no load. He would load the next day and maybe have to get part of the way home, or maybe wait until early the third morning. Pulling a load was slower going and he might be up in the night getting in. Then, he would turn around and repeat the process."
Cattle that were sold were driven to Channing and loaded on railroad cattle cars. The drive would take a day and a half or two days. Lew Haile was foreman and range boss for many years. The daughter remembered, "Lew was a perfect exponent of the tradition of the range -- tall, handsome, able, a find handler of men." Mrs. Robinett told one story of a incident that happened on one of the cattle drives, "On one drive to Channing, things were not going so well. He was short handed to start out with, the weather was unpleasant and the cattle were not handling well. One of the hands began to bellyache and finally said, "When we get to Channing I'm gonna quit. As quick as a flash, Lew said, "You've done quit. Unsaddle your horse and turn him loose." The boys went on with the herd and left the complainer standing beside his saddle there in the middle of the prairie."
Joe was known during his lifetime as a man who liked fine cattle and believed in keeping his ranch in top condition.
By 1936, he owned more than 200,000 acres in Dallam, Moore and Hutchison counties and in Cimarron County, Oklahoma.
He served as president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association from 1938 to 1940.
He supported charitable organizations such as the Preventorium and the Childrens' Home in Amarillo and Southwestern University in Georgetown. He was chairman of the board of directors at Texas Tech College in Lubbock where a dormitory was named for him.
He died of a heart attack in his home in Amarillo on October 15, 1940, leaving his daughter Elizabeth Sneed Pool Robinett, and her son, Joseph H. Pool to continue his ranching operations.
Compiled from:
Family history in Windswept Land
Articles in Moore County News-Press, June 12, 1969