Page 24 - The Wellborn 2R Beef Story eBook
P. 24
Pioneer rancher Captain William S. Ikard, born in 1847 in Somerville,
Mississippi, is credited with being the first to bring Herefords to Texas
(identified in the picture above by the arrow). He brought them to his V
Bar Ranch in Clay County, which is now the Wellborn 2R Ranch.
were purchased at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition
in 1876. Most of the originals died from the Texas (tick)
fever, but after several years an immune species was
developed. An interesting side note was, the Herefords
with their short legs and heavy weight did not trail well and
had to be shipped in. This species became the basis for the
Hereford industry in Texas. (excerpted from Clay County Jail
Museum Memories article compiled by J.D. Evans and printed
in The Clay County Leader 2013).
“Early Roots in the Texas Cattle Industry”
A historical marker in the county references the impact of
Clay County has a rich history in the cattle industry. The
County was named for Henry Clay, a famous American Hereford cattle with the following inscription: “It was at
statesman, Kentucky senator, and United States secretary or near this spot in the year of our Lord 1876 that the first
of state, with Henrietta being the county seat and the registered Hereford cattle set their hooves in Texas and
name of Clay’s oldest daughter. The first Herefords were thereafter revolutionized the beef cattle industry of the
introduced to America from England by Henry Clay in 1817, United States of America. This monument erected and
when he brought a cow, a heifer, and a young bull to his dedicated in October 1980 in honor and memory of those
Kentucky farm. whose imagination and courage have made the Hereford
the finest beef animal in the world.”
E. F. and William S. Ikard brothers of Henrietta, Texas are
credited with bringing the first Hereford cattle to Texas Capt. Ikard started cattle
in 1876. These cattle “became the nucleus of the state’s ranching in Clay County in 1871
Hereford industry.” and at one time their holdings
contained around 60,000 acres, a
portion of which is now Wellborn
Those first Herefords in Texas came to graze on W.S. 2R Ranch.
Ikards ranch that he sold to the A. B. Edwards family and While attending the
eventually became Priddy’s 2R Ranch and now Wellborn Philadelphia Centennial in 1876
2R. The Ikards were one of the first to fence off large he saw his first Hereford and was
portions of their ranch, but avoided the “Fence Cutter War” quick to realize their superior
by leaving large gaps and not closing off water holes. He meat characteristics over the
avoided Indian trouble by paying Quanah Parker $200.00 cattle he had been raising in Clay
and six cows a month for protection. The original Herefords County.
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