John Bunyan Slaughter
John Bunyan Slaughter (1848-1928) was an American rancher and banker. Born to a ranching family, Slaughter ranched in Texas and New Mexico before acquiring the U Lazy S Ranch in Garza County, Texas in 1901 and managing it for nearly three decades.
John Bunyan Slaughter | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 15, 1848 Sabine County, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | November 11, 1928 (aged 79) |
| Resting place | East Oakwood Cemetery, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation | Rancher, banker |
| Spouse(s) | May Burris Isabella Masten May |
| Children | 3, including John B. Slaughter, Jr. |
| Parent(s) | George Webb Slaughter Sarah Mason |
| Relatives | Christopher Columbus Slaughter (brother) William B. Slaughter (brother) |
Early life
John Bunyan Slaughter was born on December 15, 1848 in Sabine County, Texas.[1][2] His father, George Webb Slaughter, was a Baptist minister from Mississippi who became a rancher in Texas.[3] He grew up in Palo Pinto County, Texas.[3]
Career
Slaughter became a cattle driver with his brother and his brother C.C., when the three men drove cattle on the Chisholm Trail all the way to Abilene, Kansas in 1866.[3] In the 1870s, Slaughter and his brother John claimed rangeland near McDonald Creek in Crosby County, Texas.[1] The two brothers raised cattle on their ranch and drove it to Kansas, where they sold it annually.[3] They sold it in 1883 and claimed rangeland in Socorro County, New Mexico.[4] However, a shootout occurred on October 30–31, 1884 between the Slaughters's cowboys and cowboys hired by Solomon Luna, another rancher.[4] When Luna sued the Slaughters, he won the lawsuit.[4] Meanwhile, Slaughter ranched near the Green River in Utah, followed by eastern New Mexico.[3]
Slaughter acquired a ranch in Glasscock County, Texas in 1890.[3] He managed it until 1898, when he sold it.[3] Meanwhile, he served as the vice president of the People's National Bank of Colorado City, Texas.[3]
Slaughter acquired the 99,188-acre U Lazy S Ranch in Garza County, Texas, in 1901.[2][5] He was its manager for twenty-seven years.[2] In 1902, he built a ranchhouse, which was subsequently listed as a Texas landmark.[1] In 1906, he sold 50,000 acres to C. W. Post, who founded the new town of Post, Texas.[6]
Personal life
Slaughter married May Burris in 1877.[3] She died in 1879.[3] He married Isabella Masten May, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South,[7] in 1880.[3] They had three children.[3] They first lived on a homestead in Crosby County until they moved into a mansion in Fort Worth, Texas, followed by a mansion on their ranch in Garza County.[3]
Death and legacy
Slaughter died on November 11, 1928.[3] He was buried at the East Oakwood Cemetery in Fort Worth, Texas.[1] His widow died in 1947.[7][8] Meanwhile, his son John B. Slaughter, Jr. inherited the U Lazy S Ranch.[5]
References
- Laine, Tanner (June 15, 2000). "U Lazy S Ranch left indelible mark on history of South Plains tackles massive chore". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- "John B. Slaughter Dies At Home Near Post". The Vernon Daily Record. Vernon, Texas. November 12, 1928. p. 1. Retrieved December 31, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- Anderson, H. Allen (June 15, 2010). "Slaughter, John Bunyan". Handbook of Texas (online ed.). Texas State Historical Association.
- Sánchez, Joseph P.; Spude, Robert L.; Gómez, Art (2013). New Mexico: A History. University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 159–160. ISBN 978-0-8061-5113-7.
- Holden, William Curry (June 15, 2010). "U Lazy S Ranch". Handbook of Texas (online ed.). Texas State Historical Association.
- "Texas Ranch Museum Gains Another Structure". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. November 9, 1969. p. 50. Retrieved December 31, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Slaughter Rites Scheduled Today". Lubbock Morning Avalanche. Lubbock, Texas. June 26, 1947. p. 1. Retrieved January 3, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- "West Texas Pioneer Dies". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. June 25, 1947. p. 2. Retrieved December 31, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.