Written by Clay Riley – The Family Land Heritage Program is a recognition program that honors families who have owned and operated a continuous agricultural operation for 100 years or more. Every year the Texas Department of Agriculture hosts a ceremony at the Texas State Capitol to celebrate and commemorate the families who have passed down their proud Texas legacy from generation to generation.
The following is an example of the farms that qualified for this distinct designation. The Richmond Ranch, near Blanket was honored in 1995.
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RICHMOND #1 RANCH – Brown County – Two-and-a-half miles northwest of Blanket.
Dates of Ownership Names
1883-1912 Macon Adron Richmond
1912-1927 Lucy Miller Richmond
1927-1929 Estate of Lucy Richmond
1929-1968 Macon Alvin Richmond
1968-1994 Lillie Gaines Richmond
M.A. Richmond and his wife, Lucy, migrated from Caswell County, North Carolina, after the Civil War. They bought land from Comanche County School Lands and eventually increased their holdings to 1,120 acres. The Richmonds built a house in 1887. M.A. made personal loans to community people who wanted to buy land until two banks, which he helped establish, opened in Blanket. The Richmonds had seven children. Lucy inherited 800 acres on her husband’s death, which she leased to a son, Alvin, who acquired title in 1929. To help fill the country’s need for a stable supply of agricultural commodities, Alvin was deferred from World War I service to produce beef and mohair. He was active in church, community and local banks. He served 28 years on the Brown County School Board, 22 years as chairman, and six years with the Comanche County Electric Co-op. Married twice, he had three children by his first wife, Iris, who died in 1926, and four by Lillie (Gaines) Richmond, the current owner. Lillie lives on the land as does her son, Jule, and his family. Jule manages the ranch.
Lillie Richmond has been a longtime active supporter of youth in the area through the County Extension Service and has participated in numerous garden short courses for adults.
Acres in original parcel: 30
Crops or livestock raised: 1885 – Cattle, hogs, cotton, wheat, oats, corn.
Acres held today: 480
Crops or livestock raised: 1994 – Cattle, angora goats, wheat, oats, hay.
This is the list of such agriculture farms and ranches in Brown County as of the current year (2017).
Amity Valley Farms, 1897 (1997)
Burns Ranch, 1873 (1978)
Byler Angus Farm 1909 (2014)
Byrd Ranch, 1881 (1987)
Cook’s Lost Creek Farm, 1886 (1986)
John Bledsoe Dabney Ranch, 1884 (1986)
Damron Ranch, 1906 (2006)
Green Valley Ranch, 1873 (1981)
H Bar Ranch, 1899 (2000)
Holgate Estate, 1895 (1995)
Jim Ned Valley Ranch, 1873 (1981)
Lazy “Y” Ranch – The Andrews Place, 1865 (2002)
Levisay Ranch, 1890 (1991)
Locks Farm, 1880 (1990)
McInnis Cattle Company, 1875 (1975)
Means Farm, 1906 (2006)
Pierce Farm, 1889 (1990)
Reaves Poverty Flat, 1884 (1985)
Richmond Ranch I, 1885 (1994)
Richmond Ranch II, 1883 (1994)
Rushing Ranch, 1888 (1990)
Smith Ranch, 1876 (2006)
Stephens Farm, 1885 (1995)
Strange Family Farm, 1905 (2007)
Storey Farm and Ranch, 1882 (2008)
Christian Stumpp Farm, 1889 (1990)
The Blair Place, 1893 (2013)
The Lester Place, 1877 (1992)
Townsend Ranch, 1882 (1992)
Valley Views Acres 1914 (2015)
Weedon Ranch, 1884 (1985)
Z Bar Ranch, 1888 (1988)
Those interested in this program can get the required forms for application and information at: http://www.texasagriculture.gov/NewsEvents/FamilyLandHeritage.aspx
Photo from: Texas Family Land Heritage Registry, [Volume 13], 1994-1995 Page: 11
This and many other stories are available at the Brownwood Public Library – Genealogy & Local History Branch at 213 S. Broadway. Volunteers from the Pecan Valley Genealogical Society are there to assist you in your family or local history research.
Clay Riley is a local historian and retired Aerospace Engineer that has been involved in the Historical and Genealogical Community of Brown County for over 20 years. Should you have a comment, or a question that he may be able to answer in future columns, he can be reached at; pvgsbwd@gmail.com.
