Colonel C. C. Slaughter

Duane's take

The marker tells it this way, and I'm just here to pass it along. Now, Texas has had no shortage of cattle kings. But Colonel C.

C. Slaughter carries a distinction that sets him apart from the rest — he was the first native-born cattle king of the state. Born right here in Texas, eldest of several rancher brothers, and from the very beginning, this man's life was bound up with cattle the way river bends are bound up with water.

At twelve years old, young C. C. was already what they called "made a hand" — working the East Texas ranch of his father, Reverend George W. Slaughter.

Twelve years old. Most boys that age are figuring out how to get out of chores. Slaughter was doing them for a living.

By seventeen, he wasn't waiting on anybody. He was making his own trades — lumber, wheat, cattle. Seventeen.

And in 1856, he moved his cattle west into Palo Pinto County, planting his first West Texas ranch like a stake in the ground, a claim on a bigger future. Then came the Civil War. Slaughter supplied beef to the Confederacy and served in a frontier regiment, working to prevent Indian attacks on the edge of a very uncertain map.

The man was fighting on two fronts, keeping cattle moving and keeping the frontier from folding. After the war, Texas was bankrupt. That's not a figure of speech — the economy was on its knees.

And it was men like Slaughter who stood up and said the cattle could save it. See, the problem wasn't that Texas lacked beef. The problem was who was making the money on it.

A fat steer bought in Texas for six to eight dollars by a middleman would be sold at the shipping point for thirty to forty dollars. The rancher grew it. The middleman cashed it.

Slaughter went to work changing that. In 1867, he sold three hundred head at a record price of thirty-five dollars a head, and he led the way toward ranchers doing their own marketing. Three hundred head, thirty-five dollars.

That number set a record — and it set a direction. He never lost his love for trailing, even after he became a millionaire. There's something in that worth pausing on.

The man could've watched from a porch. He kept moving. And he didn't just move cattle — he improved them.

Slaughter pioneered the upgrading of Texas Longhorns using champion Shorthorn and Hereford bulls. He understood that the land could carry a better animal, and he went and put one there. He'd travel east and give speeches advocating beef in the daily diet.

The man was selling Texas beef from podiums in Eastern cities. Rancher, orator, advocate. And when rustlers got bold and roundups got chaotic, Slaughter helped organize the first cattle raisers association — built to curb the thieves and bring some order to an industry that was large enough, by then, to need it badly.

Just how large? His "Running Water" spread alone covered 89,000 acres across Hale and Lamb counties. And that was just part of the picture — part of one million acres that Slaughter ranched in total.

One million acres. Let that settle in while you're looking out at this flat horizon. Beyond the range, he was a banker, an active churchman, a philanthropist.

The Colonel contained multitudes. And his descendants made sure he wouldn't be forgotten. They erected a memorial center bearing his name on the campus of Wayland College — right here.

The first native-born cattle king of Texas, remembered in the county where his Running Water ranch once spread to the edges of the sky.

What the marker says

First native-born cattle king of Texas. Eldest of several rancher brothers. At age 12 "made a hand" on East Texas ranch of father, Rev. Geo. W. Slaughter. By 17 made his own trades in lumber, wheat, cattle. In 1856 moved his cattle to Palo Pinto County, on his first West Texas ranch. During the Civil War, he supplied beef to Confederacy and served in frontier regiment, to prevent Indian attacks. After the war he led cattlemen in aiding economy of bankrupt Texas by securing cattle markets. A fat steer bought for $6-8 in Texas by middleman was sold for $30-40 at shipping point. In 1867 he sold 300 head at record $35 and led the way to rancher marketing. Kept his love for trailing, even after he became millionaire. He also pioneered improvement of Texas Longhorns by use of champion Shorthorn and Hereford bulls. In Eastern speeches, he advocated beef on daily diet. To curb rustlers and establish efficient roundups, he helped organize first cattle raisers association. His 89,000-acre "Running Water" spread in Hale and Lamb counties was part of 1,000,000 acres ranched. He was a banker, active churchman, philanthropist. His descendants have erected a memorial center bearing his name on the campus of Wayland College here. 1965