By Shannon Gillette

The mystic of the Waggoner Ranch, headquartered near Vernon, Texas, in Wilbarger County has long fascinated Texans, non-Texans, and western culture lovers. What could be more intriguing than a ranch that spread over 500,000 acres in six counties, with hundreds of homes, 1,200 oil wells and 30 cowboy camps that was owned by one family for generations? The individuals that made up the Waggoner family were just as awe inspiring as the ranch itself.

The Waggoner Ranch was established in 1852 by Daniel Waggoner. When he died in 1902, the ranch was inherited by his only child, W.T. “Pappy” Waggoner. W.T. discovered oil on the property and the ranch continued to grow and prosper. W.T. and wife Ella had three children, Guy, E. Paul and Electra. W.T. Waggoner placed the ranch in a trust to be shared by his three children. A board of directors was appointed to handle the day to day business. E. Paul, and his wife Helen, had one daughter. They named her Electra, known as Electra II, after his sister. Electra II’s artistic talents as a sculptor gained her as much notoriety as the Waggoner name. Electra was born Nov. 8, 1912, in Fort Worth. She spent most of her childhood in the family’s stately home on Summit Avenue in Fort Worth. Her mother organized a school in their backyard for Electra and seven other students. They eventually outgrew the backyard and a larger school was opened just down the street.

Once Electra turned 13, it was determined that she would attend a private boarding school. She enrolled in Miss Wright’s Boarding School in Pennsylvania. It was a difficult transition for Electra, who had never been away from her close-knit family. But she soon discovered a love of art, especially sculpture. After finishing school, she traveled to New York to study sculpting. She also spent a year studying at the Sorbonne in Paris. She loved the hustle and bustle of New York and enjoyed the active social scene. She met and married Gordon Bowman in 1933. The tumultuous relationship ended in divorce two short years later. Concerned she might never return to her home in Texas, her father built her a ranch of her own on the Waggoner, the Santa Rosa Roundup Ranch. She returned home, but continued her love affair with sculpting and was gaining quite the reputation as an artist.

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