Country Lifestyles
Benvanue- THE TOWN THAT DISAPPEARED
By Judy Wade
East of Byers in northern Clay County, a thriving community once sat at the intersection of FM 171 and Old Fort Sill Road. Today, a modern brick home on one corner, fields and pasture on the others give no indication of the rich history Benvanue brought to the region.
Henry Whaley was the first to settle in the area. In fact, he was the first permanent white settler in Clay County. Born in Tennessee, he enlisted in the army at the onset of the Mexican War. He returned to his home and began farming and ranching, married and had one son. In 1860 he began moving his family west.
His wife died along the way, and he settled in Cooke county, again farming and ranching until again enlisting in a frontier defense regiment, seeing combat in several campaigns against the Indians.
In 1869 Whaley settled in north Clay County, constructed a stockade and hired about a dozen employees to farm, care for livestock and provide protection against Indians.
He was soon selling several thousand bushels of oats annually, principally to the U.S. Army who used Fort Sill Road to transport supplies between Fort Sill in Indian Territory and Fort Richardson in Jacksboro and Fort Belknap near Newcastle, both in Texas.
Indian raids continued. In 1873 one of Whaley’s employees was killed, and one Indian was killed. In 1874, another raid resulted in all of Whaley’s horses being stolen and driven into the Wichita Mountains. Among the horses was a mule, which returned to the ranch four months later.
To read more pick up a copy of the October 2017 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
By: Martha Crump
Most cattle producers can tell you quite a lot about balancing cattle diets for energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals based on the specific needs for their herd and type of operation.
A key factor, and one that is often overlooked, is that how your animals perform is also directly affected by their water intake.
Now many of you may already be thinking “well of course water is necessary, anybody knows that!”
In many years, as September marches into October, we are beginning to experience some return of rainfall. But as many of us know, that is not always the case. Often we are still experiencing hot and dry weather, and water supplies are dwindling.
When we find ourselves experiencing those types of fall conditions, it is critical to not only understand the daily water requirements for cattle, but also the impact that the quality of water can have on herd health and development.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Annette Bridges
A friend and I were recently talking about our husbands. She made a comment that I felt also perfectly described me and my hubby.
“He slows me and I hurry him. I’m sure that is why we do well together,” she said.
“Precisely!” I thought. Why?
Because when two different worlds collide, it can be magical.
No matter what those two different worlds are- a man and a woman with very different personalities, beliefs, or backgrounds, two partners with contrasting passions, strengths, or talents, or when a country boy marries a city girl.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
Watauga, Texas, a suburb of Fort Worth, is known for its rich history as a railroad stop, but over the course of the last year, one teen girl has put it on the map for agriculture as well. Emma Harvey has lived in Tarrant County her entire life. Despite being highly involved in her local 4-H chapter, she still felt there was more she could do. In the spring of 2023, she stepped up to the plate to take over the title of Tarrant County Teen Miss Agriculture USA.
“It all started when I put in an application for the teen title here in Tarrant County,” explained Harvey.
The Miss Agriculture USA program is a national non-profit, age-inclusive pageant program that offers both competition and non-competition titles to women dedicated to the promotion of agriculture.
Read more in the October issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available online and in print. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive NTFR in your inbox each week.
Photo by Hannah Claxton.
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