Country Lifestyles
SESQUICENTENNIAL WAGON TRAIN – Betty Magaha’s Story
By Judy Wade
“WAGONS, HO!” Was a cry Betty McGaha heard every time the Sesquicentennial Wagon Train began its day’s journey as it trekked over 3,000 miles across Texas to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Texas’ independence from Mexico.
The six-month odyssey began Jan. 2, 1986, in Sulphur Springs and zigzagged its way across the state, coming within approximately 100 miles of every city or town in Texas so each could host the wagon train and its own celebration.
Some folks traveled the entire route; others joined for a day or a week. A total of 10,000 riders from 27 states traveled at least part of the way. While people and wagons came and went, a core group of participants and support staff completed the entire trip, ending up at the Fort Worth Stockyards on July 3, 1986.
One of those who made the entire journey was Betty McGaha. She and two friends, Randy Chadwick and Pam (Blancet) Schenk, teamed up with a wagon. “I knew nothing about horses,” McGaha admitted. “I was raised on a farm, but my dad made his living in construction and as a substitute mail carrier.
“After I graduated from Hirschi, I attended UNT for a year and then Tarrant County Junior College with a dental hygienist degree and worked in Fort Worth five years before returning to Wichita Falls and finally Clay County,” she added. “I learned about the wagon train through the Historical Society, and I thought it would be an adventure, but the main reason was for my son Shad to learn about Texas the way I love Texas,” McGaha explained.
To read more pick up a copy of the August 2018 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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