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The goal for Lambshead Ranch, located about 120 miles west of Fort Worth, Texas, has always been to convert grass into beef cattle at a profit. In Lambshead Legacy: The Ranch Diary of Watt R. Matthews, Janet Neugebauer's carefully researched annotations place Watt and his ranching efforts in the larger context of the industry - from the branding pens and the winner's circle at a stock show to a board meeting of a national breed association and times with fellow rancher Lyndon B. Johnson. The diary, focusing on Watt's life from 1951 to 1980, contains Watt's records of the number and kind of cattle, the work completed on them, the pasture they were moved to, and their sale price. Also Watt recorded the weather at Lambshead, the names of visitors, and the parties, with the names and number of people who attended. At times, Watt referred to the diary to refresh his memory or settle factual disputes. Frances Mayhugh Holden's introduction focuses on Watt himself - his early years, education at Princeton, family responsibilities, and commitment to preserving the ranch's historic heritage and natural environment. Along with Neugebauer's scene-setting, a picture of a steady life without hurry or stress and filled with the savoring of each piece of ranch work develops.
About the author
Janet Neugebauer, editor of
Plains Farmer: The Diary of William G. Deloach, 1914-1964, is the author of several publications about farm life in West Texas. She is associate archivist for the Southwest Collection, Texas Tech University. Frances Mayhugh Holden, author of
Lambshead before Interwoven, was appointed by former Governor John Connally to the Texas Commission on the Arts. She is a founder of the Ranching Heritage Association and Center and the Women's Council of the West Texas Museum Association at Texas Tech University.
