The Magazine of the American Landowner is an essential guide for investors, landowners, and those interested in buying or selling land. The award-winning quarterly is known for its annual survey of America's largest landowners, The Land Report 100.
Issue link: http://landreport.epubxp.com/i/582499
120 The LandReport | W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 LANDREPORT.COM The L and Report 100 C layton and Modesta Williams 112,042 acres In March, these Midland mainstays (he ran against Ann Richards for Texas governor in 1 990; she designed the 183-acre Claydesta Plaza) were awarded the Texas A&M; Foun- dation's highest honor thanks in part to their multimillion-dollar gift, which helped fund the Clayton Williams Jr. Alumni Center. Stan Harper 111,877 acres A longtime proponent of black baldies (a Hereford-Angus cross), Harper maintains a significant presence in his native New Mexico at Wagon Mound as well as at his Texas ranch near Venus. His operation also runs Quarter Horses and bison. Linnebur Heirs 110,000 acres With a deep and abiding affection for the Colorado terrain, the Linnebur family heirs continue to flourish on lands near Byers, some 45 miles west of Denver. Gene Linnebur runs Grain & Buffalo, a wholesale grain dealer in Arapahoe County. Luther King 108,000 acres This native Texan founded Luther King Capital Management in 1979. He maintains the Circle X Land & Cattle Co., a Brangus cattle operation based near Bryan, as well as the 4K Land & Cattle Co., a well-managed Hill Country ranch rife with whitetailed deer, axis deer, blackbuck antelope, sika deer, feral hogs, and other native fauna. Robinson Family 103,000 acres In 1864, ancestors of brothers Bruce and Keith Robinson purchased the Hawaiian island of Ni'ihau — an enclave so insular that its nickname is "the forbidden isle." Today, the few visitors who are allowed on Ni'ihau can still hear the native language spoken almost as often as English. Residents of this 69.5-square-mile paradise work on the clan's sheep and cattle ranch while taking steps to keep the island's environment utterly pristine. B utler Heirs 101,315 acres The Butler's Fort Union Ranch, which dates back to 1885, has been stewarded by the f amily for six generations since its founding by Maj. Gen. Benjamin Franklin Butler. While serving in Congress, Butler met Thomas Benton Catron, a lawyer who would later serve as the first federal senator from New Mexico. Catron was the largest landowner in the West at the time, having bought several Mexican land grants. Soon, Butler and his son-in-law, Adelbert Ames, began to purchase interests in the Mora Grant. Butler held his land interests in the Union Land and Grazing Company, which he established in 1885. The Fort Union Ranch, now a 95,315-acre working cattle ranch near Watrous, is crossed by traces of the Santa Fe Trail and surrounds the Fort Union National Monument. It also borders the Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge. The Fort Union Ranch is managed by five directors, all descendants of Maj. Gen. Butler. Beggs Family 100,000 acres The fourth generation of the family oversees Beggs Cattle Co., which was established in 1876. It includes a trio of ranches that spans seven counties in the Lone Star State that raise cattle and Quarter Horses. Powell Family 100,000 acres The fourth generation of the family now oversees Powell Ranches in three counties in Texas and Nebraska. Respected rancher James "Jimmy" Powell and his wife, Nancy, have turned the reins over to their daughters Lorrie Uhl and Victoria Johnson. Yates Family 100,000 acres Located in the foothills of Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Northern New Mexico, the historic Ojo Feliz Ranch is owned by the Yates family. They also own Yates Petroleum, which was founded by Martin Yates in the early 1920s and is recognized as one of the oldest and largest oil and gas producers in the Land of Enchantment. 94 | 97 | 99 | 98 | 96 | 100 | 95 | 100 | 100 |