World Agriculture Directory: the home of the world's largest agriculture database. Fastest way to find events, farms and agribusiness that suit your needs. Agriculture Event Directory

Cattlemen Hall of FameBeef cattle barons, cowboys, breeders and builders from around the world

Cattle Barons and Land Owners

Watt Matthews of Lambshead: A Rancher Who Slept in the Bunkhouse

A Princeton graduate went home to Lambshead, lived in the bunkhouse, and spent a lifetime on cattle, wildlife and old buildings.

Who was Watt Matthews of Lambshead?

Watkins Reynolds Matthews, known as Watt, spent nearly his entire life on the Lambshead Ranch near Albany, Texas. He was a cattleman, a conservationist and a generous host, and the Portal to Texas History page on the ranch says he ran it until his death in 1997. He was born there in 1899 and died there on April 13, 1997.

The National Cowboy Museum profile describes him as a Texas rancher, conservationist and historic preservationist.

Early life and education

Matthews graduated from San Antonio Academy in 1917 and took a degree in economics and politics at Princeton in 1921. He then returned to Lambshead to manage the ranch and lived in the bunkhouse. The Texas Trail of Fame says that for much of his life he slept on a cot there with the cowboys.

His mother, Sallie Ann Reynolds Matthews, wrote Interwoven, a pioneer chronicle that tells the family story.

What is the Lambshead Ranch?

The Reynolds and Matthews families were pioneer ranchers and trail drivers. According to the Portal to Texas History, they arrived in East Texas in the 1850s and reached the Clear Fork of the Brazos in 1866. Buildings still in use on the ranch date to 1855, the page says.

The page does not give the ranch's acreage. The Matthews family has shared its history and artifacts with historians, writers and artists, and objects have gone to the Old Jail Art Center, the National Ranching Heritage Center and the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.

The Key to Matthews's Success

Matthews's record shows a rancher who valued continuity: the same ranch, the same bunkhouse, the same land held for decades. He was less a deal-maker than a steward.

The pages do not give financial or herd-size figures, so the lessons below stay with the documented activities.

  • Stay on the land: he returned to Lambshead after Princeton and managed it for most of the century.
  • Breed with a purpose: he focused on cattle breeding and was active in the American Hereford Association.
  • Protect native animals: he reintroduced native wildlife and kept Longhorn and buffalo herds.
  • Preserve the buildings: he restored historic structures, including the Barber Watkins Reynolds House.
  • Serve the community: he was a longtime president of the Fort Griffin Fandangle Association and sat on the board of the First National Bank in Albany.

Lambshead in print and in the community

Lambshead has an unusually deep paper trail for a working ranch. Alongside Interwoven, titles about Watt include Lambshead Legacy: The Ranch Diary of Watt R. Matthews and a book called Watt Matthews of Lambshead, and the Portal to Texas History hosts ranch photographs and a collection on the Matthews family.

His community roles were as long-lasting as his ranch work. He was longtime president of the Fort Griffin Fandangle Association, active with the American Hereford Association, and a board member of the First National Bank in Albany. The pages consulted do not describe those organizations in detail, so this profile stays with the roles themselves.

Honors and recognition

Matthews was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners in 1990 and into the Texas Trail of Fame in 1997. The museum also lists the Golden Spur Award and the Ruth Lester Lifetime Achievement Award.

He was active in Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church. Following Western tradition, he was buried on the ranch in a plain pine box, dressed in jeans, boots and a kerchief, according to the Texas Trail of Fame.

Learn more about Watt Matthews

Books on Watt include Lambshead Legacy: The Ranch Diary of Watt R. Matthews and Interwoven, by his mother. For ranching coverage, see the farm.FM ranching section or read a farm.FM story about ranching near Albany. The Texas Trail of Fame page on Matthews is a short introduction.

Timeline

  1. 1899Born at Lambshead Ranch near Albany, Texas
  2. 1917Graduates from San Antonio Academy
  3. 1921Graduates from Princeton University
  4. 1990Inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners
  5. 1997Inducted into the Texas Trail of Fame
  6. 1997Dies April 13 at Lambshead

Frequently asked questions

Who was Watt Matthews?

Watkins Reynolds Watt Matthews (1899-1997) was a Texas rancher who managed the Lambshead Ranch near Albany for most of his life. He was also a conservationist and a preserver of the ranch's historic buildings.

What is Lambshead Ranch?

Lambshead Ranch is the Matthews and Reynolds family ranch near Albany, Texas. The families reached the Clear Fork of the Brazos in 1866, and buildings in use there date to 1855, according to the Portal to Texas History.

Where is Watt Matthews buried?

He is buried in the family cemetery on Lambshead Ranch, in a plain pine box, dressed in jeans, boots and a kerchief, according to the Texas Trail of Fame.

What honors did Watt Matthews receive?

The Hall of Great Westerners in 1990, the Texas Trail of Fame in 1997, the Golden Spur Award and the Ruth Lester Lifetime Achievement Award.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

More from the hall