V-8 Ranch
Posey, Lubbock County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Nestled into a small, shallow valley created by a bend in the North Fork of the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos River, the 1,500-acre V-8 Ranch contains the headquarters of the vast IOA ranch, which was a 14 by 30-mile contiguous block of land covering most of the southern half of Lubbock County. The IOA was established in 1884-1886, just as the free-range cattle industry collapsed due to drought and economic conditions.Beginning in 1893, the process to sell the ranch's cattle began. Frank Wheelock, great nephew of principal stockholder Stillman Wheelock and later Lubbock's first mayor, also started selling the ranch's land, resulting in a series of lawsuits that culminated in a Sheriff's sale and acquisition by H.L. Kokernot in 1901. In 1914, George Boles, a well-known South Plains rancher, bought 5,000 acres from the Kokernots. Boles owned the property until it was lost to foreclosure in 1935. A 3,400-acre portion of the Boles property was acquired by Sam C. Arnett, Sr., and George Benson in 1939. Benson and Arnett were business partners in many ventures, including Citizen's National Bank, insurance and real estate investments, and a Ford dealership. When they purchased this property, they renamed it V-8 Ranch, in honor of the Ford V-8 engine. As of 2017, the remaining acreage is owned by the Arnett family. Numerous buildings on the property, including the stucco residence, are some of the oldest ranch structures in Lubbock County. They may have been built by sheep herder Zach Williams in 1877, the IOA company in the 1880s, or George Boles between 1914 and 1935. In spite of the ranch's close proximity to the city of Lubbock, the V-8 Ranch still reflects the South Plains' vibrant ranching history. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2017
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Tucked into a bend of the Brazos, this 1,500-acre spread holds the old headquarters of the sprawling IOA ranch, a fourteen-by-thirty-mile block of open range established just as the free-range cattle boom collapsed in the mid-1880s. Over the decades the land passed through lawsuits, a sheriff's sale, and foreclosures until partners Sam Arnett and George Benson bought a piece in 1939 and renamed it V-8 Ranch — a nod to the Ford V-8 engine and their Ford dealership. Some of its stucco and stone buildings rank among the oldest ranch structures in Lubbock County.
Why it matters
The ranch preserves the story of the great cattle empires of the South Plains and their turbulent transition from open range to modern ownership on the edge of a growing city.
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Related people
- · Sam C. Arnett Sr.
- · George Benson
- · George Boles
Themes & tags
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