01/24/2021
Today we are so happy to share with you the Bell Ranch.
Founded in 1824 from a Spanish Land Grant for about 656,000 acres, the Bell Ranch was owned by Pablo Montoya. He registered the brand in 1875 after the land grant had been reconfirmed in 1869 by the U.S. Congress. Wilson Waddingham took over the ranch in 1875.
A provisional U.S. government was set up in New Mexico in 1846 while the Mexican-American War was going on. The Territory was later incorporated in 1850. When the U.S. acquired New Mexico, a temporary military post was set up at the Bell Ranch headquarters, taking over the manager’s house to use rooms for map rooms and a post office. The army did a survey of the ranch during that period.
The Canadian River flows through the ranch providing a water source along with numerous creeks and streams. The La Cinta, Trementina, Atarque and Conchas made it so a cow did not have to wander too far to find a drink. The river, which meanders for miles through ranch pastures, is a dangerous one. It was known to suddenly turn into a roaring torrent of water only hours after being a shallow thread of a stream earlier. Quicksand was a constant problem for horses, men and cattle. It was said that if a cow gets into one of the sands, she might have to be dug out. The sand would settle around her like concrete and, many times, she would lose the circulation in her legs from the pressure.
It was illegal for the cowboys to carry fi****ms on a roundup after 1885. One of the reasons for that was shown when one of the hands was shot with his own gun. This young man kept his piston in his hip pocket so when the horse he was riding began to pitch, the gun flew out of his pocket and hit the ground. It went off sending a bullet through his stomach. He died before they could get him any help.
Most of the men stored their guns in their bedrolls which were bundles of bedding rolled up in a sheet of duck material and usually stored on a wagon until bedtime. The bedrolls were used as storage for other things besides guns since there was no other place to keep personal possessions. Every man had their own canvas tepee too.
John Culley (author of “Cattle, Horses & Men”) wrote about his experiences on the Bell Ranch in the late 1880s. In one letter, he talked about the origin of the name. He said, “I do not know the origin of the name “Bell”…. I think it pretty sure that the name was adopted from one of the original bands of cattle Waddingham stocked up the ranch with. In such case the Spanish “La Campana” may have superceded the American “The Bell.”
