Muleshoe Ranch
Gail, Texas
Founded: 1913
W.K. Johnson, Sr. started the Muleshoe brand when he bought the Blackwater division of the XIT Ranch on the Blackwater draw about 1900. Texico, NM was the nearest town. Later, the Santa Fe Railroad built a road from Lubbock to Clovis, NM that ran through the middle of the ranch known as the Muleshoe Ranch. By that time Mr. Johnson had sold the ranch to E.K. Warren and son from Three Oaks, Michigan. Warren gave one section for a town site when the railroad was built. This town was named Muleshoe and still goes by that name.
When Mr. Johnson sold the ranch, he maintained the Muleshoe brand. Around 1908, Mr. Johnson and Mr. R.M. Clayton formed a partnership and leased a large body of land east, north and west of what is now Post, Texas. C.W. Post owned this land.
When Mr. Post started developing this land, selling it to the farmers, the Clayton and Johnson Co. bought a ranch in Borden Co. in 1913 and continued using the Muleshoe brand.
What is now the Muleshoe Ranch was originally open grazing and was used by the Magnola Land and Cattle Co. prior to 1894. Sometime between 1900 and 1910 Mr. Abney who later sold to J.D. Milton of Virginia put the ranch together.
Clayton and Johnson Co. bought the land from Mr. Milton on Aug. 25, 1913. In 1945 Mr. Jerry Clayton, one of R.M. Clayton’s sons, bought the Muleshoe Ranch from another son, A.M. Clayton. In 1957, Jerry Clayton sold the ranch to his daughters, Jere Hubbard and Barbara Anderson. In 1994 Rich and Barbara became sole owners of the ranch. John, his wife Kevva live on the place. Their son Clay John and wife Krista live on and work the ranch as well. Daughter Whitney married Kye Fuston and they work on the Bill Ranch in New Mexico. Youngest child, Bailey, is at Texas Tech. The whole family has grown up working the ranch. They are the 4th and 5th generation to live on and operate the Muleshoe Ranch.
Muleshoe Ranch won the Team Doctoring at the 2024 Ranch Rodeo!