An American Saga: William George Hughes, 1859-1902 Page: Front Inside
This book is part of the collection entitled: Texas History Collection and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Patrick Heath Public Library.
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AN AMERICAN SAGA
WILLIAM GEORGE HUGHES
A Pioneer Texas Rancher:
His Life * His Times * His Story
"At all events, whatever it is, I know
you can trust me to put my best foot
foremost. " That was the pledge 18-year-old
British immigrant Willy Hughes wrote to his
father from his New York hotel room on
September 15, 1879, while contemplating a
career somewhere on the American frontier.
This was the first of many exciting,
action packed letters that Willy wrote to his
family, as he journeyed across this strange
and sometimes awesome land to San
Antonio, a western frontier town. From
here he planned to embark upon a most
unlikely career as a sheep rancher.
Unusual, in that Willy had neither a
background nor experience in agriculture.
Fortunately, he sought work with a sheep
rancher, working without pay in order to
learn about sheep and wool production and
ranch management.
In March, 1879, Hughes spent his
$500.00 savings for a small farm three miles
west of Boerne in Kendall County. Starting
with Oxfordshire Downs and Merino sheep,
he later introduced Angora goats to the area.
In an imaginative horse breeding program,
Willy crossed the Arabian bloodline with
wild mustangs and Texas cow ponies to
create a better quality riding horse.
Through hard work, perseverance, and good
foresight, Willy Hughes attained
phenomenal success as a 19th-century
Kendall County rancher.
An outstanding leader and exemplary
citizen, he left a legacy of significant
accomplishments in pioneer Texas ranching
history.
$24.95
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Perry, Garland A. An American Saga: William George Hughes, 1859-1902, book, 1994; Boerne, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1385075/m1/2/?q=%22Agriculture+-+Ranching%22: accessed July 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Patrick Heath Public Library.