Mann, Jiggs 1998-08-13

Jiggs Mann talks about his life and work on the JA Ranch, Texas

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: Jiggs Mann

Additional Parties Recorded: None

Date: August 13, 1998

Location: Clarendon, Texas

Interviewer: David Marshall

Length: 40 minutes

Abstract

Tape 1, Side 1: Mann, Jiggs b. South of Clarendon, Texas, 1929 on a farm, Parents farmed, Ridder, Joe, Old camper, Sandy Camp, First man to take Jiggs Mann to the wagon, Crops, Mann, Jiggs (again), Father sold grain to the McMurtry brothers, School, The College in Clarendon, Texas, Ranch work – JA Ranch, Texas, Started in 1944 working summers, Tom Blasingame, War time employees, Periods of employment and jobs held, Woodburn Place lease, Size of JA Ranch over the years, Homesteaders, Montie Richie, Bill Worth, Jack Roach, JA Ranch employees in the 1940’s who remembered Mrs. Adair and Charles, Goodnight, Joe Ridder, Tom Blasingame, Boyd Blackwell, Stokes, Museum, JA Reunion, Chuck wagon cook-off, Museum (again), In hospital building Mrs. Adair built, Stories told by old employees about Mrs. Adair and Mr. Goodnight, Goodnight’s rules against gambling and drinking, First ranch headquarters, Became a line camp, Newton Harrell (?) Ranch has the building now, Log room Mr. Goodnight built at current ranch headquarters, Buffalo herd at the JA Ranch, Given to State of Texas, Started by Mr. Goodnight, Cattle breeds at the JA Ranch, Herefords, Angus, Richard Walsh, Irish immigrant – late 1890s, Traded homesteaders out, Homesteaders (again), Richard Walsh (again), Experimented with Angus cattle, Wild cattle, Motley face from short horn cattle, Snooks Sparks, Durham mix, Ranch foreman years, Ranch size, Ranch division by pastures, Working the pastures in the 1950’s, Wagon, Ranch foreman years (again), Biggest challenges, Weather, Winter around 1960, Drought, Ranch management regarding weather, Cattle movement, Water, Wells, Natural water, Sections of ranch with water, Line camps, Number of camps, Camp names, Camp locations, Ashtola (?) line camp, Shipping cattle by rail cars, Ashtola line camp (again), Shipping cattle by rail cars (again), Uncounted cattle, Bobbed cattle’s tails to countWild cattle (again), Cattle predators, Dugouts on the JA Ranch, Homesteader dugouts, Description of dugout ruins, Norris Park dugout, Destroyed dugout chimney, Drift fences – 1890s, JA Reunion (again), Headquarters, New foreman’s house addition, Description, Meat house donated to Ranching Heritage Museum, Montie Richie (again), Personality, Airplanes, Pilot, Boots O’Neal has good stories, JA Ranch, Matador Ranch, Alamocitos Ranch, Waggoner Ranch, 6666 Ranch, Traveled around, Henry Rowden, Old time cowboy, Leg removed, Montie Richie (again), Took care of the old people, Henry Rowden (again), Long time employee of the JA Ranch, Went with Tom Blasingame to Arizona then came back, Long time cowboys at the JA Ranch, Tom Blasingame, Boy Blackwell, Joe Ridder, Clyde Shephard (early 1940’s), Clyde Shephard, Moved around, Good talker, and has stories about the JA Ranch, JA Reunion (again), Story telling, Military Service, Engineering group, Trained battalions to build airstrips, Air strips they built, Recruitment, Injury deferment, Joined Reserves, Ranch foreman years (again), Organizational structure, Leases, Wagon boss years, Organizational structure, Employees’ titles, Ranch divisions, Most employees married, Schools on the JA Ranch, Ranch cemetery, Location, Tom Blasingame is buried there, Fatalities on the ranch, Injuries on the ranch, How the injured were transported to the ambulance, Montie Richie’s injury, Flash floods, Quick sand, Watched cattle to see where quick sand was, Line camps (again), Distance apart, Collection of JA Ranch maps, Montie Richie’s Colorado ranch, Larkspur, Colorado.

Range Dates: 1890s-1998

Bulk Dates: 1944–1970s (?)

Access Information

Original Recording Format:

Recording Format Notes:

Transcript:

---

Thank you for your interest in this oral history interview. Our oral history collection is available to patrons in the Southwest Collection's Reading Room, located on the campus of Texas Tech University. For reading room hours, visit our website. Please contact Reference Staff at least one week prior to your visit to ensure the oral history you are interested in will be available. Due to copyright issues, duplications of our oral histories can only be made for family members. If an oral history transcript has been made available online, the link will be provided on this page. More information on accessing our oral histories is located here. Preferred citation style can be found here.