ELECTRA WAGGONER BIGGS AND MEDALLIC ART COMPANY

Here's a tale you won't believe but is true, and it also proves everything is bigger in Texas.

Dan Waggoner began ranching with a small herd on a modest tract of land in northern Texas beginning in 1849. When he died the ranch became the property of W.T. Waggoner, his son.

W.T Waggoner became wildly successful raising Hertford cattle. With profits from the sale of cattle he bought more land, and more land until he owned more than 510,000 acres, covering most of six counties across the northern Texas border.

Then oil was discovered on Waggoner's ranch. 1,200 oil wells joined hundreds of thousands of cattle, increasing Waggoner's estate, large even by Texas standards. W.T. developed a passion for American quarter horses breeding these on his massive ranch.

W.T. Waggoner had only one heir -- his daughter, Electra Waggoner Biggs. She did not take an active role in managing the ranch. Instead she became interested in sculpture. As a 20-year-old she travelled to New York City to seek sculpture training.

The clique of New York sculptors readily accepted the attractive Texan and vied to train her in the craft and art of sculpture. It was here she also met two brothers, Henri and Felix Weil, of Medallic Art Company, recommended to her by her instructors, noted for reproducing any small bas-relief of her creation.

Her father feared she would remain in New York, so he built her a large house in one of the communities his ranch surrounded if she would return to Texas. She did and put her sculpture talent to use. Amon G. Carter commissioned her, in 1935, to prepare an equestrian statue of his friend Will Rogers, astride his horse Soapsuds.

In 1938 she sent a plaster portrait model of a family member to the Weils. She wanted it reduced to charm size and goldplated. So pleased, she sent six more that year and eight more the following year. In all, over the next 26 years, the firm created 87 such miniature works of art of her family, friends and their children for the Texas artist.

While Electra Waggoner Biggs may be one of the most colorful artist clients of Medallic Art, what else do we know about her? She married John Biggs. Electra Texas, in Wichita County, is named after her mother. She has a building named in her honor in her hometown at Vernon College.

But most interesting, perhaps, is that the Buick Electra luxury car was named after her. Her husband's brother-in-law was president of Buick Motors at General Motors at the time. Also a Lockheed airplane is named in her honor.

Electra sought to liquidate the Waggoner estate in 1991, but that spurred a family feud that lasted until this year. She died April 23, 2001 without seeing this resolved.

This Friday, August 8, 2014 a judge finally ruled the estate could be sold. Included: 510,000 acres, 30,000 acres of farmland, 1,200 oil wells, all accompanied by hundreds of homes and 30 cowboy camps.

Price: $725 million.

To read an article on the sale of the estate, see: Waggoner Ranch, among US' largest, listed for sale (www.chron.com/news/us/article/Waggoner-Ranch-among-US-largest-listed-for-sale-5677675.php)

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