OUR STORY
FOUNDING
Francis Morris, a New York aristocrat with an affinity for racing horses, founded the ranch in 1856 through the acquisition of a 24,000 acre parcel of land from the JR & Leavitt Survey sight unseen. Upon arrival to the yet to be settled land in the Texas Hill Country, Francis was captivated by the land that stood before him. In all of his years in the horse business, he had never seen such beautiful, productive agricultural lands. This laid the groundwork for the establishment of the world’s finest horse program of the 19th century.
Early Ranch Life
The development of the raw land into a ranching operation brought in settlers from other regions of Texas to be workers or tenant farmers and ranchers. Most notably, Max Hirsch began his career as a jockey before beginning his professional training career on the East Coast where he would become one of the sports’ most decorated trainers. Notable about Morris Ranch was its principle business, thoroughbred-horse breeding and training. With its principle business as thoroughbred-horse breeding and training, the ranch produced
- Max Hirsch
Over time, the population of the ranch grew to be several hundred and with that the ranch went through a major building campaign, culminating in the construction of some 200 structures that consisted of sheds and barns for livestock and equine, silos for grain storage, houses for families, a general store to supply the community, a schoolhouse to educate the children, and even their own cotton gin and roller mills to produce flour.
CHANGING TIMES
After the turn of the century however, the ranch would go on to be an ever unprofitable venture. The ranch started selling pastures to local ranching families and by the 1920s, the remaining 10,000 acres were sold to a syndicate of local families who divided the ranch further. What is left is a community which has lasted for the past 100 years. Through the closing of the General Store to the use of the automobile to the consolidation of the school to town, the community shares the history of the Morris Ranch. Today, the ranch continues through the reassembly of a few central parcels flag-shipped by the Schoolhouse.
