LIVEOAK FORKS Ranch, Medina County, Texas
LIVEOAK FORKS Ranch is owned by descendants of William Wilson “Wils” Bailey and has been family-owned since 1890. Wils and his wife Emma bought 960 acres along the banks of the Live Oak Creek in Medina County. They raised cattle on the ranch until 1914. Their son Henry Raymond and his wife Nora bought the ranch and built a large ranch house, barns, houses for worker families, garage, cattle pens, and outbuildings as they were needed. The ranch produced sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, corn, cotton, oats, cattle, broomcorn, and maize. They raised and trained horses and mules for the Army during World War I. Raymond farmed the land with horses and mules before the availability of tractors.
Raymond and Nora opened their home to travelers in distress from the flooding of roads and creeks. They were loved for their hospitality and fun and family dinners.
In 1955, James Wilson and Bradley (Bailey), sons of Raymond and Nora inherited 770 acres of the ranch. They raised cattle, corn, maize, oats, and broomcorn. In 1961, Maryann Bailey Pringle (great granddaughter of the founder of the ranch) and her husband Marion inherited 470 acres from her dad, James Wilson, and Grandmother, Nora. The ranch continued to produce cattle and farm products, such as oats, wheat, and maize.
Upon retirement in 1996, Maryann and Marion moved to the ranch to establish LIVEOAK FORKS Quarter Horses and to breed and train quality performance horses. Marion is a retired NASA Engineer; Maryann is a retired business education professor. They have worked hard to create a park-like setting on the ranch to fulfill the dreams of Henry Raymond Bailey, Maryann's grandfather. They look forward to the annual horse shows staged for their grandchildren who visit them each summer. In the family tradition, friends and relatives are always welcome to enjoy the ranch, as has been the case for over 100 years.
The horse-breeding business is closed. Six gentle and well-trained quarter horses remain to entertain friends and grandchildren. The ranch also produces the finest quality coastal Bermuda hay for sale to horse owners or cattle ranchers in round or square bales. The abundance of wildlife due to pasture management and brush control and the absence of cattle make the 470 acres of pasture and field land a mecca for hunters and wildlife enthusiasts. The trails among the beautiful oak trees along the banks of the Live Oak Creek afford rewarding hiking and bird watching experiences.
For more information, contact Marion Pringle at 830-426-2610, or by cell at 830-426-1467. Or you can email him here.
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