Martha Rabb, cattle queen of Texas Murphy Givens 5:45 AM, Apr 9, 2008 columnists John Rabb began ranching around Banquete area in the 1850s. He built a ranch house there and another house on the bluff in Corpus Christi so his sons could attend school, He died in 1872 and left his widow Martha 10,000 head of cattle on the open range, marked with the Bow-and-Arrow brand. Martha Rabb took over at a dangerous time. The open range was vulnerable to rustlers and hide thieves. Increasing violence led many cattlemen to sell out. Martha Rabb understood that it meant the end of the open range. As other cattlemen began to sell, she began to buy. She bought one large tract in 1873 for 60 cents an acre. As she increased her holdings, she began to be called The Cattle Queen of Texas. Her main pasture was enclosed by 30 miles of fence. Todays Robstown is located in a corner of Marthas pasture. Her three sons helped her manage the ranch. In 1884, she married a Methodist minister and sold the ranch. One story said that after her marriage to the minister, she had a portrait of her first husband John hung in an outhouse at the ranch. One of her sons never forgave her for the insult. Mrs. P.A. Hunter lived at the Rabb ranch, where her husband was employed. She said Martha came to oversee the sale of her stock. She would get up on the fence to watch the branding and selling of stock. She smoked cigars and carried a box of them around with her. Martha Rabb died in Austin, her wealth dissipated by her new husband. The Rabb land was sold, first to D.C. Rachal, who sold it during a drought to the Driscoll brothers. When oil was discovered on the land, it became the foundation of the Driscoll fortune.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 20:47:17 +0000
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