Ranch History
In 1940 Joe and Wilma Lents purchased a quarter-section of land located a few miles west of the town of Lawton in SW Oklahoma. This grass-farm was the forerunner of today's ranch. The first Herefords, seven grade heifers and Prince Domino 36th, a young registered bull, arrived there early in 1942. A few registered Hereford cows of Anxiety 4th blood mixed with other bloodlines came in a 1943 purchase. But it was the January 28, 1944 arrival of the first line bred Anxiety 4th Hereford of Straight Gudgell & Simpson breeding from the Mousel Brothers herd in Nebraska that marked the founding of today's Line bred Anxiety 4th herd. As this new herd grew and developed, all stock from the former purchases and their descendants were liquidated in favor of a herd totally of Straight G&S breeding. In late 1945 this original property was sold and a half section SE of Indiahoma, Oklahoma, some 20 miles west, was simultaneously purchased. It was there and on some adjacent leased land that the foundation animals for the Anxiety 4th herd were fully assembled, and the herd developed.
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In 1969 Joe and Wilma purchased the Sandy Creek property three miles west of their home property SE of Indiahoma. In 1974 Jim and Nancy Lents purchased the Cemetery Ridge property located due west of Sandy Creek and moved their herd of Anxiety Herefords there. In 1975 Joe & Wilma purchased headquarters south, a part of the V-Bar Ranch that was established in 1915, and in the 1940's and 50's was home to a Quarter horse operation headed by Hank H, a nationally known and hall of fame, Quarter horse stallion. This property is located SW of Jim and Nancy's Cemetery Ridge property. Upon taking possession Joe and Wilma moved their residence to the rock ranch house on V-Bar south. In 1978 Jim and Nancy began operating headquarters north of the V-Bar under a lease arrangement, and moved their residence there. In 1984 they acquired ownership.
Joe and Wilma retired in 1995, and sold their land, cattle and equipment assets to Jim and Nancy. A few years later Jim and Nancy began a housing development on the original land southeast of Indiahoma and purchased the Little Dutchman property adjoining Headquarters south. They also acquired the land that surrounds headquarters north and adjoins cemetery ridge which blocked together a nice native grass ranch situated S/SW of Indiahoma that supports them and their Anxiety Hereford operation.
In 2000 a "small" tornado caused a good deal of damage at our headquarters area, necessitating the demolition of the two rock ranch houses, two big barns and all the corrals at HQ south. Since then we've built a new residence, minimal outbuildings as needed and new corrals at HQ South. The result is quick and easy access by cattle from anywhere on the ranch, ensuring all cattle handling is very low-stress on both man and beast. Over the past few years the ranch has been totally re-fenced for management purposes and to ensure the ongoing integrity of our genetics.
One of two remaining original V Bar Ranch structures, this multipurpose building at headquarters north originally served as a bunkhouse, garage, and laundry, complete with running water from the windmill-fed water tower built with rock before 1920.