HOUSTON, Texas – J.D. Gatson, 84, has been the ranch foreman of Baer Ranch in Matagorda County for 65 years, but he has been a cowboy his entire life.
He is part of a legacy of Black cowboys that now extends to seven generations. It’s safe to say that the art of cowboying is in his blood.
Gatson began working full-time as the foreman of Baer Ranch in 1960, after working part-time. The full-time opportunity arose when the previous manager was injured.
“When he got hurt, my boss came and told me, ‘I don’t know if you got a steady job or not,’” Gatson recalled. “He said, ‘But I got to have you back.’”
Gatson has now been back for nearly seven decades, a life ingrained in him from an early age.
“My daddy loved it and he brought us up. That’s the way he brought me and my brothers up,” he said. “Riding horses, working stock, farming, and all that kind of stuff. That’s all I know. That’s all I know. That’s just inherited in our family.”
The Gatsons represent three of seven generations of cowboys. It’s a tough life, but one they love and hope to pass on to future generations.
It has already been passed to Gatson’s son, Don, who has taken over most of the day-to-day ranch operations after working alongside his dad for nearly 40 years. He says he tried to live a different life.
“I was bagging groceries, pushing baskets,” he recalled. “One day they told me something. I said, ‘You know what? I can push a horse better than I can push this basket.’ I think I made two days.”
After that second day of work bagging groceries, Don turned in his notice.
“I come back to the ranch. Picked up and come on back to the ranch,” he said. “My daddy asked me. He say, ‘I thought you had to work today.’ I said, ‘Yeah, I am at work. I’m right back here,’” he remembered with a laugh.
When many people envision cowboys, African Americans are not typically those who come to mind. However, historians estimate one in four cowboys in the American West was Black. In Texas, when ranchers left their properties to fight in the Civil War, they left behind their slaves to care for the cattle. During this period, Black slaves learned the priceless skills to become top-notch ranch hands.
J.D. Gatson’s great-grandfather began their family legacy by helping drive cattle on the famed Chisholm Trail from Texas to Kansas. The owners of Baer Ranch in Matagorda County have given Gatson a rare and special opportunity.
“Me and Frank Southall are the only two black cowboys I know living that run the ranch,” Mr. Gatson said. “We run the ranch. And that was a blessing right there because you don’t find too many black cowboys (who) run a ranch.”
For his efforts, Gatson has graced the cover of the Gulf Coast Cattleman magazine. In 2022, he earned the Silver Spur Award from the Matagorda County Cattlemen’s Association, given to those who make significant contributions to the cattle industry. Gatson was recognized for his contributions to Baer Ranch.
Baer Ranch is one of the oldest continuous family-operated cattle ranches in Texas. It consists of two parcels of land, each approximately 10,000 acres, for their 1,500 head of cattle.
The descendants of Gottlieb Baer and the Gatsons have become like family over the decades. J.D. and his wife raised their six children on the ranch for a time. Today, in addition to managing the ranch, the Gatsons own about 100 head of cattle they raise along with the rest. The love, loyalty, and respect the families have for each other is plain to see.
On one particular day, the Gatsons invited KPRC2′s Keith Garvin to take part in a cattle ride to move about 30 bulls from one part of the property to holding pens on another part of the property. It was time for a checkup from the veterinarian.
J.D. Gatson hopes to turn over the reins to even younger generations, including his five-year-old granddaughter London, who is already winning trophies in barrel racing. Then there is Don’s son Malik, who has his own impressive resume. In addition to having a full-time job, he also works at the ranch and competes in rodeos on weekends.
Don says when Malik has his own family, he would love to see his grandkids working on the ranch.
“Yes, I would. I would like to see them right out here with me,” he said. “I would like to see them having just as much fun as I did coming up.” Speaking of Malik, he said, “I tell him often, ‘Don’t leave them at home.’”
In the meantime, with a team that includes his brothers, son, grandson, and nephews, Don’s dad, J.D., sits in the main saddle.
“We done turned the ranch over to Don,” said Mr. Gatson. “I’m here every day, but I still call the shots and everything. I’m still in charge, but I can’t do what I used to do anymore and I know that. So, I got to step back. But I’m still climbing up on that horse.”
Mr. Gatson will turn 85 years old in April. He plans to be on the ranch to celebrate.
