Near Sutherland Springs in Wilson County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Pat Higgins Grass Farm
Pattillo “Pat” Higgins was born in 1910 in Houston to Pattillo “Bud” Higgins, Sr. and Annie Jahn Higgins. Bud owned oil properties in Chambers and Bexar Counties and, in 1925, began to purchase land in Sutherland Springs. After a short time at the University of Texas, Pat joined his Dad on the Higgins Oil Leases. Continuing his father’s quest for oil, Pat began to drill in Sutherland Springs but, by 1937, he decided to try ranching instead. He purchased land and began to experiment with new forage grasses. In 1941, he consulted with the Wilson County Soil Conservation (C.S.C.) District and worked hard to grow grasses but was unsuccessful. Following six years of failure, in 1949, Pat and the C.S.C. learned to compact the soil and were finally successful.
By late August 1949, all the grasses were dead except for one row of Buffelgrass. Word began to spread about Buffelgrass and, in the next eleven years, over 12,000 visitors were registered at the farm. Pat built a small runway for planes to accommodate visitors from Hawaii, France, Africa and Australia. A variety of native grasses were put into commercial production. Pat employed around 200 men and women to harvest grass seeds by hand prior to inventing a mechanical harvester he named the “Bug Catcher.” In 1957, Higgins earned the soil conservation award for irrigation water management. By 1958, Pat had 50 varieties and strains under observation. Before his death in 1961, Pat discovered the parent plant to buffelgrass and named it Higgins Buffelgrass which produced higher yields and was more persistent. Buffelgrass became a mainstay on the famous King Ranch in Texas and the Parker Ranch in Hawaii. Higgins became known as the “Grass King of the Southwest.”
Erected 2013 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 17535.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Agriculture. A significant historical month for this entry is August 1949.
Location. 29° 17.2′ N, 98° 3.061′ W. Marker is near Sutherland Springs, Texas, in Wilson County. Marker is at the intersection of Farm to Market Road 539 and East 3rd Street, on the left when traveling north on Highway 539. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Sutherland Springs TX 78161, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Sutherland Springs School Site (approx. 0.8 miles away); Sutherland Springs (approx. one mile away); Sutherland Springs Cemetery (approx. 2.1 miles away); Whitehall (approx. 2.2 miles away); Polley Cemetery (approx. 2.2 miles away); Linne Oil Field (approx. 2.6 miles away); Barker-Huebinger Homestead (approx. 3.9 miles away); Bridge at McAlister Crossing (approx. 4.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sutherland Springs.
Also see . . . Higgins, Pattillo "Bud" (1863–1955).
A bachelor until age forty-five, Higgins owned homes in Beaumont, Houston, and San Antonio. He was always generous with his family members, and his mother lived with him until her death in 1907. He was also in the habit of adopting orphaned girls, which was how he met his wife, Annie Johns. Higgins initially adopted Johns in 1905, when she was fifteen; he made her his sole heir. In 1908 she and Higgins were married, despite the scandal. They had three children. Higgins died in San Antonio on June 5, 1955, and was buried in Mission Burial Park. Source: The Handbook of Texas(Submitted on February 27, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 28, 2021. It was originally submitted on February 27, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 252 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 27, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.