History & Heritage
How the Hacienda happened
as told by Mamie
A few years ago (at the young age of 70) my father decided to head to Oklahoma to pursue a dream of ranching. He decided to gift the Weatherford property where I grew up to Chance and me. When I mused with him about how to turn this incredible asset into a business that could be a legacy for our children and grandchildren, he said “Don’t wait too late like I did. Do it now.”
Chance and I had our wedding here in 2008. Friends and family raved about the view and the beautiful oak trees and still do when they come out here. We knew we needed to share it and find a way to build a business that could be passed down and keep the land in the family at the same time.
I have always loved Modern Mexican and Spanish design and we set out to find a builder who could deliver a gorgeous building that would last through the years while being kind to the environment and energy efficient. Partnering with Ferrier Custom homes (pioneers in the green building sector) was a perfect fit.
Through a wedding business Podcast I was lucky enough to find a Venue Consultant, Lindsay Lucas and having her on the team as an industry expert alleviated our initial fears and really breathed life into the dream becoming a reality.
Sometimes when I feel overwhelmed, I try to take a moment to see how far we have come and I feel very proud and excited to be a small part of the joy that will be experienced here at the Hacienda for years to come.
The Original Lazy S Story
The Lazy S Ranch has been in the Slaughter family since around 1898, when it was established by The Cattle King of Texas, otherwise known as Christopher Columbus Slaughter. Slaughter was a cattle rancher, drover and breeder from a boy and a banker and philanthropist of the Old West in later life.
During the Civil War he volunteered with the Confederate States Army and was part of the expedition that unexpectedly liberated Cynthia Ann Parker from a Comanche camp.
After his army days, Slaughter returned to cattle and ranch life, and having an eye for business, he purchased 246,699 acres and established the Lazy S Ranch. He continued buying up land across West Texas, and by 1906, the Cattle King of Texas owned 40,000 cattle and over one million acres of ranch land.
Slaughter was a devout Baptist and contributed the majority of the cost for the construction of the First Baptist Church in Dallas and his generous contributions also allowed the establishment of the Texas Baptist Memorial Sanitarium, now Baylor Hospital.
Slaughter was a true pioneer in business, co-founding the City Bank in 1873, later to become the City National Bank in 1881, and also served as its vice president the same year. Just a few years later, in 1884 he helped establish the American National Bank and served as vice president right up until his death in 1919.
His entrepreneurial spirit lives on through the Slaughter family name with Mamie Slaughter Hudson at the helm, bringing new life to the legacy with the creation of the Lazy S Hacienda.
