Chapman, Barnard at Ranch, approximately 1940s

A photograph of James A. Chapman and Horace G. Barnard during a cattle shipment to the Blackland railroad stop on the Midland Valley Railway. These photographs were taken for a Life Magazine article that was never written. It is believed that more cattle were shipped from Blackland during World War II than anywhere else in the country. Photographer’s caption: “J. A. Chapman and H. G. Barnard at the pens in Blackland. The owners were active hands-on cattlemen who relished their time on the ranch. They cut out fat cattle in the roundups, and tallied them at shipment. The war years were boom times for beef production, and Chapman and Barnard spent every weekend of shipping season here, negotiating prices with eager cattle buyers.”