John Bunyan Slaughter

John Bunyan Slaughter (December 15, 1848 – November 11, 1928) was an American rancher and banker. Born to a ranching family, Slaughter ranched in Texas and New Mexico before acquiring the U Lazy S Ranch in Garza County, Texas, in 1901 and managing it for nearly three decades.

Early life Slaughter was born on December 15, 1848, in Sabine County, Texas. His father, George Webb Slaughter, was a Baptist minister from Mississippi who became a rancher in Texas. He grew up in Palo Pinto County, Texas.

Career U Lazy S Carriage House, now at the National Ranching Heritage Center in Lubbock, Texas. Slaughter became a cattle driver with his brothers, John and C.C., when the three men drove cattle on the Chisholm Trail all the way to Abilene, Kansas, in 1866. Meanwhile, Slaughter ranched near the Green River in Utah, followed by eastern New Mexico. He was its manager for 27 years.

Personal life Slaughter married May Burris in 1877. She died in 1879. in 1880. They had three children. They first lived on a homestead in Crosby County until they moved into a mansion in Fort Worth, Texas, followed by a mansion on their ranch in Garza County. His son, John B. Slaughter Jr., inherited the U Lazy S Ranch.