J. Frank and Mary Frances Woodward.
This photo of my Mother and Dad was taken from the National Geographic magazine, dated November 1951, pp 631-660. The article is titled "'Rockhounds' Uncovers Earth's Mineral Beauty". They bought the property in 1939 from America "Auntie" Bird, his aunt, and the ranch was initially planned to be a simple working ranch for breeding and growing cattle; however, upon soon discovering that agates existed on the place, and that people would actually come from all over the United States just to hunt and/or buy them, it was decided in the mid-1940's that they should get into the rock business. They quickly realized that they needed to cut the rocks in order to identify and price the rocks, so they bought a rock saw..... and the rest is history.
Cattle being fed in the pens. Note: near the top of the mountain in the background is where precious fire opal veins are found.
View of Elephant Mountain from the opal deposit with ranch headquarters in foreground.
J. Frank Woodward II checking his rock display.
The next owner and manager of the Woodward Ranch was my brother, J. Frank Woodward II, Copy of Family Land Heritage Certificate of Honor presented to the ranch in 1989.
The Woodward Ranch is a land heritage ranch which still raises cattle, and has done so for over 125 years.
It is currently owned and managed by a third generation within the Woodward family: his son, J. Frank III(Trey), and wife Jayson.
The current ranch owner, Trey Woodward, "working cattle."
Dad used to tell people, "Selling rocks became an enjoyable year-round source of side-income for us. And best of all, we don't have to feed these rocks in the winter like we do these cattle. In some of the drouth years the rocks have supported the cows while in other years the cows have supported the rocks". -------- Tommy
Unusual red, yellow and black plumes found in one slab.
who subsequently owned and operated the ranch for many years until retiring in the early 1990's.
The majority of this land has been in our family since it was first established and lived on in 1884.
[NOTE: We regret to inform you that John Frank Woodward III (Trey) died of cancer March 5, 2011 at the age of 54. We will all miss him.]
