HOMESTEAD: Mayer family built legacy of philanthropy (2024)

By Jerry Lackey

Founders: 1896 by Ferdinand Mayer and sons Sol and Abe

Owners: Edwin Mayer Jr. and sons Stephen and Ernie; Ralph Mayer; Doris Mayer Rousselot; and Richard Mayer

Location: 20 miles northwest of Sonora

Livestock: Sheep and cattle

Ferdinand Mayer was born in Baden, Germany, in 1832. He first settled in New York in 1852. From there he moved to Philadelphia and to San Antonio when the Civil War ended. He married Jette "Yette" Steiner in 1866.

The couple had six children: Max, Solomon, Fanny, Josphine, Theresa and Abraham.

Solomon "Sol" Mayer married Edith Martin in 1891. Although the marriage lasted only a few years, they had one son, Edwin Solomon Mayer, born Aug. 1, 1896.

In 1904, Sol married Ernestine Elizabeth Bush Somers in Milwaukee, Wis. At age 10, Edwin left San Antonio and came to West Texas to live with his father and stepmother.

Edwin Mayer married Minnie Hirsh in 1926. They had five children: Edwin Jr., Ralph, Robert, Doris Mayer Rousselot and Richard.

Ferdinand Mayer left Germany for the United States in 1856 because of the Kaiser's armies. After several stops, he settled at Fort McKavett as the fort sutler in 1879 and served military and civilian settlers along the San Saba River at the southwestern edge of Menard County.

Two years after Fort McKavett was closed in 1881, Mayer opened his own mercantile store.

"Money was scarce during those times, so to pay for goods purchased at the Mayer store, people would pay their debts with livestock and land," said great-great-grandson Stephen Mayer of San Angelo. "So Grandfather Ferdinand found himself in the ranching business almost by default."

Mayer later purchased a ranch between Fort McKavett and Sonora. Later, his two older sons ? Solomon "Sol" and Abraham "Abe" ? joined him as partners.

In 1896, they bought the T-Half Circle Ranch, a spread totaling 75,000 acres in Sutton and Schleicher counties. Divided into seven pastures, the ranch had 23 water wells and numerous earthen tanks.

Ferdinand, Sol and Abe Mayer purchased the T-Half Circle Ranch as a partnership. In April 1907, Sol Mayer bought out Abe Mayer, and the ranch was later passed through the generations.

After Sol Mayer retired and moved to San Antonio, the ranch was divided 1936. It was surveyed and fenced in four separate parcels of 8,991.92 acres and placed in trust for four grandchildren. That was before Richard was born. After he arrived, another ranch owned by Sol at Barnhart was put in trust for Richard.

When Sol died in 1957, the estate's 75,000 acres were divided five ways.

"At the time that Ernie and I got out of college, Mayer and Rousselot was operating 58,000 acres of the original 75,000 acres of the T-Half Circle Ranch," Stephen Mayer said.

The partnership was between Edwin Mayer Jr., Ralph Mayer and Doris and Norm Rousselot. Ernie Mayer was general manager.

A few years later, Ralph Mayer and Doris and Norm Rousselot decided they would operate their individual parcels separately.

"My father, Edwin Mayer Jr., Ernie and I retained the T-Half Circle Ranch title in 1961," Stephen said. "We operate 21,000 acres. Although Dad says he is retired, he still has veto privileges."

The Sol and Ernestine Mayer story would not be complete without mention of their philanthropy, which remains the foundation of Tom Green and neighboring counties.

Sol was a founding member and was president of the San Angelo National Bank from 1931-47. He built the first telephone line from San Angelo to Sonora.

Ernestine donated the first library building to Tom Green County, and in 1956 she gave $63,500 for a new addition, which almost doubled the floor space.

The couple gave the land for the West Texas Boys' Ranch west of San Angelo.

A 300-acre portion of a ranch, a few miles north of Fort McKavett, owned by the Mayers was given to the Boy Scouts. Known as Camp Sol Mayer, thousands of Boy Scouts and Scoutmasters from 26 West Texas counties use the facility every year. In their wills, the Mayers left the additional 9,000 acres of the Fort McKavett ranch to the Boy Scouts.

Their San Angelo home was sold following their death, and the proceeds were used by the Girl Scouts.

"We have a place on the south end of the ranch in Sutton County called The Outlaw Cave. It was the hideout for The Hole in the Wall Gang lead by Will Carver. Names are carved into the rock walls," said Ernie Mayer, another great-great grandson of the founder.

The Outlaw Cave is near the Caverns of Sonora, but it is high on a cliff, whereas the caverns are underground.

Like other ranches in Southwest Texas, the Mayer Ranch relies on deer hunting as another source of income. They started a game management program with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1983, which has resulted in plenty of whitetail deer and turkey.

Before 1886, Ferdinand Mayer branded his cattle with an "F" or "MYR." In 1896 when Mayer & Sons purchased the T-Half Circle Ranch and cattle from Dr. J.B. Taylor of Sonora, they also took up the T-Half Circle brand: "T" ")".