At a Bend in the River - The History of Spread Oaks Ranch in Matagorda County

The term Bend in the River refers to a portion of the Colorado River (of Texas), mostly on its west side, that encompasses Spread Oaks Ranch and the surrounding area. The bend in the river naming convention covers a corridor of about a dozen meanders in the river, extending approximately from about the Matagorda-Wharton county line south to about today's Highway 35 for about eight miles. Early landowners played parts in the Texas Revolution. Others became famous cattlemen of the day, pasturing herds of longhorn on the land before driving them north over America's great cattle trails. When rice came to Texas, the ranch was home to one of the state's most ambitious early irrigation schemes. Their work transformed the natural landscape, and the face of modern Spread Oaks Ranch reflects their hand today. In many ways, to tell the story of Spread Oaks Ranch is to tell the story of Texas.