West Texas Boys Ranch
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (April 2024) |
West Texas Boys Ranch (WTBR[1]) is a Christian private residential community for boys located in Tankersley,[2] unincorporated Tom Green County, Texas, near San Angelo.[3] The 963-acre (390 ha) facility is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and it is open to any qualified boy, regardless of his or his family's ability to pay the tuition. The ranch uses donations to fund its services. The ranch can accommodate up to 40 boys, who come from across the United States. The ranch does not take custody of its boys, and it is not a boot camp, detention center, drug rehabilitation center, or a "last resort" for hardcore juvenile offenders.[1]
History
[edit]The ranch has provided a community for boys since 1947.[4]
In December 1999, former counselor Larry Wisenbaker pleaded guilty to multiple sexual crimes involving minors at St. Jude's Ranch for Children in Boulder City, Nevada.[5] He had previously been accused of sexual misconduct involving 8 boys at West Texas Boys Ranch which had not been investigated by Texas police before he left the state. He was fired from West Texas Boys Ranch after complaints of sexual abuse early in his employment in 1998.[6] Wisenbaker was sentenced to four life terms in prison in February 2000 after District Judge Kathy Hardcastle became aware that he was previously convicted of assaulting a child at Hephzibah Home for Children in Macon, Georgia.[7]
In 2003 a FedEx Cessna Caravan crashed on a plot of land belonging to the ranch.[8]
Operations
[edit]The facility consists of 5 residential cottages, each with max capacity of 8 boys. Each boy is assigned to a particular cottage, which is overseen by a husband and wife team. If a team has children, those children are also a part of the cottage household. Every boy participates in chores, such as cleaning his room, cleaning his shared bathroom, and cleaning his laundry. Several chores, such as mopping the kitchen, vacuuming the living room, and taking out the trash, are rotated among the boys.[9] Each boy has a rank, depending on his behavior. The lowest rank with the fewest privileges is the Tumbleweed, while the highest rank, Wrangler, has the most privileges.There was also a former rank of Top hand even higher than Wrangler, but due to issues with boys who misused the level, it was removed from the system. Each level shows the depth to which each boy is trying to work the program, and the higher the level the more responsibility each boy has. Each boy can see his progress on a chart so he knows what he needs to do to attain a certain rank. Each resident works with livestock, such as Longhorn cattle, show pigs, and horses.[10] During the summer boys work in ranching jobs.[11]
Composition
[edit]The cottages are Brown Cottage,[12] Doss Cottage,[13] Minear Cottage,[14] and Stevens Cottage.[15] Minear, named after Roy and Evelyn Minear, was built in 1983.[14] Brown, funded by a donation from Wilbur Carr Brown of San Angelo, Texas, was built in 1984.[12] Doss, funded by a donation from the M.S. Doss Foundation in Seminole, Texas, was built in 1985.[13] Stevens, funded by a donation from Perry and Ruby Stevens of Fredericksburg, Texas, was built in 1985.[15]
Education
[edit]Every boy in the home is enrolled in Central High School or Lonestar Middle School in San Angelo. If a boy has an issue at school, the school staff will notify the West Texas Boys Ranch staff.[9] Irion County High School and San Angelo Texas Leadership Charter Academy are schools boys formerly attended.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Cantu, Lorie Woodward. "West Texas Boys Ranch." The Cattleman. February 2006. 1[dead link]. Retrieved on August 25, 2010.
- ^ TANKERSLEY, TEXAS from the Handbook of Texas Online - Retrieved on August 25, 2010
- ^ "banner04.png[permanent dead link]." West Texas Boys Ranch. Retrieved on August 25, 2010. "10223 Boys Ranch Road, San Angelo, TX"
- ^ "Boys Ranch Haven provides a temporary home and a future[dead link]." The Dallas Morning News. July 30, 2001. Retrieved on August 25, 2010. "Since 1947 the West Texas Boys Ranch has provided a haven for boys with troubles but it may be one of the leastknown resources around perhaps because it is..."
- ^ "Former boys ranch worker pleads guilty to molestations." Las Vegas Sun. December 1, 1999. Retrieved on April 9, 2024.
- ^ Man charged with abusing 26 boys in Nevada had been accused in Texas, The Bonham Daily (via Associated Press), June 29, 1999, retrieved April 9, 2024
- ^ "Counselor gets four life terms for abuse of children." Las Vegas Sun February 4, 2000. Retrieved on April 9, 2024.
- ^ "Small FedEx plane crashes in West Texas[dead link]." Associated Press at News 8. January 24, 2003. Retrieved on August 25, 2010. "turboprop Cessna Caravan crashed near San Angelo Regional Airport's Mathis Field during takeoff on land belonging to the West Texas Boys Ranch..."
- ^ a b Cantu, Lorie Woodward. "West Texas Boys Ranch." The Cattleman. February 2006. 2[dead link]. Retrieved on August 25, 2010.
- ^ Cantu, Lorie Woodward. "West Texas Boys Ranch." The Cattleman. February 2006. 3[dead link]. Retrieved on August 25, 2010.
- ^ Cantu, Lorie Woodward. "West Texas Boys Ranch." The Cattleman. February 2006. 4[dead link]. Retrieved on August 25, 2010.
- ^ a b "Brown Cottage Archived 2013-04-16 at archive.today." West Texas Boys Ranch. Retrieved on August 25, 2010.
- ^ a b "Doss Cottage Archived 2012-10-28 at the Wayback Machine." West Texas Boys Ranch. Retrieved on August 25, 2010.
- ^ a b "Minear Cottage Archived 2013-04-16 at archive.today." West Texas Boys Ranch. Retrieved on August 25, 2010.
- ^ a b "Stevens Cottage Archived 2013-04-16 at archive.today." West Texas Boys Ranch. Retrieved on August 25, 2010.
