Conestoga Ranch

William T. Nash, the great, great, great, great grandfather of the current owners of Conestoga Ranch served in the Texian Army during the Texas Revolution and following the establishment of the Republic of Texas in 1836, Nash was awarded land by the Republic as a reward for his services. Eventually, in the 1850s, Nash moved his cattle from St. Augustine, Texas to the current location of Conestoga Ranch.

William Nash’s children and later descendants established deep roots in the communities of Kaufman County over the years – co-founding the City of Terrell and contributing to building the public education system in Kaufman. The Nashes also established and operated the First National Bank of Kaufman. In fact, Ed Nash was working at the Bank one day when the infamous Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow sauntered into the bank from one of their reputed hideouts in Kaufman County. Recognizing them, Ed Nash pulled out his gun and laid it across his desk; seeing what Ed had done, the pair of outlaws turned and walked out of the bank. Later Bonnie was accused of robbing a local hardware store, was captured, and placed in the Kaufman County Jail, where she passed the time writing poetry including her most infamous poem "The Story of Suicide Sal."

Allie Nash, a granddaughter of William T. Nash married James Young who was later elected as a United States Representative to Congress. In the 1920s, their daughter, Imogen Young, began courting a young attorney from Wills Point, Texas by the name of Toddie Lee Wynne Sr. Imogene stole Toddie's heart, as he courted her all the way from Wills Point in a surrey with a fringe on top. Imogen and Toddie eventually married and later became known to their grandchildren and others as "Big Mimi” and "Fatdad."

Gaining a deep love and respect for his wife's hometown and family history, Toddie began acquiring land from other branches of the Nash families to add to his wife’s family land. That land included the property known today as the Conestoga Ranch. In addition to Toddie and Imogen and their family, the land was home to several tenant farming families throughout the years. Among those tenants were the Cuellar family. Mama Cuellar became famous for the tamales she sold in town and at the county fair and her hard work inspired her sons to later found the El Chico Restaurants.

In addition to ranching, Toddie served as the city attorney for the City of Kaufman and later moved his practice to Athens, Texas where he eventually partnered with Clint Murchison, Sr. in the oil and gas business. In addition to the traditional Texas businesses of oil and ranching, Toddie pioneered a number of new businesses ranging from the spectacular launch of the first private rocket into space from his Matagorda Island ranch in 1982 and developing Six Flags Over Texas to building the nation’s first retail strip center in Reding, Oklahoma and creating one of largest farming operations in the Texas Rio Grande valley – Valley Acres. Through it all, Toddie continued to live and ranch at his sanctuary back in Kaufman County – taking the time to hunt and fish on the land whenever he could.

Toddie’s entrepreneurship continued through his son Toddie Lee Wynne Jr. Toddie Jr.’s real estate company, Wynne/Jackson, developed and managed the Plaza of the Americas in downtown Dallas. Toddie, Jr. was also an original owner and founder, along with the Hawn and Murchison families, of the Dallas Cowboys Football Club in 1960.

Over the years, the Wynne family continued the tradition of giving back to the community begun by the Nashes. Toddie Lee Wynne, Sr. was one of the founders of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, donated the land, and founded Texas Health Presbyterian of Kaufman. His grandson, James "Jimmy" Wynne, a former Mayor of Kaufman, has served as a trustee for the system for over 30 years and continues to serve as a member of the Texas Health Resources corporate board.

The Wynne family also established and continues to support the Yellow Rose Gala Foundation. Founders Dee and Jimmy Wynne first established the Foundation in April 1986 shortly after Dee’s diagnosis with multiple sclerosis. From 1986-2001 the gala became one of the most successful fundraising events in Dallas, netting millions of dollars for MS research. The progression of Dee’s disease eventually prevented her from continuing with the gala but it didn’t impede the imprint she made. The final Gala of her lifetime, in 2001, was one for the ages. The Eagles, Stevie Nicks, and Trisha Yearwood performed and the gala netted over $2 million. Following Dee Wynne’s passing in 2014 and in honor of her memory, the Gala has since been reestablished by her children, Toddie Lee Wynne IV and Fallon Wynne Way, with the help of young active community leaders and past Yellow Rose supporters. The Yellow Rose Gala Foundation has partnered with the National MS Society where 100% of the proceeds go directly to progressive MS research.

 In 2016, the land forming the current Conestoga Ranch was carved out of the adjacent Star Brand Ranch and placed into trust for the heirs of Jimmy Wynne. Today, Conestoga Ranch no longer has any affiliation with Star Brand Ranch or its owner American Liberty Oil Company.

However, eight generations after William T. Nash became a Texas landowner by virtue of his service in the Revolution, his descendants continue to own and operate the Conestoga Ranch as a working cattle ranch and cherish their family heritage and the land that serves as their sanctuary and their foundation.