A bitter family dispute over one of West Texas’s most historic ranches has taken an unexpected turn, with the heirs agreeing to divide the sprawling property rather than force a sale of the entire estate. The agreement involving the 65,000-acre Brite Ranch was reported by The Big Bend Sentinel on October 8, 2026, shortly before a jury trial was scheduled to begin. Court records from the Texas Court of Appeals and historical accounts published by the Texas State Historical Association provide further context on the dispute and the ranch’s legacy. The settlement brings the family closer to resolving a legal battle that began in 2018, when disagreements over trust management and the distribution of ranch income escalated into years of litigation. Valued at an estimated $60 million or more, the property has long been both a family asset and a significant part of Presidio County’s history.
Four heirs, four portions of the ranch
Under the proposed settlement, the ranch would be divided into four portions for Jim White, his brother Mac White, their sister Hester Ann White and Geoffrey Connor, the adopted son of Mac and the late Beau White. The agreement marks a major shift in the dispute. Hester Ann had opposed dividing the property and sought a court-ordered sale of the ranch as a single estate. However, a filing dated October 1 requested cancellation of the jury trial scheduled for October 21 and acknowledged her agreement to the division, according to The Big Bend Sentinel.The settlement does not necessarily mean every issue has been resolved. The newspaper reported that Jim, Cuatro White, Mac and Connor had also asked the district judge to retain the proceeding as a bench trial, potentially allowing the court to consider whether the allocation of land should be adjusted. They argued that Hester Ann had not contributed to certain ranch expenses and court-related costs. At the time of the newspaper’s report, the judge had not ruled on the request.
How the family dispute began
The conflict dates to a lawsuit filed in 2018 by Mac and Beau against their brother Jim, who managed the ranch and served as trustee of the family trust that held its principal assets. The brothers alleged that Jim had breached his fiduciary duties, including by failing to distribute income fairly and by making decisions involving compensation for himself and family members working on the property. A jury trial in 2023 resulted in a judgment that removed Jim as trustee, awarded damages and divided the family trust into separate trusts. Former Texas Comptroller Susan Combs was appointed interim trustee to oversee financial administration.Jim and his supporters challenged the decision. In December 2024, the Eighth Court of Appeals in El Paso reversed the judgment and ordered a new trial, finding a fundamental error in the jury instructions. The ruling revived Jim’s position in the wider dispute and prolonged uncertainty over the ranch’s future.The litigation also became entangled in a dispute over Connor’s adoption by Mac and Beau in 2022. Some relatives challenged the adoption, alleging it was intended to affect inheritance interests. The allegations were contested, and the question of whether the adoption was improper was not resolved in the proceedings described by The Big Bend Sentinel. Years of court proceedings, disagreements over control of the land and the costs of litigation have now given way to an agreement that could finally establish separate ownership for the heirs.
A ranch with more than a century of history
The Brite Ranch was established by Lucas Charles Brite, who began accumulating land in the region in the late 19th century. The operation became known for its Hereford cattle and grew into a major ranching enterprise in the Big Bend region of Texas. At its height, the original holdings extended across substantially more land than the current 65,000-acre property.Its history also includes a violent episode that became part of the region’s broader borderlands story. On Christmas Day in 1917, armed raiders attacked the ranch, looted its store and killed civilians. The raid was followed weeks later by the Porvenir Massacre, in which Texas Rangers and other armed men killed 15 Mexican and Mexican American men and boys. Historical accounts identify the killings as retaliation linked to suspicions surrounding the earlier raid, although the victims were not established to have participated in it.For generations, the Brite family remained prominent in the civic and political life of Presidio County. The ranch consequently represents more than a valuable stretch of land: it is tied to the region’s cattle industry, local government and difficult border history. The proposed division would give the heirs separate portions of an estate that has remained at the centre of their family for decades. Whether the settlement ends the litigation will depend on the court’s handling of the outstanding issues, but the agreement signals a move away from the prospect of selling the historic ranch as a single property.
