Wood Hagenbarth Cattle Company photograph collection, circa 1890-1920

The Wood Hagenbarth Cattle Company, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, was established in 1902. It grew out of the Wood Live Stock Company, owned by James David Wood. In 1887, Wood gave one-fourth interest in the company to his stepson, Francis Joseph "Frank" Hagenbarth, and in 1896, brought in his second stepson, Hugh Hagenbarth. Under Frank Hagenbarth's vice-presidency, the company acquired ranches throughout Idaho and Montana. In 1902, the company purchased the stock of the Palomas Land and Cattle Company which was located in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico and reorganized under the name Wood-Hagenbarth Cattle Company. The expanse of the property, totaling in excess of 2.4 million acres, represented one of the largest cattle ranches in the world and was twice the size of the state of Rhode Island. In 1908, David Wood died and Frank Hagenbarth assumed the presidency of the families companies. Throughout his career, Frank Hagenbarth served as president of the National Live Stock Association and as President of the National Wool Growers Association. During World War I, he served as chairman of the Agricultural Advisory Commission and in 1929 he served on the board of directors of the National Wool Marketing Corporation and worked with the Federal Farm Board. Frank Hagenbarth died in 1934. Source: "Francis Joseph Hagenbarth," Brigham Street, Margaret D. Lester (Utah: Utah State Historical Society, 1979).