THE GUITAR RANCHES were started by John Guitar, Sr. He was born in Carrollton, Missouri, in 1866. In 1890, he moved to Abilene, Texas, and entered into the cotton business. He purchased the Big Spring Ranch in 1906 and then purchased the Dell City Ranch in 1927. He owned several ranches in the Carlsbad, New Mexico area, which he operated in the 1920s. In 1934, he purchased the Colbert Ranch at Spur, Texas. He owned numerous farms in Spur, Texas.