February 1, 2006
Farm & Ranch News
From age 5 to 18 I lived in Lufkin, Texas. There was only one television channel. The first show of the day was Farm and Ranch News with Horace McQueen. The report always began at 6:00am sharp following the Star Spangled Banner (played over military jets) at 5:55. Abruptly the screen would change to a shot of a tiny desk in a cramped room with fake wood walls (later there were opening titles and music from a fiddle). Horace, a big man, would enter the room and sit uncomfortably behind the desk. He wore dusty western shirts and always gave the impression he had just arrived from birthing a calf. His deep bass voice projected assurance, but would always fidget. There were often technical problems with the steer report, so he would sip coffee and ruminate on the weather with lots of little observations about fishing or hunting. Sometimes he would play with his string tie.
After settling in he would take off his cowboy hat at throw it onto a hook on the wall. He would do this without looking back or breaking his verbal stride. He never missed and after throwing the hat, he would start speaking faster and faster until he reached an auctioneers gait...he would talk about soil and steers and grain prices with authority and passion. He seemed to know a lot about how the world worked.
It always bothered me that I could not see his eyes. He wore those glasses that turned brown in bright light, and the studio lights made the lenses really dark. Once he took off his glasses to wipe his brow and his eyes looked older and more confused than I had imagined. For years he was held an important place in my imagination, not because his reports had any bearing on my life, but because my brothers and I would watch because there was nothing else on and because cartoons would follow his show. His patter became part of the rhythm of our lives and even today I miss the conviction and joy of his weather reports. Cable arrived to my town in 1985 just as I was leaving for college. The town changed. Now with CNN, MTV, and 24 hour cartoon channels I can't imagine that anyone watches old Horace any more. The last time I checked a few years ago he had been moved to UHF 37. It must be lonely over there but I don't think Horace minds. I'm sure he's always awake before sunup and I doubt he ever misses that hook on that fake wood wall.
to this site
02/16/06 11:26 PM
Val Ann C said...
That's a touching story. I, too, get a bit wistful about the limited media choices of childhood -- how that lent a different quality to daily life.
06/14/06 12:47 PM
Anonymous said...
Just before I moved to my new office, my friend and co-worker, Scott, would give me a daily dose of "Horace McQueen". Scott listened to him growing up in Tyler. I was from Kingsville, so we both spoke and nderstood "hick" and other farm language. I could honestly imagine Mr. McQueen just as he was described in this blog.
So, Mr. McQueen did have an impact on other's lives other than my insightful and highly imaginative friend, Scott. Amazing. From afar, Mr. McQueen impacted my life as well. I enjoyed Scott's rendition of Mr. McQueen every morning. Thanks to all of you. I feel connected once again since Scott and I are no longer in the same office. Now I can read this blog when I want a dose of Horace McQueen and feel close to my friend, Scott.
Sincerely,
Edna
07/04/06 10:25 PM
Anonymous said...
Great reading about my father, Horace McQueen. He was the host (and owner) of Farm & Ranch News on Channel 7 in Tyler and Channel 9 in Lufkin from 1973 until he retired (and sold the show to the owner of the TV stations) in 2000. He and my Mom then moved to Crockett, where his family came from.
Some additions and corrections though. The show originally started at 6:30am, after the PTL Club (he never enjoyed having to watch that show while getting ready for his). When the owners of the TV station decided to go with a morning news show ("Daybreak"), Farm & Ranch News moved back to 6:00am. He never moved to a UHF channel, though the NBC station in Jacksonville tried hard to get him to come back on the air after he left the Tyler/Lufkin stations.
He wore the tinted glasses for only a few years in the early '80's, as he developed a problem with his eyes. After medical treatment cured him, he went back to regular glasses. When he began Farm & Ranch News in Lubbock in 1965, there were more than 20 live farm shows in Texas. When he retired, there were only a couple. His was the longest running farm show in Texas. When he was considering retirement, I asked him what he would do. He said "I don't know, but I'm tired of getting up at 4:15 every morning." Now he and Mom live on the farm and raise their cows, tend the garden, and enjoy life.
His well-known opening: "A pleasant good morning to you; hope everything is off to a FINE start at your house this morning" is quoted by people I run into who ask if I'm kin to him. I'm glad that he had an impact on the people of East Texas, and proud to have him as my Dad.
07/04/06 10:25 PM
Anonymous said...
Great reading about my father, Horace McQueen. He was the host (and owner) of Farm & Ranch News on Channel 7 in Tyler and Channel 9 in Lufkin from 1973 until he retired (and sold the show to the owner of the TV stations) in 2000. He and my Mom then moved to Crockett, where his family came from.
Some additions and corrections though. The show originally started at 6:30am, after the PTL Club (he never enjoyed having to watch that show while getting ready for his). When the owners of the TV station decided to go with a morning news show ("Daybreak"), Farm & Ranch News moved back to 6:00am. He never moved to a UHF channel, though the NBC station in Jacksonville tried hard to get him to come back on the air after he left the Tyler/Lufkin stations.
He wore the tinted glasses for only a few years in the early '80's, as he developed a problem with his eyes. After medical treatment cured him, he went back to regular glasses. When he began Farm & Ranch News in Lubbock in 1965, there were more than 20 live farm shows in Texas. When he retired, there were only a couple. His was the longest running farm show in Texas. When he was considering retirement, I asked him what he would do. He said "I don't know, but I'm tired of getting up at 4:15 every morning." Now he and Mom live on the farm and raise their cows, tend the garden, and enjoy life.
His well-known opening: "A pleasant good morning to you; hope everything is off to a FINE start at your house this morning" is quoted by people I run into who ask if I'm kin to him. I'm glad that he had an impact on the people of East Texas, and proud to have him as my Dad.
07/25/06 11:40 PM
mary sue said...
Hello, just found your blog quite by accident.
Horace McQueen is alive and well living in Grapeland, Texas. He retired in 1999, has done some radio and is now writing for a local newspaper.
I appeared on Horace's program from 1979 until he retired in '99, once a month, then twice a month when he ran for Congress in the late 80's. It was a food demonstration segment and quite a lot of fun.
Horace was/is truly an East Texas legend. His "pleasant good morning to you and hope everything is off to a FINE start at your house" greeting was a country comfort to a very large number of East Texas households.
08/20/06 09:20 PM
Anonymous said...
Hope everything is up and running at your house this morning. I am proud to have been a producer and director or F&RN. 6AM may have been early for the rest of you, but my production crew was ready for him when he hit the door at 5:35AM. Thanks for preserving part of the legend. kenr91
09/23/06 04:09 PM
leegayle@boettcher.com said...
I would like to reference about three paragraphs from
"Round and About East Texas" article in the East Texas Farm and Ranch News dated Thurs, Sept 21st
article by Horace McQueen entitled:
Rural Living
Bio-fuel Stirring up Interest
Winter Pasture on Ranchers' Minds
We are about to have a vote here on an ESD and Mr. McQueen speaks strongly in support of such. May we have permission to use this info?
Lee Gayle Boettcher, editor
Buffalo Express Newspaper
12/08/06 11:22 AM
Carlton C. said...
Horace McQueen was de rigeur for the crowd from Hudson, Texas. My day began with Mr. McQueen, and his features were frequently sources for discussion during the day. He belongs to an era comprised of those agriculturists who influenced many lives outside the circle of family, friends and educators. That hat, the toss, his dry comments about government's meddlin' and the ever-familiar description of the cold weather: "Feels like there's nothing but a barbed-wire fence between us and the north pole...and its down." All this was absorbed along with my coffee, bacon and eggs, while feeding steers, laying hens and hogs. My, I sure miss his friendly, wise observations, and am very glad to know he is alive and still involved with the "wonderful world of agriculture".
07/06/07 07:49 PM
Mt Vernon Jim said...
Horace McQueen is a legend that I tell my kids about to this day. I grew up on a cattle ranch and farm in Mt Vernon TX and it was Mr McQueen who set the tone for our day, especially when we were close to heading to the sale barn. We loved that man and everything he represented.
I moved away before he went off the air but I do remember coming back and catching his son (I see you have posted - we liked you too!) filling in. I remember the transition to the dark glasses and my first thought was I hope his eye problems heal soon. I knew better than to think he picked those things on purpose.
I would give dang near anything to see his old shows on the web. I'd pay to see it. I still kick myself for not recording an of the shows back when I got my first VCR. Any chance you old show hands could swing getting his stuff up on Youtube?