The Whitener Ranch, purchased in 1847 by Aaron Sherrill Whitener, is one of the oldest continuously owned family ranches in the state of Texas. It was officially established in 1853 upon the arrival of Whitener's family from Mississippi. Whitener purchased 1,618 acres (6.55 km2) of land for $1.50 an acre. Located on the west side of Washington County, Texas, it is composed mainly of rolling blackland prairie. Although far from the largest of Texas ranches, it boasts having had one of the first cotton gins in the state (built in 1870) and having had the third oldest cattle dipping vats in the state.
Not as widely known, but the Whitener Ranch was also home to the Blanco Bar that became a favorite stopping spot for cattle rustlers and bandits. One spring night in 1895 there was a shootout after a card game. The only record of the event listed one casualty but the account only gave his first name, Waltor. The house that was home to the bar can still be found on the ranch.