Canadian, Texas — The Ranchers of Hemphill County, still recovering from the devastating 2024 Smoke House Creek Wildfire, have once again demonstrated their unwavering spirit of service—this time turning their attention to fellow Texas ranchers impacted by the historic July 2025 floods along the San Saba, Guadalupe, Llano, Colorado, and Concho Rivers.
Ken Jordan, owner of Jordan Cattle Auction in San Saba, Texas, reached out to Andy Holloway, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agent for Hemphill County, to learn how Hemphill County successfully coordinated massive wildfire recovery efforts in 2024. That model, which Holloway developed with the help of 143 volunteers, quickly and effectively distributed millions of dollars in donations and financial assistance to ranchers across Hemphill County and the Texas Panhandle.
In July 2025, ranchers throughout the Texas Hill Country, Central Texas, and parts of West Texas suffered millions in losses when two historic floods destroyed miles of fencing, killed livestock, damaged water wells, and heavily impacted ranch infrastructure. Jordan and area agricultural and civic leaders used the Hemphill County model to organize their own rapid-response recovery effort, establishing a local 501(c)(3) to ensure that funds and supplies could be placed directly into the hands of affected producers almost immediately.
The connection between the two communities runs deep. In 2017, when wildfires ravaged Hemphill, Lipscomb, Roberts, and Ochiltree Counties, ranchers from San Saba County and Central Texas hauled trailer loads of fencing supplies, feed, and equipment to the Panhandle. They did it again in 2024 following the Smoke House Creek Wildfire. Holloway described the servant leadership of the San Saba County ranchers—and the generosity of people across the United States—as “nothing short of incredible inspiration.”
In late July, Hemphill County ranchers raised $45,000 in just a few days to aid those hit by the floods. Hemphill County Ag Committee members Kathy Price and Justin Coleman, both of whom lost ranches in previous wildfires, personally delivered the funds to Jordan, Brad Williams, and the San Saba recovery team. These funds will be used to purchase fencing materials, wire, corner pipe, and other essentials for rebuilding.
One enduring story that binds the two communities dates back to 2017. An elderly woman in San Saba, upon hearing at Tractor Supply that local ranchers were taking supplies to wildfire victims in Hemphill County, emptied her purse to buy two fence posts. Those two posts were preserved by the Hemphill County ranchers as a memorial to the sacrifices made by so many. Today, that memorial—crafted by Hemphill County Judge George Briant and his wife Beth—stands in the River Valley Museum in Canadian, Texas, and is featured in the documentary The Ties That Bind, Canadian, Texas, available on YouTube.
“Even though our own recovery continues, the ranching community knows no boundaries,” Holloway said. “When one of us is down, the rest rally to lift them back up. That’s just who we are.”
To assist ranchers in the Texas Hill Country, Central Texas, and West Texas affected by the floods, contact:
Jordan Cattle Auction
Ken Jordan or Brad Williams
San Saba, Texas
(325) 372-5159
Or send donations to:
HCCAA
Attn: Ken/Kynda Jordan
PO Box 158
San Saba, TX 76877
Memo: “Rancher Flood Relief Fund”
