We Know Land
Chas. S. Middleton and Son is a fourth-generation, family-owned firm specializing in farm and ranch real estate. Since 1920, we have built our business on experience, integrity, and an understanding of the land.
Our 2020 centennial celebration
Celebrate a century of Chas. S. Middleton and Son and the family story behind the firm.
Watch “Celebrating 100 Years” on YouTubeLet’s talk about your land
Whether you are buying, selling, or seeking an appraisal, get to know the people behind our firm.
Supporting Our Ranching Community
We continue to support ranching organizations through sponsorships, equipment donations used as fundraisers, and involvement in industry gatherings. Explore our photographs and stories of supporting TSCRA, New Mexico cattle organizations, and Wildorado FFA over the years.
A family legacy rooted in the land
Our roots in Lubbock
Charles Middleton arrived in Lubbock on horseback, beginning a family story that continues today.
A firm takes shape
The business was established with a commitment to hard work and fair dealing.
Four generations
Our brokerage and appraisal teams help clients make informed decisions about farms and ranches.
The people behind the family legacy
Charles S. Middleton
The founder whose arrival in Lubbock in 1898 began the family story.
Lee F. Middleton
The next generation, carrying forward the family's work in cattle and ranches.
Sam Middleton
The third generation, linking the family's ranching background with brokerage and appraisal work.
Charlie Middleton
The fourth generation, continuing the family’s tradition of ranch brokerage and appraisal.
Portraits from the family archive.
From the Family and Office Archives
Family photographs offer a glimpse of the people and everyday office life behind generations of service to the ranching industry.
Charley Middleton in downtown Lubbock
Charley Middleton, founder of Chas. S. Middleton and Son, pictured in downtown Lubbock. From the Middleton family archive.
Charley and Lee Fiser Middleton
Charley Middleton and his son, Lee Fiser Middleton—the first and second generations of the family business. From the Middleton family archive.
Florene Middleton, 1974
Florene Middleton pictured outside the company office in 1974. She helped run the office for many years, contributing to the daily work of the family business.
Two Generations at the Same Desk
Sam Middleton, left, and his father, Lee Fiser Middleton, right, pictured at the same office desk—two generations carrying forward the family business.
Life in the Office, 1993
Renee, 1993
Pictured at the office in 1993, Renee continues to serve as Sam Middleton’s secretary and the company’s receptionist.
Sam Middleton, 1993
Sam Middleton at work in the company office in 1993, surrounded by maps, records, and the tools of ranch brokerage and appraisal.
Photographs from the Middleton family archive. Click a photograph to enlarge it on this page.
Finding a way back to the land
In a 1995 newspaper profile, Lee recalled the difficult Depression years, when the family's work took them beyond ranching. Charles operated a gas station and drove buses, while Lee worked with sheep. Lee remembered his father reaching into his watch pocket and handing him his last $20.
The family eventually returned to cattle and ranches. The same profile traced Sam's arrival in the business in the early 1970s and his interest in appraising agricultural land—a new chapter grounded in the family's experience.
Company History in the Press
Articles about our family legacy and the firm’s work, arranged oldest to newest. Use the links below each article to read the publisher’s version or a saved PDF from our company archive. Publisher websites may require a subscription or sign-in.
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All in the Family: Interview with Sam Middleton
Lands of Texas magazine / Land.com · February 27, 2013Sam discusses the contributions of successive generations to the family brokerage. Read the interview on our website.
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Capital Farm Credit Ready to Finance Sale of Historic W.T. Waggoner Ranch
North Texas Farm & Ranch · August 6, 2015A financing announcement related to the Waggoner offering and the brokers’ effort to prepare qualified purchasers.
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Capital Farm Credit Aids in Sale of Famous W.T. Waggoner Estate Ranch
San Angelo LIVE · August 8, 2015Joe Hyde covers the support team assembled by Sam and Bernard Uechtritz to market Waggoner Ranch.
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Family-Owned Real Estate Company Celebrates 100 Years of Business
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal · September 15, 2020 · Archived PDFJayme Lozano tells the story of the family firm’s first century. The article was also syndicated by MSN.
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History of Lubbock Police Department on Display at Citizens Tower
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal · May 11, 2021 · Archived PDFCoverage of a public history display connecting the Middleton family’s roots with Lubbock’s early police department.
Ranching history and company advertisements
Explore company advertisements, family mentions, and regional ranching news from the archives. Dated clippings are arranged from oldest to newest; the undated advertisement appears last. Click any thumbnail to enlarge the original on this page.
Spur Ranch and the Swenson legacy
May 10, 1931 · Regional ranching historyA historical account of the Swenson family’s Spur Ranch holdings and other West Texas ranches, with discussion of cattle operations and the family’s ties to early Texas history.
Cattle and winter range at the O.S. Ranch
March 20, 1932 · Regional ranching historyThe report describes O.S. Ranch cattle wintering near Amarillo before returning to the Post-area ranch, along with its Hereford herd, pasture, stock-water tanks, and farming operations.
With Feeders and Breeders
March 11, 1934 · Livestock market newsThis livestock-market column reports cattle sales supplied by Middleton and Green, alongside other feeder and breeder activity around Lubbock, Muleshoe, and the surrounding ranch country.
Drought relief across the South Plains
February 24, 1935 · Regional agricultural historyA report on the federal drought-relief cattle-buying program summarizes payments and cattle purchases across 22 South Plains counties, documenting the pressures facing ranchers during the Depression.
A change in Texas horse racing
July 18, 1937 · Regional horse industry historyThe article describes plans to lease state-owned stallions to private ranchers after Texas repealed its betting law, and discusses the state’s horse-breeding program.
A reunion at the Middleton ranch
July 17, 1938 · A Middleton ranch mentionA Texas Technological College social-club reunion report notes that the D.F.D. club was meeting at the Middleton ranch in Evergreen Valley near Las Vegas, New Mexico.
City, farm, and ranch loans
October 25, 1946 · Company advertisementThis Chas. S. Middleton & Son advertisement lists the firm as a representative for Kansas City Life Insurance Co., offering city, farm, and ranch loans from the Hotel Lubbock office.
The Hotel Lubbock office
1947 · Archive dateThe firm advertised city, farm, and ranch loans from its Hotel Lubbock office, emphasizing prompt service and no brokerage, attorney, or inspection fees. The year follows the family archive label.
Ranches, loans, and livestock
November 13, 1952 · West Texas Livestock WeeklyThe ad offered sheep and cattle ranches in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas, alongside farm and ranch loans and livestock services.
Ranch offerings across three states
June 27, 1955 · Company advertisementThe advertisement presents ranch offerings in Texas, New Mexico, and Wyoming, with acreage, water, fencing, and improvement details, plus the firm’s ranch-loan services.
Farm and ranch financing
September 27, 1962 · West Texas Livestock WeeklyAn example of the firm's historical farm and ranch loan advertising from its Avenue K office in Lubbock.
A ranch on the Lampasas River
February 25, 1965 · West Texas Livestock WeeklyThe 728-acre offering highlighted river-bottom farmland, two houses, and native pecan trees, with an advertised asking price of $92,000.
Across Texas and New Mexico
August 29, 1968 · Documented appearanceA collection of ranch offerings emphasized grazing land, water, fencing, and improvements across several regions.
The Mashed O Ranch offering
August 31, 1972 · West Texas Livestock WeeklyThis Texas Panhandle offering advertised 76,400 acres, including rangeland and irrigated acreage. Sam Middleton appears among the firm's listed contacts.
Middleton & Son corrals tradition in ranching
A-J · July 2, 1995 (family archive label) · By Chris Van Wagenen
A family profile featuring Lee F., Patricia, and Sam Middleton, tracing the firm’s cattle and ranch roots and Sam’s work in agricultural appraisals.
Read the full-size article
A connection to Kansas City Life
UndatedThe advertisement names the firm as representatives for Kansas City Life Insurance Company, adding context to the family's historical lending work.
Dates follow supplied archive labels unless verified against a full newspaper page. Regional news provides historical context and does not imply the firm participated in every event or ranch discussed. The regional-ranch advertisement is labeled 1972 in its filename, but a matching ad appears in the August 29, 1968 issue; it is placed by that documented appearance. Historical prices, loan terms, property availability, and contact details reflect their original publication.
Browse the full newspaper pages
Click a thumbnail to enlarge a newspaper page. In the popup, choose “Open full-size image” for a closer view of the original advertisements.
Nov 13, 1952
Aug 16, 1962
Sep 27, 1962
Jan 24, 1963
Dec 05, 1963
Feb 25, 1965
Aug 29, 1968
Sep 05, 1968
Aug 31, 1972
Jan 12, 1989The January 12, 1989 ad explicitly promotes ranch sales and appraisals; it documents the service by that date, without establishing when appraisal work began.