The era of uncertainty over the Brite Ranch ends this week. Jim White, his brother Mac, sister Hester Ann, and adopted nephew Geoffrey Connor filed a settlement agreement on October 7, 2026, splitting the 65,000-acre estate into four distinct portions. This move cancels the jury trial set for October 21 and kills the proposal to auction the entire property to the highest bidder.
The shift is stark. Hester Ann White had previously fought the division, demanding a full sale to cash out the family’s interests. Her attorney filed a motion on October 1 acknowledging the change in position. Meanwhile, Jim, Mac, and Connor asked the district judge to keep the case alive as a bench trial. They want the court to recalculate the split, arguing Hester Ann did not pay her fair share of ranch operating costs and legal fees.
The dispute traces back to 2018, when Mac and Beau White sued Jim for breaching his fiduciary duties as trustee. A 2023 jury sided with the challengers, removing Jim from control and awarding damages. But the Eighth Court of Appeals in El Paso threw that verdict out in December 2024, citing flawed jury instructions. That reversal kept the ranch in limbo for another two years.
The land itself carries weight beyond the dollar figure. Valued at $60 million, the ranch is a cornerstone of Presidio County’s identity. It was built by Lucas Charles Brite in the late 19th century and survived a violent raid on Christmas Day, 1917. The estate’s history is tangled with the Porvenir Massacre, where 15 Mexican and Mexican American men and boys were killed weeks after the raid.
The court will now decide if the division holds. If the judge sides with Jim and Mac, the land splits unevenly to account for unpaid costs. If she denies the adjustment, the four heirs divide the acreage equally. Either way, the ranch stays in the family.