Page 29 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine Summer 2021 - Online Magazine

LOCAL HISTORY

Sixes Supply House, so
cowboys could purchase
basic provisions not
otherwise found in such
a remote location. Oil
was discovered on the
Dixon Creek Ranch in
1921, and a major oil
field was discovered on
the Four Sixes in 1969.

To house the ranch
manager and
entertain guests, in
1917, Burk decided
Samuel Burk Burnett made his first
cattle drive from North Texas along the Burk Burnett decided to build “the finest ranch house in West to build “the finest
Chisholm Trail to Kansas in 1866. By Texas” as his headquarters in 1917. Today ranch foreman Joe ranch house in West
1871 he had begun to build the famous Leathers and his family live in one wing of “The Big House,” and
Four Sixes Ranch that became one of the the Burnett descendants have 11 bedrooms and the rest of the Texas.” This beautiful
largest cattle empires in the world. house for themselves and their guests. three-story rock
home still dominates
brand. Realizing that the “open 6” man. Help my people a good deal. the headquarters compound.
design would be easy to fashion into You see some big men hold tight to Historically, the ranch manager and
irons but difficult to alter by thieves, money. Afraid to die. Burnett help his family live in one portion of the
Burk purchased the rights to the anybody.” house, and Burnett descendants and
brand. Burk was running 10,000 head of their guests utilize a separate area.
With the help of his father-in-law in cattle on the Big Pasture when he The 13,280-square-foot home is
the mid-1870s, Burk moved his cattle began looking for other land after known as “The Big House” and
on land he purchased in Wichita Congress ordered cattlemen to vacate contains 13 bedrooms, 13 baths,
County, between the Red and their leases and turn the land back to 3 powder rooms, 2 kitchens, a
Wichita Rivers. He established his the tribes. At the turn of the century, dining room and 3 fireplaces. Early
first ranch headquarters near the site Burk bought the 140,000-acre Old day visitors to the home included
of present-day Wichita Falls. In the Eight Ranch near Guthrie and moved President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Will
1880s, when much of the land was his 6666 Ranch headquarters to King Rogers, and Chief Quanah Parker.
still open range, he found another County. The purchase came with
place to graze his cattle north of the 1,500 head of cattle already on the Burk and his wife, Ruth Loyd, had
Red River in Indian Territory. ranch. Burk also bought the Dixon three children, but only their
Creek Ranch
The government had reserved near Borger in
488,000 acres for grazing use by the 1902; these two
Kiowa, Comanche and Apache tribes. ranches, plus
Known as the Big Pasture, the area later additions,
was open prairie land with good amounted to
grass. Burk worked out a deal with one-third of a
legendary Comanche Chief Quanah million acres.
Parker to lease some of the land. As a
result, the two men developed a close With his
relationship. “I got one good friend,” headquarters
the Comanche chief told a crowd at relocated to
the 1910 State Fair of Texas. “Burk Guthrie, Burk
Burnett. He big heart, rich man, cow built the Four
806.557.1216

Amarillo Senior Link 29