The Legendary and Peculiarly Named 6666 Ranch in King County Texas Is for Sale
The 6666 Ranch (say it as 'four sixes') in King County, Texas, is up for sale for a little over $192,000,000, according to brokerage firm Middleton and Son. The iconic spot in King County is being sold in accordance with the will of Anne Burnett Marion, who passed away just last February.
There's been plenty of speculation over the years about the meaning behind the numbers in the ranch's name. According to an article published by the National Ranching Heritage Center, the origin is unknown and has nothing to do with a winning card game hand, which is what I was always told. The Texas History Notebook details the legend of the 6666:
Legend has it that rancher Samuel Burk Burnett won the ranch in a high stakes poker game and that another player, out of money, had bet his ranch on his poker hand, only to lose to Burk Burnett’s hand of four sixes. It makes a great story, right? Burnett denied the story more than once. Nevertheless, the legend has endured and 6666 has been the ranch brand.
But there's little evidence to be found anywhere for the odd 6666 brand.
The massive ranch has three buildings on 142,372 acres, most of which is native pasture with a small portion for cultivation.
The late owner, Anne, was the granddaughter of the ranch's founder, Samuel Burk Burnett, who started the ranch when he was only 19 years old with 100 head of cattle.
When I was 19, I was trying to figure out the secret to a perfectly-cooked hot pocket. There's some perspective for ya.
If you think you might be interested in swooping in and grabbing this legendary spot, your money will buy you not only the ranch itself, but the previous owner's home, employee homes, stalls, barns, and multiple employee campsites located throughout the gorgeous property.
I remember driving past the ranch on different road trips. The bright red buildings and surrounding landscape always seemed to catch my eye as a child. After being owned by the same family for over 150 years, it's strange to see it being sold and one can only imagine what may come of it now. Hopefully, it's around for another 150 years.