THE AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE
HERITAGE CENTER
&
MUSEUM

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THE FOUR SIXES RANCH

PART I

Samuel Burk Burnett

About 1870, Burk purchased a small herd of native cattle and the rights to the "6666" brand. In 1874, Burk became the first cattleman in Texas to purchase a herd and hold it for fattening. Burk moved to where Wichita Falls, Texas, now stands and established his headquarters. Dry range conditions convinced him to move to the Red River, north of Wichita Falls.

In the 1880s, Burk successfully negotiated lease agreements with the Kiowas and Comanches north of the Red River. In his dealings with the Indians, Burk became a close friend of Chief Quanah Parker of the Comanches. As a sign of their respect for Burk, the Comanches named him Mas-Sa-Suta, which means "Big Boss."

In the spring of 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt toured the Indian lands in Oklahoma and visited some of the ranchers who had leased grazing land from the Indians, including the Burnetts. During the trip, the ranchers treated Roosevelt to a wolf hunt. Posing after the hunt were several notable Texas ranchers. Included were Lee Bivins, standing at left and Burk Burnett, standing fifth from left. Also posing were President Roosevelt, standing to right of Burnett, and Quanah Parker, kneeling in front of Bivins.
Courtesy of Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Research Center, Canyon, Texas

By the turn of the century, the U.S. government called for the immediate removal of all livestock from Indian leases. Burk travelled to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt, understanding the cattlemen's plight, authorized a two-year extension so the ranchers could find other ranges for their cattle.

Burk purchased the 8 Ranch near Guthrie, Texas, in 1900. Three years later he purchased the Dixon Creek Ranch in the Texas Panhandle from the Cunard Line. Along with a few later purchases, Burk had amassed more than a third of a million acres. In 1921, the discovery well for the Panhandle Oil Field was brought in on the Dixon Creek Ranch. On June 27, 1922, Samuel Burk Burnett died

Burk's son, Tom L. Burnett was a great horseman, possessing an uncanny ability to judge horseflesh. He was well-respected both among cattlemen and ranch employees. At age 16, Tom worked as a cowboy with his father's herds on the Indian lands Burk leased in Oklahoma. While working the lease, Tom learned the ways of the Comanches. He spoke their language and developed close friendships, including one with Quanah Parker. Tom became wagon boss of the lease outfit when he was 21. Leaving his father's employ, Tom struck out on his own and established the Triangle Ranches near Iowa Park and Paducah, Texas. He died in 1938, leaving his holdings to his only daughter, Anne V. Burnett.
This photograph, taken in 1908, shows Tom Burnett and Quanah Parker at a Comanche village.

Ranch work has not changed much since Burk Burnett saddled his first horse. Each morning, cowboys wrangle or "jingle" the horses they will need for the day's work. Depending upon the type of work to be done and the terrain, the cowboys may cut out two or three mounts each.

These photographs were taken some time in the 1940s or 1950s.
Courtesy of Burnett Ranches, Ltd., Guthrie, Texas

CONTINUE TO PART II