Vermejo Park Ranch

Infobox Settlement
name =Vermejo Park Ranch
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settlement_type =Private Ranch
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pushpin_map_caption =Location of main office
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = USA
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = New Mexico
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area_total_sq_mi =923
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timezone = MST
utc_offset = -7
timezone_DST = MDT
utc_offset_DST = -6
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latd=36 |latm=51 |lats=46 |latNS=N
longd=104 |longm=28 |longs=24 |longEW=W
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footnotes =Coordinates are for the address: 1 York Canyon, Raton NM 87740
blank_name =Owner
blank_info =Ted Turner
blank1_name =
blank1_info = The Vermejo Park Ranch is a convert|590823|acre|sqmi ha|0|sing=on [ [http://www.tedturner.com/enterprises/ranches_Template.asp?page=ranches_vermejo.html tedturner.com] ] ranch owned by Ted Turner in northeast New Mexico that is said to be the largest privately owned, contiguous tract of land in the United States. [The King Ranch's 825,000 acres (3,340 km² or 1289 sq mi) are not contiguous; [http://www.allbusiness.com/government/3639644-1.html STATE, VERMEJO PARK RANCH ENTER INTO AGREEMENT REGARDING ABANDONED MINE RECLAMATION allbusiness.com - April 14 2006] ]

The ranch is the biggest component of Turner's ranch empire of 2 million acres (3,100 sq mi/809,000 ha) that as of 2007 makes him the biggest private landowner in the United States. [ [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/turner-becomes-largest-private-landowner-in-us-761711.html Turner becomes largest private landowner in US - "The Independent" - December 2, 2007] ]

The ranch's most visible component is its guest ranch and hunting. It is stocked with mule deer, pronghorn, bison, black bear, mountain lions, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and Merriam's Turkey (a subspecies of the Wild Turkey).

Some sections are used for extracting propane natural gas from its immense coal reserves. The ranch was extensively mined for coals in the early 1900s with mine names of Brilliant, Koehler and York Canyon. The ranch is said to have a 300-year reserve of bituminous coal, trillions of cubic feet of natural gas and unknown quantities of oil. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=Z_jt0gxRWLgC&pg=PA85&lpg=PA85&dq=%22wj+gourley%22&source=web&ots=g1CIplaonk&sig=rmPMPdEJaFqRUM3oQrEB-qVyGFI#PPA85,M1 Mike J. Pappas, "Raton History Mystery and More" Coda Publications - 2003] ISBN 091039069X]

A small portion is used for the Rich Cabins camp for the adjoining Philmont Scout Ranch.

It was part of the Lucien Maxwell land grant.

In the early 1900s William H. Bartlett (1850-1918) built elaborate ranch houses in the property. Bartlett bought convert|200000|acre|sqmi ha in 1902 for $195,000 and made improvements including three large residences (including the main Casa Grande) and a power plant. He expanded it to convert|300000|acre|sqmi ha.

Bartlett died at the ranch in 1918 and his sons died within two years.

A syndicate of New York, St. Louis and Chicago businessman took an option to buy the ranch and organized the Vermejo Park Club selling memberships to Tex Austin, Billy Mitchell, Amon Carter, and the Frederick Guest family. A member of the Guest family shot an elk which at the time was the ninth largest in the world; it is now on display at the Museum of Natural History in New York. However the syndicate was unable to raise the $1.8 million asking price and the original club was disbanded. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=Z_jt0gxRWLgC&pg=PA85&lpg=PA85&dq=%22wj+gourley%22&source=web&ots=g1CIplaonk&sig=rmPMPdEJaFqRUM3oQrEB-qVyGFI#PPA85,M1 Mike J. Pappas, "Raton History Mystery and More", Coda Publications - 2003] ISBN 091039069X]

"Los Angeles Times" baron Harry Chandler bought the property from Bartlett. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=FCvoJFg5jjYC&pg=PA113&lpg=PA113&dq=Harry+Chandler+Vermejo&source=web&ots=yGO87aeHTC&sig=xXNvTaM3-pkBJonKMvZ6VehGLMw Dennis McDougal , "Privileged Son: Otis Chandler and the Rise and Fall of the L.A. Times Dynasty" Da Capo - 2002] ISBN 0306811618] In 1927 Chandler and his investors worked on a new Vermejo Park Club attracting Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Harvey Firestone and Herbert Hoover. [ [http://www.vermejo.com/history.htm History - Vermejo.com] ]

The Club was disbanded in the Great Depression.

W. J. Gourley, a Fort Worth businessman, bought it in 1948 and increased the total acreage to convert|480000|acre|sqmi ha.

On December 23, 1955, the large middle guest house burned and the stables were renovated to become the ranch's main social and dining area now called "The Stables."

Pennzoil bought the property in 1973 and increased its acreage to 588,000.

In 1996 Ted Turner acquired the property, sold the cattle and used their pasturage for bison, which are also called "buffalo" in North America. Ralphie V, of the Ralphie mascot of the Colorado Buffaloes, was born there.

References

External links

* [http://www.vermejo.com Vermejo.com]