Here’s our selection of spotlight properties featured in the fall 2018 issue of Texas LAND Magazine.
KB Carter Ranch | Leon County, Texas
KB Carter Ranch is synonymous with hard work, determination and honor. Steeped in history, it’s one of the oldest, most respected ranches in Texas.
Dating back to the early 1800s, the vast property was originally home to two plantations owned by the Bannerman and Blackshear families. Both cotton planters and large landowners, their family cemeteries still remain on today’s KB Carter Ranch.
BB Kimbell began purchasing the land from both families in the late 1800s, which ultimately became part of KB Carter Ranch. The 14,500-acre ranch is still owned by descendants of the Kimbell family.
As a young entrepreneur, Kimbell worked his way from Florida to the small town of Oakwood, Texas. There, he became a well-established cotton merchant and businessman, later earning the title of “cotton king.” Kimbell was also the largest landowner and livestock dealer in the area. After his unexpected death in 1922, it was said, “his word was as good as a gold bond.”
BB Kimbell left his two children an inheritance that included cotton, graining mills, grocery stores and land. Eventually, this inheritance would help pave the way for a small, internationally-known museum in Fort Worth, Texas—the Kimbell Art Museum.
Hondo Creek Ranch | Bandera County, Texas
View property on Lands of America
The Hondo Creek Ranch, in south central Bandera County, offers prolific live water, developed water features, productive valleys, exceptional topography, forever views and fantastic historical improvements.
The stunning O’neil Ford remodeled historical custom home overlooks valleys encompassing the 1.65 miles of Hondo Creek and 1.1 miles of Spring Creek that are found on the ranch. The extensive water features, rich native grasses, abundant wildlife, stately oaks plus inviting canyons and ridges make this ranch the personification of the Texas Hill Country.
Live water Hondo Creek passes through the ranch for 1.65 miles, and Spring Creek (portions live) drains into Hondo Creek after crossing 1.1 miles of the ranch. There are four developed water features on the creeks: two on Hondo Creek and two on Spring Creek with the largest lake being about five acres! In addition, there is a substantial group of year-round springs that emerge in the central part of the ranch and flow for about 9/10 of a mile (depending on weather conditions) across the ranch before leaving the property.
This scenic Hill Country ranch has nearly 600 feet of topographical relief with a high point some 1,960 feet above sea level. Approximately half the ranch is fertile valley bottomland with majestic trees and deep rooted grasses bounded on the northwestern and southern ends by extensive ridges, hills and canyons. This diversity along with the riparian areas along the Hondo Creek and Spring Creek offer extraordinarily productive habitat.
Typical of this part of the Hill Country, the habitat includes oak juniper woodlands with incredible tree diversity including live oak, spanish oak, shin oak, lacey oak, Texas Madrone, cherry, redbud, walnut and ash juniper. Additionally, diverse brush species, succulents and native grasses also provide excellent habitat for wildlife. Juniper management has been in place on the ranch for years in the valleys, lower hillsides and ridge tops, enhancing range conditions, habitat and spring flows.
The ranch is home to thriving populations of white-tailed deer, turkey, dove, quail and varmints plus exotics including Pere David Deer, red deer, axis deer, fallow deer, water buck, aoudad and feral hogs. In addition, this area of Texas is a known destination for birdwatchers!
The centerpiece is the the hacienda-style O’neil Ford remodeled 7,700-square-foot home with its inviting front porch, tile floors, plaster walls and tile roof. The home has five bedrooms, six baths, a wood-beamed living room with formal dining, billiard room, breakfast room, eight fireplaces and two office spaces. One of the bedrooms is accessed by way of a porch and is known as the “LBJ” room. The home has a history of entertaining celebrities and diplomats over the years.
Faulkner Ranch | Kerr County, Texas
View property on Lands of America
The historic Faulkner Ranch is one of the finest turnkey ranches in all of the Texas Hill Country! This 4,540± acre ranch is a haven for both native and exotic wildlife and is easily accessible with frontage on both Hwy 39 and FM 187 in southwestern Kerr County, just west of the charming town of Hunt, Texas.
The Faulkner Ranch has been well-managed to provide an exceptional habitat for wildlife including an abundance of whitetail deer, wild turkey, dove, axis deer, fallow deer, blackbuck antelope, red deer, barasingha and feral hogs. Native whitetails are managed under a Level III Managed Lands Deer Permit.
The completely high-fenced scenic ranch has over 13± miles of chip-sealed roads lined with mature trees, and the remainder of the property is reachable by conventional ranch roads. The majority of cedar has been removed, leaving a variety of oak, walnut, pecan and hackberry trees to create a picturesque landscape. Three game-fenced pastures have been divided into 3,473± acres, 667± acres and 400± acres. Thick native grasses and plentiful vegetation for wildlife have been enhanced by a rotational grazing program.
The rustic elegance of the main house provides a warm ambiance, perfect for entertaining guests. The 5,460± square-foot ranch-style home has four bedrooms, a massive fireplace in the living room, a wet bar, a game room complete with its own fireplace and gorgeous exposed wooden beams. The house rests on a beautifully landscaped 9.5± acre tract and includes an attached garage and two guest apartments.
A vintage school house has been restored to include a bedroom and bath, with a nearby rock pila converted into a swimming pool. The landscaped and fenced foreman’s residence is a four-bedroom, two-bath double-wide manufactured home, and a sleeping-quarters barn encompasses 7,500± square feet within its six bays. The 6,250± square-foot equipment barn boasts a sturdy metal frame and concrete slab. It houses a walk-in cooler and game processing area.
Groundwater is plentiful on the ranch. Fifteen wells are outfitted with a mix of solar and electric submersible pumps, piped to tanks and troughs throughout the property.
Follow @landsofamerica on Instagram for a daily dose of the best images from our land listings!