The 6666 Ranch - A Quick History 

Imagine being a 30 year old husband and father that LOVES watching Yellowstone with his wife, and has every single one of Taylor Sheridan’s movies memorized, and one day you’re in your gym in a small town of Texas, pulling deadlifts, and that very same Taylor Sheridan walks right by. Still see him in the gym from time to time, if I look like him when i’m his age then i’ll be thrilled. Super cool guy, and everyone loves him so much there that they give him the respect and privacy that he needs to get his lifts done.

My Grandfather came to Texas, then Indian Territory in 1895 from South Carolina. He worked for the Price Ranch and for two winters worked in the Big Pasture, living in a dugout. He lived to age 92, so I heard many stories. My Mother was born in Pickens County, Chickasaw Nation in 1903. He later bought 127 acres of surplus Chickasaw land, and became a farmer.

Taylor Sheridan deserves everything he has coming to him. He is the best writer of the 21st century! I have enjoyed everything that he has done and look forward to more.

A little trivia for you. The horse that Marshal Dillion rode in the Gunsmoke series was Old Buck. After the series ended Lorne Greene bought the horse from Fat Jones, the stock contractor Wrangler that owned him. He rode him through the Bonanza series. There have been many articles written about Old Buck and how he lived to be 45 and spent the last 19 years teaching mental and physical handicapped kids how to ride. What they don't tell you is Old Buck was an American Quarterhorse named Dunny Waggoner. His sire was Blackburn. a foundation sire and in the pedigree of a lot of world champion cutting horses. His dam was by Waggoner's Rainy Day, a lot of racehorse winners have him in the pedigree Old Buck was born on the Waggoner Ranch at Vernon Texas and used as a ranch horse before Fat Jones took him to Hollywood. Blackburn was known for throwing buckskin and dun colts. My parents had a broodmare with Blackburn close up in the pedigree.. Her colts were always the color of freshly unwrapped Hershey bar.

Thanks for another interesting video. I have heard of the 6666 ranch but knew nothing about it. I really appreciate all the time you put into your videos to give us a complete story. Love the history you impart!

This was a wonderful, informative, and picturesque video Rhett. Very impressed with the entire piece. Thank you! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I LOVED this! Thank you so much for doing this wonderful tribute to Mr. Burnett.

Came by to get my daily history lesson thank you, never get tired of these stories

Quite a difference between Montana and West Texas or North Texas depending on how you look at it. I've punched cattle here in southern NM just 80 miles North of El Paso TX. High desert is a bit treacherous in some places. I've had mesquite thorns puncture the sole of my boots, thigh of my chaps, etc. Bastards hurt. Ruined a sleeping bag once. Got it covered with goatheads. Gotta be careful and alert or the lands put you down. Love it here. Don't ever wanna leave.

I tell ya, Mrs Rhetty and you make me look like I have zero education lol. But I m learning. I don’t know very much about the old or new west. So thank u for all the great videos !

Great video Rhetty very much enjoyed The place has a lot of history and am glad its being kept alive Thankyou for sharing it

Rhett, I have been by the ranch in Guthrie, saw the store there. Never got to stop, wish I could have. I have also been by the ranch in the panhandle of Texas as well. I have always been interested in big ranches, like the Wagoner and others. There is a cowboy at the 6666's by the name of "Boots O'Neal" quite a fellow, he has been there for several years. He is about 86 years old, and still works there everyday! He has a little apartment there on the ranch, I guess he will work there till he dies. Look him up and check him out, he is full of history about these ranches. You might enjoy it, I know I do. I also have cowboyed some in my life, a great life style for sure!! Thanks for the video!!

Thank you Rhett for sharing these interesting Wild West stories. Great job 👍

Interesting history. Now I have to go watch Yellowstone!

Nice to hear all these stories of the past. Thanks again!

Rhett, I really enjoyed this historical Old West video about the origins of the 6666 ranch. I'd never heard of the ranch or the owner, as I love the Old West this was very interesting and fascinating, as well. Loved your investigation, presentation and photos, too. Have a fantastic weekend. Take care 🐎

Love your videos. Always learn something new. Thank you

Thanks for this VERY INFORMATIVE and INTERESTING video, Rhetty!! XXXX

Nice look at that history

We need a video on XIT (Ten in Texas) Ranch. It was over 3 million acres.

All history is interesting - when Rhetty's the narrator! Love this channel Rhetty : ) XX

A real fan of Yellowstone and 1883 and now seeing this new look on the 6666 Ranch. Beautifully noted Rhetty.🐎🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐄🐂🐂🐎

I did my first watch of this earlier today while I was at work and then I wanted to come back and watch it more thoroughly where I couldn't miss anything. Wonderful job ready wonderful job.

Thanks Rhett! I love Yellowstone and 1883 and I can’t wait until 6666 starts. I had no idea it was a “real” working ranch. Thanks for the history lesson, keep them coming.

Never a big western or cowboys but enjoy your videos thankyou

I use to work fall and spring roundups at the 6666 ranch when I was a cowboy. They paid pretty good for traveling cowboys and the ranch hands were always nice to us when we came through

Thanks again for sharing that real history. I am sure the t.v. show will do it justice.

Hey Rhett, thanks for the history on this HUGE ranch. 300,000 + acres. That's bigger than some towns!! Just kidding. Seriously, this was really good. Thanks my friend!

Good job , My hubby is in the 1883 sequel. It was filmed across the road from our farm. I can tell you one thing they will do in the new sequel They will say the f word a million times.

I use to work in Texas and when I would drive by it , it would creep me out lol

I enjoyed Yellowstone and 1883 so far. I am looking forward to his upcoming series about Bass Reeves as well. Great video,

Thanks for the video Rhet. I have seen the 6666 signs on gates and roads in Texas but did not know it was a working ranch. Thanks....

TFS the history on this ranch. You always have a interesting story to tell.

Wow this was really interesting..Thank you

We moved to Burkburnett Texas in March of 2021 from California, we had never eve watched Yellowstone, now we are very proud to be living in the town named after an obviously awesome dude, so cool!!!!

Thank's Rhett as always a interesting piece of History.loved the photos. .We just had a huge power cuts. Went off on Wednesday. & came on Sunday afternoon. Happy days😃.

I haven't watched Yellowstone yet 🙈 but it's on my list when I get some time!! Thanks for this history 👍 Very interesting!!

I enjoyed this thanks for sharing rhetty 😊🇮🇪

Great video, thanks so much for sharing!

Great Stuff, Love from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Absolutely amazing I really enjoyed it and I love History of the old West. Nothing exciting me more than that my family were Cattle Ranchers in Colorado on the Western Slope of the Rockies.🌹❣️

Good morning Rhett 🙋🏽. I hope that you are having an awesome morning 🌄. Stay warm and safe out there 👍🏽☺️. This video was very insightful. Even though I've never heard of this This Guy or the ranch. It's always good to learn about different people and places. your the teacher and I'm the student, I'M learning ‼️😃.l love Old West history and ALL history. Thank you for sharing this with me 🙋🏽❤️👍🏽. This place is really beautiful ❤️👍🏽.

Thanks. History of ranches are a favorite subject.

Really enjoyed this video - thanks!

Good one Rhetty..

I don't know how many of us could survive what these people did in 1880.Not many! Would like to visit there someday. Thank you.

Thanks for the information... big fan of the old west...

Very,very interesting story, I hope this series be wonderful to see..👍👍👍

What a great video! Thank you!

Impressive. Loved the barn.

I have been through Burkburnett TX, on my way to Wichita Falls to visit family. Now I know the rest of the story. From Kansas City MO - Thanks Rhett for always bringing to light and life, of these old west stories and the people who made them happen.

Hi Reaht. I’m working now. But I still watch you. Thanks again for the share

We have a town named Guthrie in Oklahoma, too; those Guthries really got around!

Got rid of TV back in 1992, but have the first 3 seasons of Yellowstone, Wind River and Hell or High Water on DVD. Will have to check out 1883 and 6666.

Great story, thank you for sharing.

Nice history lesson. Thanks.

I really like the Yellowstone series and all the spin-offs like 1883 and 1923

That is very interesting. I have been hearing a lot about Yellowstone.

Been in the "big house" a hundred times. The foundation was built on whiskey kegs filled with concrete. It used to be full of native american artifacts and exotic animal mounts. Even the interior walls are solid rock. After Anne died and "Little Anne" inherited everything, the house went through an intense renovation. Lots of interesting things took place including a nice lear jet pushed into a hole and burned.

I absolutely love the show. And had no idea about the 6666 ranch. Thought it was made up until I started reading up about it. Such a fascinating story. I was sad to read it was sold.

I stumbled on this and found it fasinating. While reading a story about the 6666s ranch in the Western Horseman Magazine, my father - long deceased - told me he had been the horse breaker on the 6666s ranch. He also told me he knew S Burk and explained that the name came from winning the ranch in a poker game with four 6s.

Old cowboy once told me "You better love ranching, because you sure as hell ain't gonna like it".

Pass this place a few times a year heading to spike box hunting ranch. Had no idea you could stop and check it out. Definitely will next time I'm up that way. Glad to see the ranch is being left intact and still working. Too many pieces of American history and foundation are being bought up and parted out.

Wow, really interesting. I been watching Yellowstone since the first season.

Burkburnett TX has more rattlesnakes than people. Interesting story, about the man and town. I wonder how many cowboys have called the 6666 home? Thanks for posting this video!

That ranch couldn’t be put in a much safer hands than Taylor. That man just loves the western life. Can’t wait to see what that series will be about.

Thank you for sharing 🙂👍

Love the history! Man, it must be nice to be filthy rich!!!!! Thanks for sharing!🖐🖐👍👍🇺🇸🐎🇺🇸

😎 that was one BIG ranch 👍

Never heard of this place but all that land and the horses, and that beautiful house. Anyway would love to be there.

I lived in Burkburnett Texas and it’s cute small town surrounded by those many farms and I love it! I’m going to move back when it’s right time.

I got to visit the ranch to pick up some horses. Love it there!

Thanks for research. I grew up on a ranch and bought my first quarterhorse in 1970. My grandfather was riding a Waggoner Ranch horse when he dated my grandmother. So I have been interested in the four sixes, Waggoner, Pitchfork, Tongue River, Triangle and Matador ranches all my life. This area known as the big empty produced the foundation horses for the American Qurarterhorse. Along with the King Ranch of course. The dam of the best horse I ever owned came from the Pitchfork. The stories of these ranches and the families would make a great mini-series if they just stuck to the history book without Hollywood embellishment. Tom Burnett and Guy Waggoner were a couple of rich playboys. Tom Waggoner made a couple of children with one of Quanah Parker's many daughters. She sued the estate for paternity after his death in 1938. It went all the way to the Supreme Court and she lost. I suspect the case could be reopened with the advent of DNA. This could be the reason Anne Marion put in the will to sell. Her daughter Windi Grimes is well capable of running the ranches. After her father was killed in a plane crash, B.F. Phillips Jr. became here step-dad when she was five , a great horseman and stepdad. He is famous for producing the horses Docolena and Dash for Cash.

Thank you!

Be amazing to own a ranch like this, like a dream come true.

My great relatives were The Chisholms (Chisum) of the Trail, beginning with Jesse and later John, Jesse’s cousin. Came to Texas from TN… cattlemen and traders.

Beautiful ranch house.

I was there many years ago when traveling as a boilermaker and working at a contico Phillips refinery north of the ranch. We stayed at a hotel in Amarillo and drove to the plant daily. We passed this ranch everyday and talked about it in the morning drive. We went to the big Texan steak house and struck conversation about it where we were told by locals that it was the 6666 ranch because that was the winning hand of a poker game that won the ranch..

Well done.

great video

Hey my dad and granddad are in this video thank you for posting it so much I love that life

Thank you very much!

Always wondered how that town got its name. Never been there but knew about through my work in the oil industry back in the early 80s.

I have never seen Yellowstone. My Dad was a chuckwagon cook on the ranch before enlisting in the Army Air Corp during WW II (the big one!)

Gorgeous interior. Wow

Love the video, haven't seen Yellowstone or 1883, but I'm thinking about purchasing a TV to watch them, love the western. I got to live on the Dixon Creek branch of the 6666 back in the 70s down in the Canadian out of Borger, lived there for seven yrs. It looked like where Gus rescued Lori darlin' from Blue Duck's gang, then took refuge at Adobe Walls where Billy Dixon made his famous shot. I'm pretty well studied on the history of the area and l have my B.S. in history, so that's that. 😝

East Main Street in Decatur Texas ends at the Waggoner Mansion. This is where W.T. ,Guy, and Electra Waggoner grew up. It has been gifted to the city and is being restored. At one time the land around the house covered three counties. This house was used as the model for the movie set for Giant staring Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. Poorly based on the KIng Ranch family. This house and the Waggoner family history would make a great story. The last Waggoner property recently sold for 73 million at Electra Texas.

Cool!!! We drive by the ranch win we travel from Fort Worth to Ralls Texas.

One film this ranch was also featured in was a Roy Rogers movie called Macintosh and TJ.

In the fifties my friend’s dad was the manager of one of the ranches outside Wichita Falls. His name was Darr Jackson and he allowed us to ride the ranch horses all over the place. We covered a lot of territory.

Rhetty, Since the last descendant sold the ranch through her will, any idea where the money from the sell went?

Another fantastic review of history! Is the Star House still around? I feel like it’s not?

Roy Rogers made a movie out of the Four 6's called Macintosh and T.J.. You would have to be old to remember it.

I learned something today

Lovely

Sir, you’ve left out some VERY important and interesting details about the Ranch like how it was acquired and how he settled on the name 6666…

..my dad was born in Burkburnett...a proud son of Texas!!..

I’m excited to watch the new series of 6666

I really like 1883.

Amazing! 🇧🇷