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Triangle T guest ranch holds century of stories
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| Wrangler Joe Campbell, left, and Triangle T Guest Ranch owner Linda Kelly pose behind the many majestic rock outcroppings that dot the ranch. The area has guest rooms, a saloon and horse riding. (ED HONDA/Wick Communications) |
By Laura Ory/Wick Communicaions
DRAGOON - In a photograph, visitors in riding boots and Gatsby caps are lounging in front of boulders at the Triangle T Guest Ranch in Texas Canyon, circa 1935.
Maybe the picture was taken after a hunting expedition, polo game or simply riding - the "chief diversion."
Perhaps they were resting after games at the tennis or croquet courts, or just basking in the desert, which lies "almost in heaven's lap," according to an old brochure for the ranch unexpectedly found by Linda Kelly on eBay.
The photograph, taken at some point during the ranch's heyday, was passed on to Kelly as she began collecting information about the ranch.
Some things have changed since the Triangle T Guest Ranch opened in 1929, but many others remain as testaments to its rich history - a guest book listing the Rockefellers and Vanderbilt's, the dining room where John Wayne sat and horses for riding, which are still a chief diversion.
Activity at the historic ranch has quieted in the past few decades but Kelly hopes to make it a famed destination once again.
"I'm kind of the steward to take it out of its dormant time and bring it back out," she said.
Holding history
Kelly bought the 160-acre ranch sight unseen in 2005 and the old cabins and buildings needed work. She was grieving over the loss of her grandson to cancer and looked forward to the restoration project.
After moving to the ranch from California she began finding artifacts from the ranch's past - photographs, antique carved wood bed frame left with junk in a trailer.
Over time, more of the ranch's past has become unearthed by Kelly and others.
In 1914, the land was named "Three Oaks" after the oak trees there, including some that still stand today, according to an Arizona Highways article in 2002.
A few years later it became a fruit ranch before Katherine Tutt took ownership and created the Triangle T Guest Ranch.
In 1996, a guest book (c. 1930) was found in one of the casita walls, listing John D. Rockefeller Jr., among many other visitors from the eastern United States.
Other guests have included Gen. John Pershing, President John F. Kennedy, and actors Glenn Ford and Steve McQueen.
In 1942, the ranch was the site of a covert imprisonment of Japanese diplomats at the Honolulu consulate who helped engineer the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It was chosen for its remote location.
The original 1957 filming of "3:10 to Yuma" with Glenn Ford took place at the ranch, in addition to many other western television shows and movies.
Upon hearing that John Wayne had once sat in the dining room at the ranch, one of their guests did something they had never seen before, said Ellen Hawkins, marketing manager for the ranch.
"One lady was so excited she sat in every chair," Hawkins said.
With help from local historians and longtime residents and others, she continues to collect information about the ranch's history. She soon hopes to create an on site museum.
"This needs to be shared," Kelly said. "There's a story here that needs to be told an retold."
Stepping forward
Although they hope to preserve the past, they aren't stuck in it. New things are happening at the ranch as they work to make it profitable, Kelly said.
After clearing brush, dealing with a feral cat population, rearranging antique furniture and readying the rooms the ranch opened in 2006.
Since then they've hosted family reunions, campers, and held poker tournaments for guests and locals.
Visitors can take a ride on one of the ranch's 13 horses on a guided tour through the bouldered canyons or hike if they aren't interested in seeing the land on horseback.
Not all of their guests are looking for a typical "western" experience, Kelly said. Some come for a serene setting to read or to gain some inspiration for their art, Kelly said.
They do want guests to be able to "step back in time," in their claw foot tubs and rooms with phones and televisions, Hawkins said.
But a computer and WiFi Internet access are available if the need arises. After all, staying connected was also important to the ranch's first guests - "A radio in the main house keeps us in immediate touch with the important happenings of the outside world," reads one of the early brochures.
Back then; guests could browse through the gift shop that featured "unusual Indian and Mexican things." Now the ranch offers western-themed gifts by local artisans and photographers.
Instead of a walk down the aisle, brides can descend from the boulders where they held wedding ceremonies.
In the evenings their guests can be found around the campfire, playing horseshoes, or in the saloon with a bar built around a boulder for their mesquite grilled meats and entertainment.
They're anxious for future guests to discover the ranch.
"We're like a secret," Kelly said.
"But we want it to be told," Hawkins said.
Herald/Review reporter Laura Ory can be reached at 520-515-4683 or by e-mail at svhnews@transedge.com.
CONTACTS
Take Exit 318 off Interstate 10 at Dragoon Road. Follow Dragoon Road 1/4 mile to the Triangle T Guest Ranch.
For information:
€ 1-866-586-7533
€ 1-520-586-7533
Maybe the picture was taken after a hunting expedition, polo game or simply riding - the "chief diversion."
Perhaps they were resting after games at the tennis or croquet courts, or just basking in the desert, which lies "almost in heaven's lap," according to an old brochure for the ranch unexpectedly found by Linda Kelly on eBay.
The photograph, taken at some point during the ranch's heyday, was passed on to Kelly as she began collecting information about the ranch.
Some things have changed since the Triangle T Guest Ranch opened in 1929, but many others remain as testaments to its rich history - a guest book listing the Rockefellers and Vanderbilt's, the dining room where John Wayne sat and horses for riding, which are still a chief diversion.
Activity at the historic ranch has quieted in the past few decades but Kelly hopes to make it a famed destination once again.
"I'm kind of the steward to take it out of its dormant time and bring it back out," she said.
Holding history
Kelly bought the 160-acre ranch sight unseen in 2005 and the old cabins and buildings needed work. She was grieving over the loss of her grandson to cancer and looked forward to the restoration project.
After moving to the ranch from California she began finding artifacts from the ranch's past - photographs, antique carved wood bed frame left with junk in a trailer.
Over time, more of the ranch's past has become unearthed by Kelly and others.
In 1914, the land was named "Three Oaks" after the oak trees there, including some that still stand today, according to an Arizona Highways article in 2002.
A few years later it became a fruit ranch before Katherine Tutt took ownership and created the Triangle T Guest Ranch.
In 1996, a guest book (c. 1930) was found in one of the casita walls, listing John D. Rockefeller Jr., among many other visitors from the eastern United States.
Other guests have included Gen. John Pershing, President John F. Kennedy, and actors Glenn Ford and Steve McQueen.
In 1942, the ranch was the site of a covert imprisonment of Japanese diplomats at the Honolulu consulate who helped engineer the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It was chosen for its remote location.
The original 1957 filming of "3:10 to Yuma" with Glenn Ford took place at the ranch, in addition to many other western television shows and movies.
Upon hearing that John Wayne had once sat in the dining room at the ranch, one of their guests did something they had never seen before, said Ellen Hawkins, marketing manager for the ranch.
"One lady was so excited she sat in every chair," Hawkins said.
With help from local historians and longtime residents and others, she continues to collect information about the ranch's history. She soon hopes to create an on site museum.
"This needs to be shared," Kelly said. "There's a story here that needs to be told an retold."
Stepping forward
Although they hope to preserve the past, they aren't stuck in it. New things are happening at the ranch as they work to make it profitable, Kelly said.
After clearing brush, dealing with a feral cat population, rearranging antique furniture and readying the rooms the ranch opened in 2006.
Since then they've hosted family reunions, campers, and held poker tournaments for guests and locals.
Visitors can take a ride on one of the ranch's 13 horses on a guided tour through the bouldered canyons or hike if they aren't interested in seeing the land on horseback.
Not all of their guests are looking for a typical "western" experience, Kelly said. Some come for a serene setting to read or to gain some inspiration for their art, Kelly said.
They do want guests to be able to "step back in time," in their claw foot tubs and rooms with phones and televisions, Hawkins said.
But a computer and WiFi Internet access are available if the need arises. After all, staying connected was also important to the ranch's first guests - "A radio in the main house keeps us in immediate touch with the important happenings of the outside world," reads one of the early brochures.
Back then; guests could browse through the gift shop that featured "unusual Indian and Mexican things." Now the ranch offers western-themed gifts by local artisans and photographers.
Instead of a walk down the aisle, brides can descend from the boulders where they held wedding ceremonies.
In the evenings their guests can be found around the campfire, playing horseshoes, or in the saloon with a bar built around a boulder for their mesquite grilled meats and entertainment.
They're anxious for future guests to discover the ranch.
"We're like a secret," Kelly said.
"But we want it to be told," Hawkins said.
Herald/Review reporter Laura Ory can be reached at 520-515-4683 or by e-mail at svhnews@transedge.com.
CONTACTS
Take Exit 318 off Interstate 10 at Dragoon Road. Follow Dragoon Road 1/4 mile to the Triangle T Guest Ranch.
For information:
€ 1-866-586-7533
€ 1-520-586-7533
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