When Fort Worth rancher, horse aficionado, art collector, arts patron, and philanthropist Anne Marion died in February at age 81, she left behind a Texas ranching empire about one-third the size of Rhode Island. Now, all three of Marion’s ranches are on the market for more than $340 million.
In her will, Marion dictated that the three Texas Panhandle properties — collectively known as the 6666’s ranches — be sold. They encompass 266,255 acres spread across King, Hutchinson, Carson, and Sherman counties. All are operated primarily as cattle ranches.
The largest of the three ranches is 6666’s Ranch, measuring 142,372 acres. Price tag: $192,202,200. It’s the first time the ranch, founded in 1870, has been up for sale. Marion’s maternal grandfather, legendary Texas rancher, oilman, and landowner Samuel “Burk” Burnett, started what now is called 6666’s Ranch. It’s about 200 miles northwest of Fort Worth.
“This historic property was established 150 years ago,” according to the sale listing, “and only about once in a lifetime does a ranch of this scale and significance come on the market. This is a rare opportunity to own a great piece of Texas history.”
Upon his death in 1922, the bulk of Burnett’s estate went to his daughter, Anne Burnett, in a trusteeship for her not-yet-born daughter (Marion). Anne Burnett eventually married Charles Tandy, who founded Fort Worth-based Tandy Corp., which owned the RadioShack chain of electronics stores. After Anne Burnett Tandy’s death in 1980, her daughter inherited most of the estate.
The most prominent structure at 6666’s Ranch is the 13,280-square-foot main house. It contains 13 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, three powder rooms, two kitchens, three fireplaces, and a dining room. A number of well-known guests have stayed there, including U.S. presidents.
Other features include:
- Roughly 20 smaller homes
- Private landing strip
- Airplane hangar
- Mineral, solar generation, and wind generation rights
- 48,750-square-foot horse arena
- Several barns and stables
- Abundant wildlife, including whitetail deer, quail, and dove
“No commercial hunting has ever been allowed on the property. [Anne] Marion enjoyed hunting and used the property as a place to personally hunt and invite family members and friends … for hunting. It is rare to find a property of this magnitude where commercial hunting has never been allowed,” according to the sale listing.
Aside from 6666’s Ranch, Marion’s estate owns the 114,455-acre Dixon Ranch, which Burk Burnett purchased in 1903. It’s about 350 miles northwest of Fort Worth. The property, which includes six houses, is on the market for nearly $137.35 million.
The smallest of Marion’s ranches is the 9,428-acre Frisco Creek Ranch, about 400 miles northwest of Fort Worth near the Oklahoma border. It’s priced at nearly $12.21 million. Marion bought the property in 2016. It includes a log home with 3,658 square feet of living space, as well as a two-bedroom apartment in a separate building.
All told, the three ranches are listed at $341,757,460. The listing agent is Sam Middleton of Lubbock-based real estate brokerage firm Chas. S. Middleton and Son. He’s also the listing agent for the late T. Boone Pickens’ 64,809-acre Mesa Vista Ranch in the Texas Panhandle, which is priced at $220 million.
The 6666 has operated as a cattle ranch since its founding in 1870.
