Historical Marker

Burnett Horse Ranch

Historical marker location:

Burkburnett, Texas

( 1 mi. W, SH 240 at Slama Road)

In the 1870s, Samuel Burk Burnett started the 6666 (four sixes) ranch in Wichita County. Cattle operations were near the center of the county. Drought in the 1880s led Burnett and other ranchers to lease thousands of acres of grazing land from the Comanche and Kiowa tribes across the Red River in Indian Territory. Burnett purchased land for a horse ranch along the red. During this time the 6666 saw its greatest period of expansion, and Burnett improved the quality of his cattle and horses through selective breeding. When 6666 headquarters moved to King County, Burk’s son, Tom Burnett, kept ranching in Wichita County. The family sold the horse ranch in 1906, and the headquarters house burned in the 1940s.