A piece of Texas ranching history is up for grabs-if you have $10.3 million and a taste for the Old West. The Burton Ranch, a sprawling 1,593-acre property south of Comanche, has hit the market for $10,323,817, offering a rare combination of working ranchland, wildlife habitat and something that’s increasingly difficult to put a price on: more than 150 years of Texas history.
At the heart of the property is a historic ranch house built in 1875, along with old barns, sheds and other outbuildings.
Burton Ranch in Comanche, Texas. (Shannon Faulk/Courtesy Hortenstine Ranch Co.)
The listing acknowledges that the old structures aren’t exactly luxury real estate.
“There is little value in usability, but a lot of value in history,” the listing says. “It is like stepping back in time when you walk through this old ranch headquarters.”
And that’s exactly the appeal.
A ranch with roots stretching back to the 1870s
Burton Ranch in Comanche, Texas. (Shannon Faulk/Courtesy Hortenstine Ranch Co.)
The Burton Ranch traces its history to John Bassett Burton, who settled in the Comanche County area in the early 1870s after marrying Mary Neely of Comanche. Burton established a cattle ranch, beginning a family connection to the land that would span generations. His grandson, Sid Burton (1908-1982), continued the family’s ranching tradition, spending his life working the land in Comanche County.
The Burton and Mercer families were eventually recognized by the Texas Family Land Heritage Registry for continuously operating their ranching enterprise since the 1870s-an honor recognizing more than a century of agricultural production and stewardship. Over the decades, the family operation wasn’t limited to cattle.
Burton Ranch in Comanche, Texas. (Shannon Faulk/Courtesy Hortenstine Ranch Co.)
The ranching enterprise included cattle, sheep, hogs, row crops and Jersey dairy cattle, according to the listing, while members of the family remained active in the local agricultural community. Now, one of the remaining pieces of that legacy is looking for a new owner.
Nearly 1,600 acres of classic Texas ranch country
The property sits about eight miles south of Comanche along County Road 235, roughly two hours from Fort Worth and about 2.5 hours from Dallas. Its classic Central Texas ranch country, with rolling hills, expansive views and 181 feet of elevation change across the property. Massive mature live oaks dot the landscape, while pecan and elm trees line the drainages. The South Leon River crosses the southern portion of the ranch, with additional drainages running through the property.
Burton Ranch in Comanche, Texas. (Shannon Faulk/Courtesy Hortenstine Ranch Co.)
Five water wells – complete with windmills, holding tanks and troughs – and eight stock tanks provide water for livestock and wildlife. The ranch also has nearly two miles of County Road 235 frontage and four entrances. And while the property is ready to operate as a cattle ranch, there aren’t currently any cattle on it.
Deer, turkey and a lot of wide-open space
The ranch also comes with plenty for the hunter or wildlife enthusiast. Whitetail deer are plentiful, with the property producing what the listing describes as quality bucks with good native genetics. Rio Grande turkey, dove, quail, feral hogs, predators and native songbirds also inhabit the property.
Burton Ranch in Comanche, Texas. (Shannon Faulk/Courtesy Hortenstine Ranch Co.)
There’s currently little to no hunting presence-and notably, there aren’t even hunting blinds or feeders on the ranch. That gives the property a relatively untouched appearance.
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This article originally published at This historic Texas ranch comes with an 1875 home-and $10M price tag.