George Ranch Historical Park
The George Ranch Historical Park is a living piece of history. The 20,000-acre ranch features four home sites and hands-on educational activities for guests of all ages. From watching cowboys drive cattle through a dipping vat to learning about a blacksmith’s craft, guests are immersed in Texas history from the 1830s through the 1930s.
The ranch chronicles four generations of a single Texas family, starting with the Henry and Nancy Jones homestead. The 1830’s homestead features a log cabin, summer kitchen, and farm outbuildings. Henry and Nancy Jones owned 4,428 acres and raised twelve children while running a successful farm and ranching business.
The Ryon Prairie Home displays life as it was at the end of the Civil War. Henry and Nancy Jones’ eldest daughter inherited and bought most of their original farm and built the Prairie Home in 1851. The homestead features a Greek Revival house reminiscent of antebellum plantation manors, as well as gardens, chicken coups, and a chuck wagon camp.
By the time Polly died, the family had amassed 27,000 acres and led a thriving cattle business. Her eldest daughter built the 1890s Davis Victorian Complex, which features the original family cemetery, blacksmith forge, sharecropper’s farm, a rail car, and elegant Victorian home.
The family continued ranching through the 1940s. The 1930s George Cattle Complex includes the George Ranch Home built by Mamie George, the great-granddaughter of Henry and Nancy Jones. Cattle demonstrations show visitors the type of work cowboys performed throughout the ranch’s history.
The George Ranch Historical Park is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Costumed interpreters greet guests at each historical site to demonstrate ranch life at the various points in Texas history. The ranch hosts special events throughout the year from chuckwagon breakfasts to plein air painting demonstrations.
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