Knickerbocker Texas Safari Ride 9-16-16

   

^{Established in 1881, Knickerbocker Texas is nesteled in Tom Green County, southwest of  San Angelo along the Dove Creek.  Grain farming and sheep ranching were the leading industries during its prime and Knickerbocker had two of everything - gins, saloons, blacksmiths, general stores, hotels but just one undertaker. Today when you drive through Knickerbocker Texas you will see a single community building and a post office. Even though it is smaller in size, the citizens of Knickerbocker have a heart the size of Texas.} 

^{The trail boss, and the man behind organizing the Safari ride happen is Charlie Bowers. Charlie's family has been calling Knickerbocker their home for over 100 years. The Safari ride was put together as a benefit ride to raise money for the community building of Knickerbocker}
      

Thursday, riders came from all over Texas and as far as Washington State. The riders were greeted by local citizens of the town and boy did they throw out the red carpet along with a potlock supper that was fit for a king
 

                                           Barbara from Washington with Mr.Socks

Friday morning breakfast started at 6:30. Our cooks Sherry and Luis had a menu of eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy (or toast) your choice hot off the grill plus all the cowboy coffee you wanted. What a way to start of the day.
 

Cinches were tighten, saddle bags were packed and rain slickers were tied on. 16 riders started down the trail with a gray overcast and a cool morning to explore the historical ranches of Knickerbocker

We started our 17 mile ride on the Tropical   Desert Ranch that belongs to Charlie Bowers' family. Charles daughter Sherry lives in the original homestead that is over 100 years old. We passed a well house and Charlie told a story about it snowing when he was a child.  He had a picture of him in a diaper next to the well house with snow on the ground!

                                           The Bowers's Ranch

                                           Charlie sharing the history about the ranch

                                           The farm house Charlie's grandparents lived in and know his daughter Sherry is raising her family there.

                    

                     Butterfield stagecoach trail

                      

  We moved down the trail to the M.D. Bryant Ranch where we had the privilege to ride down the original trail of the Butterfield stagecoach that ran from 1857-1861 carrying passengers and mail.  What a honor that was and a awesome feeling knowing you were traveling across some great history of Texas.

Mr. And Mrs. Joseph Tweedy

Our last ranch for the day was the Tweedy started by Joseph Tweedy.  Mr. Tweedy was in the wool business in New York City and came to Texas to grow wool and ship it back east. The ranch at one time was 150,000 acres and extended from Spring Creek on the west, across Dove Creek then east and to South Concho.

This ranch is now owned by Louise Tweedy and her daughters. Some of us riders had the pleasure of meeting and visiting with Sandra one of the daughters. She is a retired school teacher and now spends all of her time on the ranch.
     

Friday night the riders and some locals feasted on catfish, homemade cole slaw, hushpuppies and French fries. What a meal! A big thank you to the cooks!
       

Saturday morning was the ride we had all been waiting on the Safari ride on the 4N Ranch. The 4N Ranch has over 3500 acres for your hunting pleasure.  The ranch setting also provides a great place for weddings, family reunions and retreats Look them up at www.4nranches.com.
   

We were lucky to get to ride the section called the Ridge View Ranch. This ranch has turkeys, dove, elk, red stag, gemsbok, scimitar oryx, red leuchwe, fallow deer, axis deer, blackbuck antelopes, and zebra.

         

We had 12 riders and 2 wagons with 11 passengers. Everyone had charged their battiers on their phones and cameras to get those once and a lifetime pictures. We rode 17 miles through the ranch and saw oryx, black buck antelopes, axis deer, white tail deer and a few turkeys. 

I was behind charlie and he would hunch down in is his saddle around those cedar trees and sneak around the side of them before long I got myself doing the same thing. We also got to ride to highest point in Knickerbocker where we could see downtown San Angelo.

For lunch we were treated with fish tacos and cold water. That cole slaw was the best on those tacos.

Saturday was wrapped with a barbecue supper, a little karaoke and a great auction benefiting the Knickerbocker Community Building. 


Sunday, 9 of us rode out to explore the Knickerbocker Ranch. The Knickerbocker Ranch was the original ranch of Joseph Tweedy.  In 1995 the two ranches split and the Knickerbocker is owned by Elizabeth Sykes family. 

The Knickerbocker Ranch has some beautiful places on it we were lucky to see Pauls Place and the old family cemetery 

This wrapped up our ride but I think plans are already being made for 2017. If you missed it this year I am sure you will mark it on your calendar for next year. Thank you Charlie, Sherry and all of the landowners that shared their wonderful ranches with us.