The Mesa Vista Ranch is now up for sale in Robert County in the Eastern Texas Panhandle. Owner T. Boone Pickens, who died in September 2019, spent decades assembling the property.
An oil tycoon, Pickens was popularly called the “Oracle of Oil.” He was known for being an entrepreneur with class and an avid supporter of Oklahoma State University, with charitable contributions totaling $652 million over the years.
He ventured into a career that took him from being a laborer to corporate takeover raider to mogul.
Pickens began acquiring the land in 1971 with a 2,926-acre purchase. The Mesa Vista Ranch is home to a mix of things Pickens cherished, including his childhood home, the magnificent 11,000-square-feet kennel for his hunting dogs — and the 40 quail-hunting dogs as well — and the lone grave of his grandson.
On Friday, a long-time partner of Pickens, Jay Rosser, confirmed the sale of the West Texas Ranch in an email sent to The Dallas Morning News. The ranch previously had a price tag of $250 million but now carries a $170 million price tag after so many deliberations by real estate agents.
In Rosser’s email, he stated that the property includes vast improvements made by Pickens before his death. The ranch covers 64,672 acres and spans 101 square miles. It contains nearly 20 man-made lakes, rivers, prominent mesas, a mansion, and a cottage on the Canadian River.
Nine thousand feet below the ranch is oil that was never possible to retrieve until recently when horizontal drilling technology was used.
The middle area of the ranch lodge has a height of 2,500 square feet. A huge dining room features an extensive fireplace, and there is a library with a spiral staircase.
Other amenities include a 30-seat theatre, a moderate conference room, a wine stock, and a mercantile kitchen.
The acreage boasts a 12,000-square-feet lake house, a two-story pub, a chapel where he married his fifth wife, a shooting range, two fairways for golf enthusiasts, and a tennis court.
The massive ranch has a 6,000-feet runway that can adequately handle jet services.
Pickens enjoyed the last 45 years of his life at Mesa Vista, a home where he entertained dignitaries.
Rosser said almost 27,700 acres of land at Mesa Vista Ranch was sold earlier this month. They have proceeded into a contract on the remaining 36,000+ acres. Both deals are subject to non-disclosure agreements, Rosser explained.