I recently made a trip out to Dutch Branch Ranch, located southwest of Fort Worth. Sid Richardson bought the ranch in 1946. Previously, Dutch Branch Ranch was owned by Elliot Roosevelt, son of Franklin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt. During Elliot’s tenure, President Roosevelt visited his son out on the Texas homestead on multiple occasions.
Carlton Penn, the ranch foreman while the Roosevelt’s occupied the ranch, stayed on as foreman when Mr. Richardson took over operation in the 1940s. Mr. Richardson never lived on the property, but rather it was one of his local bases for his ranching business.
The ranch originally totaled around 3,000 acres of land. Today, half of the estate sits under what is now Benbrook Lake. Still in operation, Dutch Branch Ranch is home to wide open fields, big blue skies, and inquisitive (but friendly) horses.
I enjoyed your article on the Dutch Branch Ranch. I really enjoyed the pictures.
Thank you! Dutch Branch Ranch is a beautiful place. And what fun to walk through the guest house where President FDR stayed when he would visit his son!
Is the Roosevelt home still standing on the ranch? Is the property available for tours?
I am a professional historian and would love to see it. Many thanks for this wonderful post.
Farris, the Roosevelt home is in great condition. The ranch and home are currently occupied, as the ranch is still active, so tours of the property are not available.
Thank you for the kind words. I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog.
I live in north Benbrook on Westerly Rd, just south of Western Hills High School. My family has lived in this general area since 1955. I’ve lived here, attended local schools, worked at the ” Bomber Plant “, after returning from enlistment in U.S. Navy. I am retired now.
I Am interested in information on a ranch or farm in the general area
of Benbrook Lake from some time before & during WW2 known as the Polk Place. I
was born May 23, 1943. My dad, Jesse Click, worked for a rancher named Jack Turner,
who probably had this property leased & raised Hereford cattle for the war effort.
If any info could be shared on this topic, I would really be gratful. Thanks ! Dean Click 817-798-8702
Dean,
Unfortunately, I only have knowledge about Sid’s Dutch Branch Ranch. I would recommend contacting the Benbrook Historical Society with your inquiry. Their contact information is:
Benbrook Historical Society
1217 Estes St
Benbrook , Tx 76126
817 249 7509
Best of luck!
Ah, now know the name of the ranch and why “Penn” is on the fence. I absolutely LOVE the blond color horse, and I speak to all of them each time I drive by. I enjoy looking out across some of the ranch land. You can likely guess where I live. I hope the ranch is there for another 100 + years!
How nice to hear from a neighbor of the ranch! I bet the horses love seeing a familiar face. :)
I lived right across the street in the 1980s; Loved Carlton and Ms. Penn. Such nice people and great care-keepers of the Ranch. He spoke of the Roosevelt’s coming to visit and talked about the ‘cabin’ that was still decorated as if it was 1930. As I understand it, Sid Richardson ‘bequeathed’ that the Penn’s could live out their lives on the ranch. The horses that roamed the property were of great lineage and beautiful.
Oh wow! How sweet to hear from a neighbor of the ranch! You’re right, Rosalie. Sid never lived on the ranch, and set it up so the Penn family could continue living and working at the ranch indefinitely. Carlton’s son currently runs the ranch today. :)
[…] Richardson, Mayor of Primrose Texas.” In actuality, Primrose was a cattle loading stop at Sid’s Dutch Branch Ranch, which is today located on the eastern shore of Lake Benbrook. An accompanying plaque further […]
Elliot Roosevelt raised Arabian horses from W.K. Kellogg Ranch in California. (1940) He had Sabab and Hattal, two Arabian stallions and eight mares.