Roughly equal to: The size of San Antonio. 165,000 acres D.R. Few can claim the title of cowboy philanthropist. Other than running significant cattle farms, Mechenbier and his wife help finance orphanages in New Mexico. The Briscoe family is next, owning 640,000 acres of land in Texas. You could spend weeks exploring the property. Bezos has also invested millions of dollars into the development of Spaceport America. Land: Purchased 290,000-acre Bell Ranch in Nex Mexico this August to add to his landholdings in Colorado and Wyoming. Turner's land is utilized by greater than 50,000 head of buffalo for grazing - the biggest non-public herd of bison on the earth. Roughly equal to: Three times the size of New York City. It'll be exciting to watch this author grow and learn with her along the way. 33 - North Carolina Both Zane and Tanya were born into ranching families. CNN founder Ted Turner owns 2 million acres of land largely in New Mexico, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Georgia. The Singleton family owns 1,110,000 acres in New Mexico and California. 2,200,000 acres The Land 100 is great, but Forbes list of billionaires gets way more personal. 255,000 acres 8. How big is the Vermejo ranch in New Mexico? Using data from The Land Report magazines 2018 Land Report, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 50 largest private landholders in the United States. The family businesses include lumber, newspapers, and petrochemicals. His book, A Forest for the Trees, documents the history of Maines Baskahegan Watershed from resettlement to 1982. Its also home to some of the biggest landowners in the country. The property is manly timberland. The Singleton family owns a number of ranches, mostly in New Mexico. The Killam family deals largely in cattle and oil, with ranches in Texas and Oregon and oil operations in Louisiana, Nebraska, Kansas, Arkansas, and Texas. Ralph R. Ortega For Dailymail.com, 443,091 acres in Idaho. Background: The main cash cow for King Ranch remains ranching and farming but it has also expanded into publishing, retail and eco-tourism. 112,042 acres Member of both families operate six cattle ranches. Land: Operates 825,000 acres of cattle ranches and 60,000 acres of farms in South Texas; thousands of acres in Florida producing orange juice, sugar cane, sod, sweet corn and green beans. Ira Wines, who works the familys prized Spanish Ranch, doesnt have times for greenhorns. The brothers started buying up Texas ranch land in 1923 and the modern day Beggs still manage much of it. This put them at the top of the list for the largest landowners in New Mexico. Brothers Farris and Dan Wilks launched Frac Tech, a natural gas extraction company in 2002, and sold it for $3.5 billion in 2011. 32. 422,164 acres 140,000 acres The land conservancy act will protect more than 500 species of vertebrates. Roughly equal to: Two and a half times the size of Phoenix. 180,000 acres Broe's Hubble & Green Ranches in New Mexico cover 290,000 acres. The owners of the land are heirs to the late Dr. Howell Tyson Lykes, who left a career in medicine to raise cattle and crow citrus. Luke Brite made a name breeding some of the toughest cattle in Texas around the turn of the century. The family patriarch owned half a million acres in Texas, and the family fortune grew considerably when his son discovered oil on family land. Land: Owns 2 million acres in 12 states and Argentina; the 8,800-acre Nonami Plantation known for quail hunting is his most recent and largest acquisition in his home state of Georgia. According the company, it turns out that Frac Techs specialty-hydraulic fracturing is one of the two drivers powering the U.S. energy renaissance. The land and livestock division has 37 farms and 15 ranches with capacity for 30,000 mother cows. Get the latest tips you need to manage your money delivered to you biweekly. Many of the owners are ranchers, heirs to the properties or companies founded decades ago that purchased the land. Roughly equal to: Three times the size of Houston. Vermejo Park Ranch, located in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado, is a stunning 560,000-acre property. Andrew Tate, the violent, high-profile, virulently misogynistic pro-Trump social media influencer currently imprisoned and under investigation by Romanian authorities due to allegations of. Trees arent just good for wood anymore. Chalk up 3,000 animal units to the Dana Ranch. Roughly equal to: One-quarter the size of Delaware. Originating from the land grant days of Coastal Texas, the Jones have multiple ranches surrounding Corpus Cristi, Texas. The amount of land owned by the federal government has stayed steady since 1990, with a slight decline of -0.3%. The founder of Burts Bees hopes she isnt on the list for long. Philip Anschutz owns 434,500 acres of land in Wyoming and Colorado. I think the Longyear family and Longyear Heirs out of Marquette MI own at least 100,000 acres. . largest landowners in louisiana. We have no idea what those Spanish writings say. Theres so much private land, too, with nearly 50 acres for every person in the state. Waggoner Estate claims to be the largest Texas ranch under one fence. A few people and families own more than 100 million acres of land in the United States. Still, thats not as it much as it once was. Herbert Westervelt started a paper company in the late 1800s. Family membersoperate ranches. Not surprisingly, many of the people on this list rank among the wealthiest Americans. 11. The property is the largest ranch in the state,by Captain Richard King in 1853 and subsequently passed down through generations. David Fasken, a Canadian, bought a ranch in West Texas in 1913. He owns ranches in Texas, New Mexico and Kentucky. Roughly equal to: A third of the size of New Hampshire. 31. The comments below have not been moderated, By Fasken family . Offering competitive leases is only the start. The Kokernot family's 06 Ranch brand has been registered in the state since 1837. Dont over look the kitchen at the familys Pitchfork Ranch. In 1959, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Clayton was set to bring his cowboy image to the Texas governorship until a set of gaffs derailed the campaign in 1990. Pingree heirs:830,000 acres in Maine. Westervelt's heirs own over half a million acres across Alabama, Mississippi, and Virginia. 220,000 acres The familys Green Diamond Resource Company and Simpson Investment Company owns forests in California and Washington, all of which have an independent stamp of approval from the Forest Stewardship Council. A guy that came to work here once asked me what we wear in the winter, he told Western Horseman. 15. After oil was discovered on their ranch in the 1940s, the Faskens spread across the Southwest. Family members are heirs to theAnheuser-Busch beer empire. Fasken family:279,128 acres in Texas. No longer #10 with the acquisition of Montanas Broken O Ranch, an inspiring combination of irrigated farming and cattle land envisioned by paint mogul, Benjamin Moore. 18. The Beggs can thank W.D. Galt family:262,000 acres in Montana, including the Martinsdale Ranch. of Ecology, Goldman's Top Economist Says There Are Only Two Scenarios, Bad And Very Bad >. Hughes family: 390,000 acres in Texas. The largest landowners in both Montana and Idaho, the Wilks brothers also own ranches in Oregon, Tennessee, and Texas. The type of resources that help them manage their land responsibly and sustainably. 36. 145,000 acres Roughly equal to: One-third the size of Delaware. Baron Collier was an advertising executive who developed land and infrastructure in southern Florida. The parcel is roughly the size of Hong Kong. Manages ranches only fit for the best cowboys. The founder of Southern Pine Plantations diversified from timberland in the U.S. South with the purchase of 20,000 acres of mineral rights in East Texas. His NC2 Media Company recently bought Lonely Planet guidebooks. Baron Collier, an advertising executive who developed land and infrastructure in southern Florida, had been largest landholder in the state at the time of his death. Now, Theyre Spurring Tourism. Oil and drilling profits helped him buy a sportsmans paradise in the Big Bend area of Far West Texas. 22. , updated Land: 830,000 acres of timberland in Maine. 830,000 acres These cookies do not store any personal information. The ranch spawned from land that was originally purchased by Captain Richard King in 1853 and subsequently passed down through generations. Lykes heirs:615,000 acres in Texas. Martin family: 570,000 acres in Louisiana. The Kokernot family's 06 Ranch brand registered in Texas since 1837. The Emmerson family owns and operates Sierra Pacific Industries, a company that logs usable lumber after forest fires and sells it to lumber retailers. Family members runSierra Pacific Industries, a log business that relies on lumber fromforest fires and sells it to lumber retailers. His purchase of the Sierra Grande Lodge and Spa brings tourists closer to two of his landmark properties and, ya know, space. Following are the 10 largest landowners in the U.S. in 2020: King Ranch Inc. (911,215 acres) King Ranch is the largest ranch in Texas, and is located between Corpus Christi and Brownsville. Today, his living family members own over 311,000 acres of land in northern California and western Pennsylvania. Their properties include the massive La Escalera ranch in far West Texas. Founded by Thomas Douglas Stimson, the Stimson Lumber Company, which today operates out of the Pacific Northwest, has remained in the family for six generations. The cowboy favorite is buttermilk piesugar, eggs and rich dairy products loaded into a couple of pie pans. The Fisher family owns 440,000 acres of land, primarily timberland in northwestern California. The family-run business has earned high praise from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 189,000 acres Buck is the owner of Tall Timber Trust, one of the largest owners of timberland in Maine. Background: Red Emmerson is president of Sierra Pacific Industries, a family-run lumber manufacturing business that ranks as California's largest private landowner. His land is mostly in Maine, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming, and includes profitable cattle farms. 42. Some love the land so much they end up inside it. LBJ Library from Austin / public domain License. The Lee Family owns an estimated 275,000 acres in New Mexico. Thomas Lane Jr. makes the ranching business sound simple: Were just continuing a tradition and well expand if we can.. Thomas OConnor started digging artesian wells for his cattle during the drought of the 1880s, but hit oil as often as water. This businessman has ranch holdings in Texas, Florida, and New Mexico. The real estate mogul is also owner of the Los Angeles Rams and married toAnn Walkton Kroenke, an heiress to the Wal-Mart fortune. Roughly equal to: The size of Hong Kong. Dan and Farris Wilks Who Owns Montana's Largest Ranch? Stefan Soloviev:325,077 acres in New Mexico, Kansas and Texas. 5. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. The family is in the lumber business. Under the livestock feeding company Llano Partners Ltd., Hughes Abell owns and operates ranching operations in New Mexico, Texas, and Florida. 215,990 acres Roughly equal to: Twice the size of San Antonio, Texas. 230,000 acres 625,000 acres The vast swaths of property are used for farming, ranching, logging and renewable energy production. Her goal is to ensure they receive fair market value. The foundation now protects land all across the Ozarks. His Crossroads Ag grows corn, canola, sunflowers, sorghum, wheat and cotton, but he recently expanded into New Mexican grasslands for large-scale cow-calf operations. 21. Her two main ranches, the 6666 Ranch near Guthrie and the Dixon Creek Ranch near Panhandle, total 275,000 acres. Roughly equal to: Twice the size of Dallas. Urban farming:Growing 600lbs of gourmet mushrooms a week, Latino immigrants:Wisconsin's dairy industry would collapse without them. Animals, plants, survival tips, and more. To determine the largest landowners in the United States, 24/7 Wall St . In 1870, Dr. Howell Tyson Lykes gave up the practice of medicine to take over his familys 500 acres in Florida. Buck, who as owner of Tall Timber Trust, one of the largest owners of timberland in Maine, controls 925,00 acres. Llano Partners:295,000 acres in New Mexico, Texas and Florida. For a basic sense of how the world of ultra-massive real estate has changed, heres one fact: Between 2012 and 2013, the top 100 added 700,000 acres to their collective portfolios, bringing their total to two percent of the U.S. land mass. Collectively, the Robinson and Freed families own 300,000 acres in partnership. Kizer has farming and ranching operations that produce peanuts, corn, wheat, dairy, and cattle. Background: The sports mogul who got his start in real estate just became the majority owner of the St. Louis Rams. The family used the sale of New Mexicos Ladder Ranch to Ted Turner to purchase La Escalera ranch in Texas. Doesn't just own CNN he is the largest landowner in New Mexico. Babacomari Ranch Elgin, Ariz. The Lydas are Texas cattle ranchers and landowners. It also oversees granting grazing leases and mineral rights on federally-owned lands. This put them at the top of the list for the largest landowners in New Mexico. The online retailing billionaire who founded Amazon and is among the wealthiest people in the world owns 420,000 acres, which is about three times the size of Guam. Their holdings outside New Mexico include the Peachtree and Top ranches in John Steinbecks Salinas Valley. Background: Malone has served in executive positions in telecommunications firms and is currently the chairman of Liberty Media Corp. Land: 1.2 million acres of forests in Maine. 103,000 acres Bezos owns 420,000 acres, much of which is in west Texas. The 25 biggest landowners in America own 20 million acres -- nearly 1% of the country -- according to new data from The Land Report. Of all the grandpa-bought-some-land stories in this list, this is the best. 400,000 acres The J.R. Simplot Company is one of the largest agribusinesses in the country, but per their website and despite that profit margin, their company is as small as a single farmer. With holdings as far as New Zealand, the Idaho-based company is a little larger than a single farm. Evans turned himself in this June. 28. Malone made his fortune as a media tycoon, building the company Tele-Communications, Inc, or TCI, and acting as its CEO before selling it to AT&T for $50 billion in 1999. 170,000 acres 1,100,000 acres His holdings include the 292,779 acre Great Western Ranch in New Mexico and Camp Horton, a ranch near Fort Stockton, Texas, where he hosts a children's summer camp. The 25 Largest Landowners In The U.S.: #25.Jeff Bezos 290,000 Acres Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos bought a 290,000 acre ranch in Texas in 2004. The question is, who is the largest private landowner in New Mexico?Looking to buy or sale go here ---- https://beacons.ai/jamesbigley_realestateStart your r. . But while neither landowner's name may be a household name, the names of others are. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. John Cassidy began amassing his 200,000 acre logging empire in Maine before the Civil War. The combined landholdings belonged to former Texas governor, the late Dolph Briscoe Jr. 12. The Scharbauer family has focused on breeding Thoroughbreds while others pay to explore their land for oil and natural gas. Malone Mitchell runs Longfellow Ranches, a 500 square mile hunting preserve located in West Texas. Kizer's farming and ranching operations produce peanuts, corn, wheat, dairy and cattle. 113,532 acres 5 with 1.4 million acres, including a 124,000 acre ranch in Montana, and additional land in Wyoming. Land: Ranching and farmland throughout Texas. Mmmm-mm! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. And then there are the individuals, including Shannon Kizer, who owns 302,000 acres in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Moursund III must have been one hell of a judge. John Malone is the largest private landowner in the United States. Roughly equal to: Twice as large as Rhode Island. The McDonald family's 474,000 acres are spread across Alabama, Florida, and Oklahoma but the majority of the family's land holdings is in Maine. Fisher family:440,000 acres in California. Hamer family:600,000 acres in West Virginia. 36 to 40 Ted Turner is not the biggest. Roughly equal to: 2,500 times the size of Vatican City. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. The ranch recently received a conservation easement from the U.S. Department of Defense and New Mexico Land Conservancy. With such a large amount of land under its control, the federal government plays an important role in New Mexicos landscape. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. New Mexico officials . We can only imagine what the state will look like in the coming years! The top 100 landowners of America, who collectively own about the same amount of acreage as the state of Connecticut. Real estate mogul and owner of the Los Angeles Rams, Stan Kroenke, owns 1.4 million acres of land in the United States, including a 124,000 acre ranch in Montana and additional land in Wyoming. O'Connor, above, continued to expand the land his father, Thomas O'Connor, was awarded in the Battle of San Jacinto. Today, the Stimson family owns 552,000 acres, primarily in Montana and Oregon. 25. Greenpeace calls them the king pins of climate denial and Mitt Romney can thank them for holding a $50,000-dollar-a-plate fundraiser during the election. The largest landowner in America owns 2,200,000 acres, located largely in Maine, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. 125,000 acres 13/20 Henry Singleton cofounded the industrial conglomerate Teledyne in 1960, and begin acquiring ranch land in New. Zane & Tanya Kiehne:345,000 acres in New Mexico and Texas. Whatever your politics, you cant deny their love for cattle. 32 - New York Columbia University owns approximately 209 properties, which collectively account to make it the largest landowner in New York. Because if youre going to go softwood sawmill, you want to make it state-of-the-art. The Briscoes operation spreads over nine Texas counties and three Briscoe generations. 40. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Thank you for reading! CNN founder Ted Turner is the second biggest land owner, with 2 million acres of land in New Mexico, South Dakota, Nebraska and Georgia. In 2019, D.K. John Malone: 2.2 million acres in Maine, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. Though he resides in New York City, Stefan Soloviev owns over 325,000 acres of land across New Mexico, Kansas, and Texas. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider He is now buried somewhere on the premises. Roughly equal to: Two-thirds the size of Yosemite National Park. 155,000 acres 239,000 acres Of the many fowls he has sired, the family says, we havent found anything we dont like about them.. He owns Sierra Grande Lodge and Spa, located close to Richard Bransons Spaceport America. Roughly equal to: Five times the size of Chicago. 1,860,000 acres Land: 250,000-acre Baughman Farms in Kansas; 149,493-acre Overland Trail Cattle Company & Ranch in Wyoming and 35,000 acres in Colorado. After his family made a killing in the oil and gas business, Dan Allen Hughes Jr. has attempted to make his name with the purchase Texas hunting land. 215,000 acres Land: 770,000 acres of timber across California, Oregon, and Washington. Ted Turner:2.0 million acres in New Mexico, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Georgia. 13. The land has short grasses, alpine tundra mountains, and more. But who owns the most land? Briscoe heirs:640,000 acres in Texas. Shannon's farming and ranching operations produce peanuts, corn, wheat, dairy, and cattle. The Emmersons have transferred 6% of that chunk to the public since Curly Emerson founded the company in 1949. For now, heres the compromise: 70,000 acres of parkland, 30,000 for hunting, snowmobiling, and logging. The couple are ranch operators. 111,977 acres Youd think that growing tobacco would be a surefire way to earn a place on the Land 100, but Umphrey made his fortune suing tobacco companies. Other than Montana Ranches, the Wilks have a firm called Frac Tech. 150,000 acres The family also owns San Jose Island on the Texas Gulf Coast. From ranchers who have owned land for generations to newcomer billionaires splashing the cash,. Climbed the rankings this year by adding land between Dallas and Waco to his Texas panhandle holdings. 175,000 acres Emmerson family:2.0 million acres in California and Washington. The US in total has 2.4 billion acres, and is the third largest country in the world after Canada and Russia, the latter being the largest and covering 11.5 per cent of the planet. They were sustainable before sustainable was cool, man. John Riggs has a modern utopia in mind for his great-grandfathers old ranch. 1. 200,000 acres (Just kidding. 7 to 13 | Nos. They also are based on only rural land holdings. 150,000 acres Then theres the Department of Defense handling 4.6% of the land. The top 100 landowners of America, who collectively own about the same amount of acreage as the state of Connecticut. The discovery of oil on that ranch propelled Fasken to wealth, and now Fasken Oil & Ranch is a major oil drilling company that has heavily employed fracking technology. 46 withabout 275,000 acres in New Mexico. In addition, they bring jobs and economic growth with their investments in the aerospace and other industries. 161,093 acres Roughly equal to: Ten times the size of Washington, D.C. Family members own a long-time logging firm,Green Diamond Resource Co. 3. By the way, what is it about land that makes people want to number their children? Malone Mitchell runs Longfellow Ranches, a 500 square mile hunting preserve. His Oklahoma ranchs production sale draws so many of the nations top cattlemen he just calls it the Big Event. Pun intended? Were basically just marketing grass, he told Western Horseman, and the cows are a way to market the grass.. Lucien Bonaparte Maxwell (September 14, 1818 - July 25, 1875) was a mountain man, rancher, scout, and farmer who at one point owned more than 1,700,000 acres (6,900 km 2).Along with Thomas Catron and Ted Turner, Maxwell was one of the largest private landowners in United States history. Collier was the largest landholder in the state at the time of his death. Many of them inherited land bought cheap at the turn of. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Since then, they have been acquiring land. With plans underway for a major expansion of the aerospace industry, Bezos will no doubt be a major player in the states future. His purchase of the Sierra Grande Lodge and Spa brings tourists closer to two of his landmark properties and, ya know, space. Reed family:1.7 million acresWashington, Oregon, and California. Before he passed away last year, an employee gave Robert Earl Holding a plaque that echoed his credo: All I want is the land next to mine. That land includes ski resorts in Utah and a whole lot of real estate in Salt Lake City, all of which he built from a small stake in a Wyoming truck stop. The 50th largest land owners are the Hadley family, heirs to the Anheuser-Busch beer empire, who own 260,000 acres in New Mexico. The family runs 10,000 cattle on 475,000 acres along the Montana-Wyoming state line. Family members are ranch operators. Doesnt run nearly the profile of her father, Wilard Garvey, who bought the ranch. It was in 2004 that Bezos bought Broes Hubble & Green Ranches in New Mexico; it covers 290,000 acres. Dan Hughes, patriarch of the Hughes family, was a wildcatter in Texas. Billionaire, lumber entrepreneur, real estate developer, and song writer. The descendants of the late Kenneth Ford own 580,000 acres primarily in Oregon. Luther and Frank King independently run their cattle operations in the heart of Texas. 150,000 acres The terrain is diverse and spectacular to see. But shes upset local interests. Crystal is a curious writer who's always looking to learn more. Kroenke adds Broken O to Q Creek Ranch, the largest contiguous ranch in the Rocky Mountains at 540,000 acres. Sandwiched between Flagstaff Arizona and the Grand Canyon, the Babbitt Ranches have a reputation for breeding trophy quarter horses. This hedge fund manager wears his Audubon Medal with pride. All told, Buck owns 925,000 acres. Background: Holland Ware's fortunes in the timber industry began in the early 50s with his first purchase of 100 acres for $10 when he was 15 years old. 28 to 35 | Nos. J.G. With such a distinguished pedigree, no one can doubt that he will, comments San Antonio Man Magazine. 213,730 acres Family members used the land to enrich themselves from oil and cattle ranching. The combined landholdings of former Texas governor, the late Dolph Briscoe Jr., heirs total 640,000 acres. David Fasken, a Canadian, bought a ranch in West Texas in 1913 and the discovery of oil on the property led to the ceation of the Fasken Oil & Ranch, a major oil drilling. 911,215 acres Roughly equal to: Twice the size of Singapore. The Nunleys are a ranching family particularly proud of their genetics program around Santa Gertrudis Cattle and the size of the deer on their Texas ranches. 373,000 acres Roughly equal to: Three-quarters of Grand Canyon National Park. A study found that 31 million acres, or 1.4 per cent of the country's total land mass, is under the control of the private owners, who are noticeably wealthy, white and older. 100,000 acres And it only gets bigger from there for several wealthy families. What Lives At The Bottom of The Mississippi River? In 1916, Joe Lane established the 9 Ranch, headquarters for his far-flung operations in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. Horizontal drilling.). 1. The Austin-based family partnership climbed the rankings with a couple of add-ons to their New Mexico and Texas ranches. Discover the Little-Known U.S. River Gorge That's, The 9 Best Books About National Parks for Travelers, Discover 8 Extinct Animals from New Mexico, Meet the 4 Largest Land Owners in Arizona, The 15 Deepest Lakes in the United States.