The Story of the Ranch
The modern history of Barnes & Nettels Ranch begins in 1952, when George E. Nettels, then President of the nearby Pittsburg & Midway (P&M;) Coal Company, set out to establish a cattle ranch of his own.
Inspired by the sweeping cattle drives portrayed in the film Red River, which had recently captured the imagination of audiences across the country, Mr. Nettels began searching for land suitable for a working cattle operation. His search brought him to the Plum Creek Valley in Southeast Kansas, where rolling pastureland, wooded creek corridors, and dependable water created an ideal ranching landscape.
Recognizing both the potential of the land and the importance of local ranching expertise, Mr. Nettels partnered with respected cattleman Morris Barnes. Together they formed what became known as the Barnes & Nettels Ranch, often referred to simply as the B&N; Ranch.
From the beginning, the partnership blended vision and practical ranching knowledge. Nettels brought both the capital necessary to establish the operation and access to resources through his leadership of Pittsburg & Midway Coal Company. Barnes contributed the hands-on experience and local knowledge required to manage cattle and develop the ranch day to day.
Large cattle working pens were constructed using six-foot heavy pipe and exceptionally strong fencing, creating a set of handling facilities that reflected industrial-grade strength more commonly associated with mining and construction operations than with typical ranch structures of the era. These improvements allowed the ranch to operate efficiently while ensuring the safety of both livestock and ranch hands.
The combination of Barnes’s practical cattle experience and Nettels’s investment and engineering resources created a ranch operation that was both functional and well built—an approach that helped establish the foundation of the B&N; Ranch during its earliest years.
Photographs from the early years capture George Nettels during the formative period of the ranch, when the partnership with Morris Barnes first began shaping the land into the operation it would become.
The connection to the ranch continues through the Nettels family today. Thomas Nettels of Kansas City, Missouri—grandson of George Nettels—remains closely tied to the property and its history.
As Thomas Nettels reflects:
“The ranch has always been part of our family story. I still enjoy coming back to spend time there and lend a hand with the work. Maintaining and improving the land that my grandfather helped establish more than seventy-five years ago is something I take great pride in”.