Huge Housing Project Coming to Iconic Ranch in North Texas

There is one thing in Texas that seems to be irritating a lot of people, pastures becoming subdivisions. I've seen it myself in my hometown of Lindale. Where my parents live off Jim Hogg Road, a new road was added in what was once a cow field and other homes have been added across the blacktop road from them in what was once open pasture. Even a huge ranch outside of Dallas is falling victim to the need for neighborhoods in open spaces.

The Soap Opera Dallas

In the late 1970s through the 1980s and into the early 1990s, there was a very popular TV soap opera called Dallas. This was the story of J.R. Ewing, played by the late Larry Hagman, and his oil tycoon family. One of the most iconic TV cliffhangers came from this show that had everyone talking when there was no internet, "Who shot J.R.?" The show was filmed in Texas and used the iconic Southfork Ranch in Parker, about 25 miles north of Dallas, as the home of the Ewings.

Dallas even saw a short revival on TNT in 2012 that lasted a couple of seasons with Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy and a couple of other original stars returning along with a cast of younger Ewings. It tried its best to capture the magic of the original show but just couldn't reach that same pinnacle.

The Ranch Since the Show

Southfork Ranch, originally called Duncan Acres when it was first built in 1970 by Joe Duncan, has remained a real working ranch. The mansion itself is now a conference center with tours available for fans of the TV series to see the house. In total, the property is 241 acres.

But alas, changes are a coming to the ranch. Real estate developer, Centurion American Development Group, has submitted a plan to the city of Parker Planning and Zoning Commission to build 89 two acre lots in the ranch for luxury homes (chron.com). That's 178 acres of ranch land gone. There is also plans to build a rodeo arena on the property. The mansion will remain as a conference center.

Sad to See

I get progress. We see it everyday in Tyler, in Longview and anywhere else in East Texas. Having said that, this news makes me sad. This is an iconic piece of Texas history that will soon be nothing more than an overpriced neighborhood. This all goes back to the saying that the only real constant we have in life is change. Whether it is for better or worse is in the eye of the beholder.

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