Images From Nevada's Past

Welcome to Walking Box Ranch - The Home looking at the front entrance from the north side. The master bedroom is located on the 2nd floor and has the porch.

A few weeks ago on our way to Albuquerque, NM JoAnn and I stopped by an historical site called "Walking Box Ranch." I am helping on a project with the Public Lands Institute at the UNLV to work on a business plan. It is a historic ranch near Searchlight, Nevada built in 1931 and made famous by its owners, Hollywood silent movie legends Clara Bow and Rex Bell. Rex Bell was a cowboy who went to Hollywood and became famous. Today the ranch land has been restored to its natural state with some outstanding Joshua Trees up to 30 feet plus in height.

Back gate at Walking Box Ranch. If you look closely at the center and upper part of the gate you can see the walking box brand which looks like an old movie camera on a tripod. Pretty clever thinking. If you click on the photo it will open a window and show a larger view of this photo, or any other photo in my blogs.

Since we are relatively new to the desert the beauty of the Joshua trees was outstanding. The following description of the original property states, "The ranch is divided into two distinct sections: the 40-acre headquarters parcel, which comprises the historic ranch house and other ancillary facilities; and an undeveloped 120-acre parcel, which contains critical habitat for the federally-listed desert tortoise and more than 300 native species of plants and animals. The Nature Conservancy, a non-profit conservation organization, has conservation easements on both parcels for maintenance of the ecological and cultural integrity of the ranch." We didn't see any desert tortoise, but we saw a couple of might big jack rabbits.

The courtyard. I did not show the pool at the front of the photo. It is not in use. At the other end of the courtyard is the great room - dining area.

As part of the visit we had an opportunity to view the ranch site and especially the house. According to UNLV's public affairs office, "The ranch house is significant for being an uncommon local example of the Spanish Colonial Revival style, a sharp contrast to other Southern Nevada ranch houses." It is a beautiful ranch house and has been kept up by different owners. JoAnn and I both enjoy visiting such places and when we can get a back door tour it is even more fun. Most of my photos from the ranch on are my flickr account and I have shared a few here.

The Great Room - Dining Area.

In the not to distant future Walking Box Ranch will be open for public viewing. It will be a lesser viewed site since it is off the beaten path, but when it is open it will be well worth the tour, especially if the house is open. If the house isn't open the desert environment will be a great visit. There will be plenty of interpretation on the site.

The Library. Originally it was the children's play room.

JoAnn and I really enjoyed it.

Out on the property there are a few good shots also. The wagon adds to the beauty of the site. It's hard to realize this was a working ranch with irrigation, hay, and cattle.