The Wild West was being tamed
when in 1905 the President of the United States,
Theodore Roosevelt, was the guest of Samuel
Burnett at a wolf hunt in the "Big Pasture" area
of what would later become the State of
Oklahoma. Burnett was a flamboyant figure whose
6666 Ranch covered much of the North Texas -
Southern Oklahoma area.
In 1905, part of the vast
Burnett empire was sold to Frank Kell and J.A.
Kemp of Wichita Falls who were building a
railroad through Burnett's ranch to the "Big
Pasture."
A town lot sale held by Kemp
and Kell on June 6, 1907 marks the official
beginning of the city which would later become
world famous as the center of a gigantic oil
boom. At the suggestions of Teddy Roosevelt, the
town was named for his wolf hunt host, Burk
Burnett.
The oil-crazy days were
dramatized in story and song and later became
the subject of the Clark Gable - Spencer Tracy
movie, Boomtown.
In every aspect, Burkburnett
is a progressive community. It looks to the
future as well as to its historic and colorful
past. Burkburnett continues to merit its name
of: "Boomtown, USA!"
