History

The Kay El Bar Ranch has been a part of Wickenburg's history for almost 100 years. Like all of the early dude ranches, it began as a working cattle outfit. The earliest information about the property dates back to an 1887 land grant from the Mexican government to an Hispanic man named Leonicio Corral.

It became the Kay El Bar in 1909 when Romaine H. Lowdermilk and his mother Katherine homesteaded the land as a cattle ranch. In 1918 they started taking paying guests who shared the bunkhouse, the ranch's first adobe building, with everyone who worked on the ranch. Then, in 1925, Lowdermilk took a partner and built the large adobe lodge as guest quarters. Constructed from hand formed adobe bricks sun dried on the ranch, the lodge walls are 12-18 inches thick. The first brochure touts the Kay El Bar as a real Western ranch with modern accommodations for a limited number of guests. A person could rent a room for $8 per day or $55 a week which included all meals plus hot and cold running water.

By 1931 all ranch buildings were complete. Guests often arrived by train and were met at Wickenburg's Santa Fe Railroad Station by a Packard touring car complete with ranch brand on the radiator cap. Some arrived in a two-seater airplane, landing in the river bed.

Over the years the ranch has been lovingly preserved by various owners. Minor additions and improvements have been made, but overall the warmth, charm and character of the adobe buildings nestled alongside the Hassayampa River has remained the same.

Today's owners and managers, John and Nancy Loftis, discovered guest ranching when they took their own children to guest ranches in Colorado in the mid-80s. Believing that guest ranches are the best family vacation ever, they began an 11-year search for a ranch to own. In the process they visited or stayed at ranches in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming and Arizona. John also worked as a full-time wrangler. After staying as guests at the Kay El Bar, they knew they'd found their guest ranch home in Wickenburg.

The Loftises view themselves as "keepers" of the Kay El Bar, a ranch steeped in history. A member of both The Dude Ranch Association and the Arizona Dude Ranch Association, the Kay El Bar is listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places.