Steely Images and Armchair Travel Notes: Visiting Old Memories And Relatives At Pecan Valley Inn Bed & Breakfast

The Pecan Valley Inn as the ranch house circa 1960.

The Pecan Valley Inn Bed and Breakfast in 2017

Located south of Oklahoma City, north of Dallas and just west of Davis, Oklahoma sits an old Victorian house that holds steadfastly to the glory days of Oklahoma Territory, ranching, and oil. The Pecan Valley Inn Bed and Breakfast has a special place in time and history, both to the area and to me personally.

What was once a working ranch home and a unique 1898 Victorian mansion is now a romantic B&B getaway. You’ll find it driving west on Hwy 7 from Davis. Turn off the highway at the Lightning Rod Ranch sign and drive through a simple iron gated entry over a standard cattle guard.

The impressive house is hidden more than a mile past on the gravel ranch road.

Along the road cattle still graze in pastures girded by thick groves of pecan and oak trees. Deer, turkey, coyotes, hogs and other wild critters natural to the area roam here. The house is hidden behind century old shade trees that scream an invitation to grab a cold beer or glass of wine to come sit, relax, and soak it all in. Lovingly restored to its former “mansion of the area” elegance, the Indian Territory doctor’s home features comfortable furnishings and inviting porch views beckoning you to explore the now 2,500 acre estate.

The history here is bigger than me but a fine thread stretches back in time that gives me a slight but ever so much appreciated connection. I had been here before, in the 1960s. Then the huge ranch was the home of Laura Youngblood, the granddaughter of my great-great-grandfather George Wright. His family was one of the earliest of Texas pioneers, settling along the Red River while Texas was still part of the Spanish Empire. It was he who donated 50 acres of land to establish a town that became Paris, Texas.

George W. Wright, father of Henrietta Wright Howell

George outlived 3 wives and several children. With his last wife Sara Ann Wingo they had two daughters. Both of whom were orphaned as teenagers with George died on August 2, 1877 and Sarah in 1878. They were Henrietta Armond, called Netta (July 27, 1861 - April 4, 1912) and Sarah Elizabeth (my great grandmother), called Bettie (June 21, 1863 - January 15, 1947). Netta married Dr. Thomas Pitchlynn Howell of Davis, Oklahoma in 1887 and they had four children. Bette married Thomas Eddie Brazelton in 1888 in Paris, Texas and there they had three daughters. One of which was my grandmother.

Sarah Elizabeth (Bettie) Wright Brazelton, sister of Henrietta Wright Howell

Dr. Thomas P. Howell, a Choctaw Indian, came to this area of Oklahoma in the late 1870’s and settled west of Davis. He was the first doctor in the large area known as The Arbuckles. The family cemetery is located at the intersection of S.H. 7 and I-35 on what was once the Howell ranch. Buried in this family cemetery is Dr. Howell’s mother Rhoda Pitchlynn Howell, the sister of Peter P. Pitchlynn the first Principle Chief of the Choctaw Nation.

Dr. Thomas P. Howell

Dr. Howell and Netta originally built the three-story home in 1898 from wood brought in a wagon across the Red River from Gainesville, Texas. The construction crew lived on the ranch location for nearly a year to complete the grand structure.

Dr. Howell practiced medicine in the Fort Arbuckle area until approximately 1910, when physicians were required to be licensed. He then became a banker in two neighboring towns and operated his ranch of 7,000 acres.

One of Howell’s daughters, Laura Youngblood, lived on the ranch all of her 98 years (1891-1989). Laura married Tom Youngblood, an early graduate of Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College and a proud member of one of the earliest Aggie football teams.

Tom and Laura Youngblood circa 1960.

Laura and my grandmother and her two sisters would kept up with each other their whole lives. They often exchanged visits between Paris and the ranch near Davis. At first they traveled by rail and then by car as both cars and roads improved. My father carried on the visiting tradition after my grandmother died in 1972 and until Laura’s death.

Gathering of George Wright descendants in Brazelton home at Paris, Texas circa 1950. Seated are Edna Steely (granddaughter), G. W. Steely, Laura Youngblood (granddaughter) and Tom Youngblood. Standing are Thomas Steely (great grandson), Jane Steely, Hazel Brazelton (granddaughter) and Merle Brazelton (granddaughter).

Youngbloods visit Paris around 1964.

Steelys visit Laura (center) around 1980.

For as old of a place as it is, the ranch has had very few owners. Following Laura’s death, the remainder of her family sold the beautiful Victorian home and adjacent ranch. Another party owned the ranch for a period of six years before being purchased in 1997 by the present owner Janet Charalampous.

Janet’s parents, Wesley and Hildred Meinders, were family friends of Laura, and she was given memorabilia relating to the Howell/Youngblood family dating back to the 1860s. Janet said her mother and other friends often gathered at the ranch with Laura to play cards and visit. Janet has done an excellent job of keeping up the ranch, the ranch house, and the rich history of the original owners alive.

Janet wants her visitors to genuinely enjoy their stay with her. There are fishing ponds stocked with bass and catfish and what a spot to see the sunrise or sunset! You may be so fortunate as to see a turkey or deer while hiking through the ranch or on the walking trails in the wooded areas around the house. You are encouraged to pick blackberries or pecans. It is a great spot to see the stars or watch the fireflies summer evenings.

A two hour drive from Dallas and Fort Worth or one and one half hours from Oklahoma City makes this one of the most easily accessible hunting locations in Oklahoma or Texas.