Walking Box Ranch
Encyclopedia
Walking Box Ranch, 7 mi (11.3 km) west of Searchlight, Nevada
in the Mojave Desert
, was founded in 1931 by Rex Bell
and Clara Bow
as a working 400000 acre (161,874.4 ha) ranch. The ranch covered 160 acre (64.7 ha) at the time it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on January 30, 2009. The ranch includes four buildings and is owned by the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM).
Over the years, Rex and Clara entertained many notable Hollywood figures, including Clark Gable
, Carole Lombard
, Errol Flynn
, and Lionel Barrymore
.
The Nature Conservancy
purchased 151331 acre (61,241.5 ha) of land that surrounded the Walking Box Ranch in June 1994.
The Walking Box Ranch was purchased by Las Vegas Gaming Investments in 2000 for $950,000.
Listing on the National Register of Historic Places
was one of the goals set out in April 2006 by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
, and the Bureau of Land Management
, co-managers of the property. The listing was awarded on January 30, 2009.
Searchlight, Nevada
Searchlight is an unincorporated town in Clark County, Nevada, at the topographic saddle between two mountain ranges.-History:According to Nevada Senator Harry Reid, who has written extensively about his hometown, the most likely story as to how the town received its name was when George Frederick...
in the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
, was founded in 1931 by Rex Bell
Rex Bell
Rex Bell , born George Francis Beldam, was an American actor and politician. He was the Lieutenant Governor of Nevada and a western movie star. Rex was born in Chicago and married actress Clara Bow in 1931. They had two sons, Tony Beldon and George Beldon, Jr...
and Clara Bow
Clara Bow
Clara Gordon Bow was an American actress who rose to stardom in the silent film era of the 1920s. It was her appearance as a spunky shopgirl in the film It that brought her global fame and the nickname "The It Girl." Bow came to personify the roaring twenties and is described as its leading sex...
as a working 400000 acre (161,874.4 ha) ranch. The ranch covered 160 acre (64.7 ha) at the time it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on January 30, 2009. The ranch includes four buildings and is owned by the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
(BLM).
Over the years, Rex and Clara entertained many notable Hollywood figures, including Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
, Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard was an American actress. She was particularly noted for her comedic roles in the screwball comedies of the 1930s...
, Errol Flynn
Errol Flynn
Errol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
, and Lionel Barrymore
Lionel Barrymore
Lionel Barrymore was an American actor of stage, screen and radio. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in A Free Soul...
.
Later History
The Walking Box Ranch was purchased by Bell from the Rock Springs Cattle Company. The company owned 1000000 acre (404,686 ha) in the Mojave Desert.The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
purchased 151331 acre (61,241.5 ha) of land that surrounded the Walking Box Ranch in June 1994.
The Walking Box Ranch was purchased by Las Vegas Gaming Investments in 2000 for $950,000.
Listing on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
was one of the goals set out in April 2006 by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of...
, and the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
, co-managers of the property. The listing was awarded on January 30, 2009.