Property History
Records disclose that Willard and Lila Merriam owned 97.17 acres with 2600 feet fronting
the Blanco River in the early 1900’s (middle of the current South River development). The
property included an old stone house and seven stone cottages along the river. This ranch
was then known locally as Riverside Terrace Camp. The Merriams lived in the old house
and rented out the cottages.
In 1950, Ed and Catherine Farrington moved here from Houston, bought the ranch, and
renamed it Rancho Rio Blanco. They selected a site at the highest point on the ranch and
began building a new ranch home. The contractor was a well-known local, Karl Dobie.
This home was completed in 1952 and is the center building of the Lancaster home today
and is still known as Rancho Rio Blanco. In June, 1953, the Farringtons purchased an
adjoining 67.93 acre ranch from Dr. Oliver Lewis, thus adding another 2000 feet of river
frontage. The ranch then stretched from the old low-water bridge just east of the current
RR 12 bridge to a low-water bridge just west of the current South River POA Park. A
flood in the mid-fifties damaged the latter bridge, and the Farringtons constructed a new
ranch entrance from RR 12 and built a road up to their home. The old rock entrance
pillars can still be seen on each side of Flat Rock Road in the commercial section.
During the period 1953 thru 1955, the river house and cottages were leased to Carol Knolk
and Jane Brown for use as a girls’ camp. This was the birth of the Rocky River Camp that
is now located downriver from the RR 12 bridge. In 1955, the Farringtons expanded the
Rancho Rio Blanco main home, added a swimming pool, and provided meals in the dining
room each evening to an average of 100 people, including guests from the river cottages
and ranch workers. During the 1959-1963 years, George and Sarah Scott from Houston
leased the river cottage area for use as a children’s camp and called it Scotty’s Ranch. In
1964, the Houston YMCA leased the area and formed El Rancho Cima.
In 1965 the entire Rancho Rio Blanco was purchased by Ralph and Bernice Nelson from
California; however, they both deceased shortly thereafter, and the ranch was willed to UT
and Scott & White Hospital jointly. The next twenty-five years are full of folklore and
rumors. Officially, the ranch was unoccupied. However, one local story involves an old
retired Texas Ranger, who with a few buddies simply set up camp in the ranch house,
grew foot-long gold fish in the swimming pool, and discharged enough firearms to keep
the locals away. Another story involves an ex-Navy Seal who moved in with his furniture
and lived in seclusion after a nasty divorce. Many of the local Baby-Boomers report that
they hunted during their early years on the ranch when it was empty and completely
covered with vegetation.
UT and Scott & White took no interest in the ranch until Doug Barclay bought it from
them in 1993 and began developing South River. In 2005, Sherry and DeWayne Lancaster
purchased the old Rancho Rio Blanco ranch house, restored and expanded the buildings,
and reside there today.
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