History
A 1,300-acre working cattle ranch when it was purchased in 1943 by John and Billie Jo Carpenter, the parents of Cathy Chatham, F9 Ranch was originally the site of a stagecoach stop between San Antonio and Brownsville. The home in which Cathy and her brothers (Frank, Tony, Chris and Aubrey) grew up was built before the Civil War with cypress lumber brought up the Intracoastal Canal from Florida through the port at Indianola, Texas, on Matagorda Bay in Calhoun County, and then transported to Beeville by oxcart. The F9 ceased to be a working ranch in the mid-60’s when the Carpenter family moved to Corpus Christi.
For the past 50 years the F9 has been enjoyed by the families of the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the Carpenters as a weekend getaway for camping, hunting, bird-watching and communing with the natural beauty of South Texas habitat. Game animals seen more-or-less regularly on the ranch include deer, feral pigs, javelina, bobcats, cougars, jaguarundi, coyotes, badgers, racoons, armadillos, dove, quail, turkey, ducks and a wide variety of native and migratory birds. Wildlife stewardship is managed by a group of bow hunters who visit the ranch throughout the year to feed, water and plant feed crops.
The F9 has been a popular retreat venue for youth and adults over the years, historically using tents and campers as sleeping accommodations, with windmill showers and converted deer blinds for toilet facilities. Outdoor cooking and evening meals around the campfire were a regular feature.
In late 2016 we finished building a ranch house complex with 5 bedrooms, 3-½ baths, kitchen, fireplace, great rooms and lots of deck. These days, weekends at the ranch are a bit more comfortable. Still as much fun as ever, just plenty of A/C and heat when you need it. Our vision for the ranch house is a place where our families and friends can comfortably gather and a retreat venue for youth and adults to share the ranch experience.
