Historic Nebraska Sandhills Ranch for Sale

By Cindy Gonzalez, Nebraska Examiner

LINCOLN -- One of the most historic and largest multigenerational ranches in the Nebraska Sandhills -- owned by only two families since the Cherry County land was settled in the late 1800s -- is poised to find new owners.

With an asking price of $50 million, the 55,136 acres could rake in the biggest sum ever for a Nebraska ranch.

Located in the nation's No. 1 cow county -- and including nine miles of the Snake River, eight miles of Gordon Creek, 26 solar wells, 79 windmills, 20-plus artesian flowing wells and an airplane hangar -- the property has grabbed the attention of potential buyers from numerous states.

But not all are happy with the idea of the sale.

NOT ALL WANT TO SELL

Some members of the Abbott family, which bought the property from the Metzgers over a half-century ago, object to letting go of the ranch where whitetail and mule deer run, walleye and trout fishing is common, and the Ogallala Aquifer nourishes grassy meadows for acres.

Chris, who has been the ranch's main steward, wants to hold onto the operation, but the majority of the five brothers and sisters who are major shareholders have voted to sell and focus on other areas of their lives.

It's an emotional struggle that, without discussing specifics of the ranch, Nebraska State Sen. Tanya Storer said many Sandhills natives can relate to.

"Being part of a multigenerational ranch family myself, sometimes even selling a specific pasture can be emotional," said Storer, who lives in Cherry County.

She said the ranch is a cornerstone of the north-central Nebraska region, with the Abbott family legacy entrenched not only in the cattle but banking industries. While new owners are always welcome, Storer said, the bond is "really never the same" as with families that have grown up together, branded together and have run to each other's aid when fires or other ranch tragedies hit.

"It's the interwovenness of the experience, the culture of what we do," said the lawmaker from Whitman.

Mike Abbott, who at age 67 is the youngest of the siblings and among those ready to sell, said he wouldn't change any of his ranch experiences, including 4-H and riding horseback to a one-room schoolhouse.

He recalls his mom and dad, Art and Patricia, buying the ranch from Woodrow Metzger in 1969. Mike was about 10 years old then, though generations of the Abbotts have lived in the area since the turn of the 20th Century.

"Yep, that was my childhood," said Mike, president of the corporation that owns the property. "Then, ranching provided well for my family. But it was different for my three kids."

He called ranching "a changing industry," and said his own three children have ventured into other work. The sale of the ranch should allow Abbott family members to support younger generations in their endeavors, he said.

'MAMA COW COUNTRY'

Marketing the ranch for sale is Hall and Hall, a brokerage firm based in the county seat of Valentine.

Agent Mark Johnson said torn feelings are commonplace in his business and can be magnified with multigenerational ranch land. He also worked on the recent sale of the Dumbbell Ranch, which was mostly situated in Cherry County and attracted national attention for its quirky name, rich history and size of 15,500 acres.

In that case, the two siblings who controlled the Dumbbell, despite sentimental attachment, agreed on selling. One sibling was immersed in a computer career in Colorado, and his sister was about to get married again.

Her daughters had more pressing interests than to oversee the operation and, as Anne Anderson Bennet said at the time: "We love the Sandhills. Our family loves ranching. It's time to move on."

Even larger, the Metzger Ranch, also known as the Abbott Ranch, is a "rock" in the county known for having the most cows in the United States, Johnson said, calling Cherry County the best place for a "mama cow."

Agriculture is the No. 1 industry in Nebraska, and cattle production represents the largest segment of the industry, according to the Nebraska Beef Council.

Just the sheer size of it is extremely notable," Johnson said of the Abbott property. His team, whose expertise is in ranches, believes the asking price surpasses all other Nebraska ranches to date.

Since hitting the market earlier this month, Johnson said, he's fielded interest from people in Texas, Missouri, Kansas, Wyoming and Montana. He said they include land investors and ranchers, some attracted to the sub-irrigated land where drought is not as common and others who feel pushed out of their current regions by non-agricultural development.

He suspects potential buyers will see an opportunity to invest in a "hard asset" versus the stock market.

The cows aren't included in the price tag, but the real estate listing shows the ranch as a 2,500-head cow/calf year-round operation. Included in the sale are five homes, a bunkhouse. There's a horse barn, cattle working facilities and other outbuildings.

"Rarely do ranches of such large acreage and quality come to market," said the Hall and Hall website. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for anyone who dreams of a future in land ownership and cattle production."

LAND WITH LONG TIES

After News Channel Nebraska reported the real estate listing, the family sent a statement from the children of Chris Abbott, who described their dad as the decades-long main steward of the ranch.

A.J. and Carver Abbott and Alicia Abbott Clark said in the statement that their dad, who they said grew the cow herd and land mass, would never vote to sell the ranch. They said his four siblings did vote to sell, and one has since "retracted."

"The cattle, hills, meadows, trees, river ground, summer pastures, windmills, fence lines, etc., run deep in our Dad's soul. As a working rancher since he was a child, Chris has developed pride, respect and callouses," they wrote.

The three said many have reached out to them, and they wanted people to know that all was done to try and convince the "on-paper majority owners" not to sell.

Their hope, they said, is that "someone with a whole hell of a lot of money and vision will hear about what is going on and will partner in the ranch, or that Dad's siblings will accept our lease offer."

Mike Abbott said he and wife Pam want the next owner to "value and appreciate all the natural resources the land can offer and be exceptional stewards to it."

"My favorite memories were working alongside my dad all those years, no matter the task," the youngest sibling said. His dad, Art, passed away in 1986 and mom, Patricia (Frank), died in 2009.

HARD DECISION

Storer said her heart hurts for any family that, for whatever reason, closes a ranching chapter.

"There is something unique about the Sandhills. It becomes part of you," she said. "If and when you have to separate from that, it certainly leaves an empty spot in your soul."

Mike Abbott expects some of the Abbott family to remain in the area after a sale. His sisters and major shareholders are Andrea Berger, Diane Shadbolt and Helen Feller. Grandchildren have expanded the number of stakeholders in the ranch.

He didn't want to discuss or add to any conflict, but he said a sale would get more complicated over time and now seemed the best way for most involved.

"This was a very very hard decision," said Mike Abbott. "We've got to move forward."

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