Those of you whose only experience with Dickinson Cattle Company, Inc. is viewing their Longhorn billboard from I-70 may be surprised to learn all that goes on at 35000 Muskrat Road in Barnesville. Although the sign - designed to appear like a Texas Longhorn - looks large, it is even larger than many guess it to be: it is 64 feet from tail to horn, 28 feet high, and the horns are 22 feet tip to tip. This grand scale is a good representation of the vast establishment of the Dickinson family. The main business of Dickinson Cattle Company is the breeding and development of superior quality registered cattle. With about 1300 head of Texas Longhorn, African Watusi, and Dutch BueLingo cattle, this is enough to keep them plenty busy, but they've still found time for the Longhorns Head to Tail store and to develop Longhorn Hideaway.
Darol and Linda Dickinson started raising Texas Longhorns out west in 967 and their four children worked for the ranch on weekends and after school, receiving part of their wages in young Longhorn calves. These cattle eventually became the start-up capital for the incorporation of DCCI here in Belmont County in 1993 by Joel, Chad, and Kirk Dickinson and their sister Dela Lenz, with Darol Dickinson serving as the full-time General Manager.
DCCI offers personally-narrated tours of the working Texas Longhorn cattle ranch. The tours are great for those who love animals, the West, history, fun and the big outdoors! Highlights of the tour include viewing Texas Longhorns, African Watusi, and Dutch BueLingo cattle, the chance to handfeed the Longhorns, historic tour narration, learning about the reclaimed coal mine land and modern conservation ecology, all while riding the range in colorful ranch buses. Tours start at 11 a.m. from the Longhorns Head to Tail store. Reservations are required for parties of 20 or more. Group tours can be accommodated May through mid-October by reservation. Call 740 758-5050 or visit www.texaslonghorn.com for more information.
In addition to the ranch, the small Longhorns Head to Tail store is a must-see. There you can view and purchase frozen natural Longhorn beef raised right on the ranch without the use of implants, growth hormones, or steroids, as well as their newer line of all-natural, heat-and-serve canned pork, turkey, and Longhorn beef. You'll also find branding irons, polished Texas Longhorn skulls, tanned cattle hides, and all kinds of ranch-inspired home decor items. You can learn more by going to www.head2tail.com. Store hours are June through August from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and Sundays 2 to 6 p.m.
Finally, the Longhorn Hideaway development offers a limited number of home sites in an extraordinary natural setting. The development is private and secluded behind a security gate and surrounded by the pastures of DCCI. Architectural guidelines protect the property values and covenants help assure a permanent pleasant environment perfect for anyone wanting peaceful country life coupled with the convenience of being just a couple of miles from I-70. More information about the development can be found online at www.longhornhideaway.com.
