People often ask what brought us to this part of the Hill Country.
The answer actually begins just down the road from Basecamp, at a ranch Jeremy’s family called the Rockin’ F.
Long before there were cabins, glamping tents, or the Lodge, there was another place here that became part of our family story.
In the 1950s, Jeremy’s great-grandmother, Annie Dunn Ford, purchased that ranch as both a working sheep operation and a place for the family to escape from Midland. Sheep grazed the pastures, wool was sold, and weekends meant trading city life for cedar, live oaks, and wide-open spaces.
Annie was one of those people whose story gets more interesting the more you learn about her. She was also very much ahead of her time. After her husband passed away, she took over Rocky Ford Moving Company and continued growing the business from Midland at a time when very few women owned companies of that size. She traveled extensively, loved the Hill Country, and eventually lived to nearly 100 years old.
For Jeremy, the ranch was simply where summers happened. Growing up in Houston, every summer meant coming west. He attended TECABOCA, the church camp just down the road, spent time fishing and hunting with family, and learned to appreciate the beauty of the area and a life spent outdoors.
When the opportunity to purchase what is now Basecamp came along, there was something fitting about it being just a few miles from where our family’s connection to this area began.
When we renovated the cabin, we named it the Rocking F Rambler after the family ranch. Friends of ours had photographed the old ranch sign years ago, and a print of it now hangs in the bedroom. We still have the original sign at our home, although these days it’s so faded you can barely make it out.
That old sign is a small reminder of where our family’s story in the Hill Country began.
Thanks for following along. We’ll see you next month.
Kelly & Jeremy