North Ranch - unique community north of town

By Art Pulis, Sun Business Advocate

Preparing Thanksgiving dinner at North Ranch are volunteers (left to right) Hob Hoblighorst, Ted Trask, Bill Walcott, Voni Ensley and Gordon Smith

Drive into North Ranch and you will be amazed at the variety of housing options. Spend some time with a few of the residents and you will be fascinated by the unique sense of community, fellowship, and family.

Escapees North Ranch started in 1991 as a small RV campground and has grown to a large development of recreational vehicles, mobiles, manufactured homes, and sizable "stick built" residences. The park is owned by the Escapees RV Club headquartered in Livingston, Texas.

More than 100 lots are held for temporary use by RVs, while 436 are privately owned. Many of the deeded lots have permanent structures while others are vacant, awaiting their owners to arrive in a motor home or fifth wheel.

While North Ranch is not age restricted, it generally appeals to retired individuals. With an estimate of two people per lot, the park has a population of slightly more than 1,000 during the height of the winter season. While not a majority of residents, many have become year-round members of the community.

All of the lots of North Ranch have been developed, and there is no additional land for expansion. There are both larger and smaller parcels, and a quick look at the local bulletin board indicates that resale prices can range around $50,000 for the lot alone.

The Escapees magazine classified section shows a couple of listings including a 1,876-square-foot furnished manufactured home on a lot for $145,000. The bulletin board indicates that it is also possible to move into a smaller home on a smaller lot for as little as $50,000.

The true uniqueness of North Ranch is not the variety of the real estate. It is the sense of community found among the residents. All lot owners and the vast majority of transient RV residents are members of the Escapees RV Club. This makes them "skips" since each one has a unique SKP number showing membership privileges.

Watching a member check into the park shows the family nature of the club as the visitor receives a welcoming hug from Co-Manager Helen Crowder.

"The skips are all family," explained Crowley. "The tradition is that they get a hug when they come in and when they leave."

The community atmosphere goes far beyond the transit RV group.

"We are one big family with each one helping the other," explained Helen's husband Clinton. "Our whole system works on volunteerism.

"We have a beautification committee, a communications committee, and even a newspaper run by volunteers," he added. "Recently, the park built a large activities center. The steel building was erected by contractors, but all of the interior work was accomplished by volunteers among the residents."

"The community operates on a sharing and caring system," according to resident Gordon Smith. "We have people with all kinds of backgrounds and experience. If you need help, all you have to do it run up the flag, and you have more than you want."

Residents at North Ranch are not without something to do almost every minute of every day. They have clubs for most recreational activities including the arts, dancing, wood carving, writing, and playing music.

The bulletin board has an on-going list for musicians to join a regular jam session.

Coordinating the activities is the job of staff member Vonie Ensley.

"Our job is to keep everyone as busy as we can, so they don't know they're getting old," said Ensley.

Thanksgiving Day became an example of the community gathering as a family as a group of volunteers prepared a dinner for upwards of 150 residents. The park provided the meat, but all of the remaining food was brought by the residents as a large potluck.

With 1,000 residents just north of Wickenburg, North Ranch is a significant business in itself, and an important addition to our economic community.

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