Randy and Linda Sallee, owners of Lone Summit Ranch, are proud to be the most recent caretakers in a long line of keepers of this historic Lee’s Summit property.
“We bought the farm in 2015,” says Linda. “When we first came to look at it, I wasn’t that excited about it. The property was in disarray. There were tall weeds, not much grass or landscaping, it was just kinda sad. But Randy was like a kid at Christmas, and he fell in love with it.” She adds with a grin, “I fell in love with it, too.”
The Sallees have restored the ranch into a premier event location, hosting more than 70 weddings/functions in 2022. They are also happy to call Lone Summit Ranch their personal home.
Knowing that Lone Summit Ranch has a richly storied past, their goals have been to uphold the ranch’s long-held agricultural traditions and continue sharing the beautiful venue with the community.
The Early Years
Dr. Bud Hertzog is a lifelong resident of Lee’s Summit and has practiced veterinary medicine in the area for 66 years. He remembers the land initially as the Bruce Dobson Farm, an expansive tract of farmland that extended both north and south of 50 Highway. Dr. Hertzog recalls the first time he visited the farm, “I was in high school in the mid 1940s and the farm was then owned by Ralph L. Smith. He had Angus cattle and bought a bull called Prince Eric of Sunbeam for $25,000. In those days, nobody ever heard of paying that much for a bull, so people came from everywhere to see Prince Eric.” By the time Bud graduated high school, the farm had switched hands again, this time to the Knaus Family, who operated the land as a dairy farm.
Dutton Brookfield Era
Dutton Brookfield, a prominent personality who twice ran for Mayor of Kansas City and was the KC Sports Commissioner who helped establish the Harry S. Truman Sports Complex, owned the farm from 1972 until his death in 1979. He christened it Lone Summit Ranch, and the name has stuck. Dr. Hertzog says Brookfield brought in prize Hereford cattle and renovated the ranch into a showplace. A staunch supporter of all things Mizzou and Chiefs, Brookfield was known to host many events at Lone Summit Ranch. The Sallees have photos from that era, including one with Brookfield, Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford, and Dandy Don Merideth enjoying a Monday Night Football party at the ranch. Mr. Brookfield also commissioned paintings of the ranch, which are still displayed at the Lee’s Summit History Museum.
The Gibson Family
As the next owners of Lone Summit Ranch, John and Judy Gibson kept the party spirit alive. While they mainly utilized the land for crop farming during their 35 years of ownership, they also owned an event and catering business that transformed the facilities into a reception venue.
Lone Summit Ranch Today
Now a 500-acre working farm with crops and cattle, as well as 128 acres of event amenity space, the property keeps the Sallee family busy. Randy focuses on the daily operation of the farm. His career as a home builder and developer comes in handy with the never-ending list of projects. Linda, a former labor and delivery nurse, always dreamed of being a wedding coordinator. Lone Summit Ranch hosted its first wedding under her watchful eye in 2016, and the business has been growing steadily since into a one-of-a-kind event destination.
Linda says they have worked tirelessly to renovate most of the buildings on the ranch over the last seven years, but they had good bones with which to work. “It has been a lot of work, but it’s been a labor of love.” Linda continues, “To see people coming back to the property and the farm coming alive again, that means something to me.”
She and Randy are hopeful to incorporate a photo and art gallery highlighting the history of the ranch in a future project.
For more information on hosting an event at Lone Summit Ranch or to book for their annual Mother’s Day Brunch go to lonesummitranchevents.com.