Elvis Presley found what would become the Circle G Ranch in February of 1967. He, Priscilla, and a few others were in Mississippi to buy a horse for Elvis’ father Vernon. While driving back to Graceland, something caught The King’s eye. It was a huge white cross overlooking a lake. It struck a chord with Presley. That cross and lake were both situated on a large working ranch. Presley had to have it.
So, he sent Alan Fortas, a member of the Memphis Mafia, to the door to ask about buying the property. Jack Adams, who owned the property, told Fortas they could have the whole shebang for $437,000. That included the house, equipment, livestock, and 160 acres of land. Elvis Presley wasn’t one to negotiate. So, he immediately pulled the trigger on the transaction. They sealed the deal on a handshake.
Days later, Elvis Presley’s crew went to work moving Presley’s things into the newly purchased ranch. At that time, it was known as Twinkletown Ranch. However, Elvis renamed it Circle G. Some say that the G stood for Graceland. Others, however, say that the G stood for Gladys, Elvis’ mother’s name.
LIFE ON THE CIRCLE G
Elvis Presley didn’t mind coming out of pocket to make his new ranch home comfortable for everyone. He bought horses, tack, and pickup trucks for his entourage. Then, he had several trailer houses installed on the property so that everyone would have a place to stay when they wanted to get away.
In fact, Elvis Presley and his new bride spent the first two months of their marriage in a trailer behind the main house on the Circle G. This was due to the main ranch house being too close to the road. The trailer afforded the newlyweds something that they had very little of in their daily life: privacy.
It is unclear how many days passed until Elvis and Priscilla moved back to their mobile home by the lake, but their stay in the ranch house was long enough for it to be nicknamed their “Honeymoon Cottage.”
When Elvis Presley bought the property, it contained a brick ranch house, horse barn, and plenty of room to store, ride, and care for horses. It also contained several outbuildings that were used in the daily functions of the working farm before Presley bought it.
The various written histories of Elvis’ life have very little to say about what went on in May 1967, but there are hints that Elvis’ fascination with the cowboy life at the ranch started to wane. “With Elvis’ interest in the Circle G having waned almost to the point of nonexistence, Vernon begins to sell off pickup trucks, mobile homes and cattle.”
Elvis did spend some time at the ranch in August and September, but instead of riding horses, his new hobby was target shooting. However, by the end of September, Elvis decided to put the ranch up for sale.
On November 4, 1967, two thousand fans and collectors came to Circle G for a public auction. The sale of tractors, trailers, TV sets, equipment, and miscellaneous items raised over $108,000.
During the 1967 Christmas season, Elvis and the gang said an extended farewell to the Circle G Ranch. They continued to ride the horses not already shipped back to Graceland. The house trailers were all gone, but the ranch still provided an excellent location for hayrides and snowball fights. Finally, on May 20, 1968, Elvis sold the Circle G Ranch for $440,100 ($2,900,000 in today’s dollars).
Information provided by Linda Zabriskie
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