Fire at historic Worth Ranch leaves generations of North Texas Scouts mourning

For generations of North Texas Scouts, Worth Ranch was more than a collection of buildings in the Palo Pinto hills.

It was a place where friendships were formed, traditions were passed down, and young people returned home changed.

The Ross Fire, a blaze that destroyed part of the historic camp, has left generations mourning the loss of a place they say helped shape their lives.

"I'm definitely devastated about the whole thing," said Philip McFadden, who spent summers at Worth Ranch with his father, Mike McFadden. "It's very sad what's happening. But I don't think that the spirit of Worth Ranch, or how scouting carries it, will disappear."

For nearly a century, Worth Ranch has welcomed young Scouts to the Palo Pinto Mountains, where they learned to paddle the Brazos River, climb Kyle Mountain, serve others, and grow into themselves.

Philip McFadden said his experiences at the camp changed him.

"I went, and I came back a different person," he said. "And I just made so many friends. They're my best friends, my closest friends."

The fire also destroyed pieces of the camp's history, including paddles signed by generations of Scouts.

For Mike McFadden, a longtime scouter and Philip's father, that loss is particularly painful.

"It hurts," he said. "Like, this is the deep pit of my stomach. Because I had an opportunity to show him my paddles. And I've seen other parents show their kids their paddles, and that's just something that's not going to happen anymore."

Kent Couch, a scout for 60 years, spent years preserving Worth Ranch's history. He said some of the camp's stone buildings dated to its construction in 1930.

"The stone buildings there were made from native stone, hauled in on a wagon by a neighbor of the camp," Couch said. "And that was all done in 1930 when the camp was built."

Other parts of the camp carried their own history. The swimming pool, for example, was used for military swim training during World War II.

But for Couch and the McFaddens, the buildings and landmarks were never what made Worth Ranch special.

"Worth Ranch has a special spirit," Couch said. "And that goes along with all the people that have been there."

Philip McFadden said that the spirit will continue even if the camp eventually has new buildings and facilities.

"I don't think that the spirit of Worth Ranch, or how scouting carries it, will disappear, even if we get new buildings and new stuff like that," he said. "It's not the place that's a home. It's the people."

For those who spent summers at Worth Ranch, the fire may have destroyed buildings and irreplaceable artifacts. But they say it cannot erase the legacy left by the people who called the camp home.

Now, they hope that legacy will eventually help guide a rebuilding effort.