Big Turkey Creek Ranche was established by Charles O. Fuller in 1855. A native of New York state, born in 1828, Fuller came to Missouri as a young man where he obtained employment as driver for the Waldo Hall Company, the first mail contractor on the Santa FeTrail. At some unknown date, Fuller left the ranche, moving to Marion Centre, Kansas where he was elected to the Marion County Board of Commissioners. In Marion Centre, he built the first hotel and in 1872, he joined Ira Moore of the Cottonwood Creek Ranche in the establishment of the grist mill west of Marion Centre. In the same year, Fuller traded his interest in the mill for a farm near Florence, Kansas. Here he lived to his death in 1879.

     Fuller's successors at the ranche were Harvey Bickford and L. Hubble. Bickford was appointed postmaster at the post office established at the ranche in 1860. Both Bickford and Hubble figured in the creation of Peketon County. In the November 6, 1860 election, conducted at the Cow Creek Ranche, Bickford, was elected to serve as county commissioner; Hubble was elected to the office of county commissioner.

     The ranche became a favorite stop on the Santa Fe Trail because of the fine table set by two sisters employed at the ranche, Clare and Norma Nomi. Norma married a Mr. Smith, a butcher at Fort Dodge, Kansas. Clare married Henry Schonfeldt. The identity of Schonfeldt is murky. In 1866, a Henry Shonfield paid a dram shop license fee. Conjecture has it that Schonfeldt and Shonfield were one and the same person. If so, then in all likelihood, this person, whatever the spelling of his name, was the last proprietor of the Turkey Creek Ranche.

     Trukey Creek campground also known as Fullers Ranche was in 1855, the first settlement in what is now McPherson County. In 1864 Mr. & Mrs. Ely P. Waterman were operating the Running Turkey Ranche and also a mail station at that location. The Waterman's were the parents of Mr. A. A. Moore {Lank Moore}, and Mrs. Moore was ill and wished to have her mother come visit. The Moores were living about 1/2 mile north of Main Street in Marion Centre, and on July 20, 1864 Mr. Moore sent Ed Miller to the Running Turkey Ranche to notify Mrs. Waterman of her daughter's illness. Ed Miller was a boy about 17 years of age, the son of Nelson Miller who lived near the Mineral Wells on the North side of Main Street in Marion. Ed, riding a fast horse, stopped at French Franks Ranche where he was to exchange horses for Frank's fast horse. However, Frank had gone to Council Grove, taking his fast horse along with him. Being unable to make the exchange, he proceeded on his way with Moore's horse for about 16 miles southwest of the Frenchman's Ranch. Upon reaching the brow of the hill descending down to the ranche at Turkey Creek where Mr Waterman lived, he was confronted by a band of Indian warriors who opened fire upon him. When this happened Ed turned back and fled. The people at the ranche heard the report of Indian guns and got a glimpse of a lone horseman turning and fleeing before them. From the roof of the ranche they could see a cloud of dust upon the Santa Fe Road for some distance, but the boy and the Indians soon vanished out of sight. The race continued up the Santa Fe Road to the northeast for about 12 miles to a point about a quarter mile west of the old Cottonwood Holes, about four miles west of the Frenchman's Ranche.