The History of the Empire Ranch

GADSDEN PURCHASE 1993 Vail family photo 1920's 1993 Mac Donaldson, Tom McCoy, Fernando Leon, John Donaldson courtesy of L.V. Ingram Banning John and Mac Donaldson 1993 John Donaldson at and Juan Tellez, Empire Ranch cowboys at (photos courtesy Donaldson family) Vail on gathering cattle for Fall scales, weighing calves stone corral Santa Fe cutting roundup 2000 1913 chute Banning Vail becomes Empire 1999 ERF match of funds for Vail family photo courtesy of L.V. Ingram Ranch Manager & marries Tucson Learn and Serve program $95K Millennium Grant Looking Southeast at Ranch House, 1880's completed Phoenix native Laura Perry recruits and trains youth Alamogordo 1972 volunteers who work to Las Cienegas National Yuma Tucson Conservation Area Las Cruces 1906 Pancho Boice’s son preserve 70 windows and Sierra 1896 designated by Walter Vail killed in Los Angeles Steve assumes ranch doors and other features Vista Vail family, with 6 children, 1976 U.S. Congress EMPIRE RANCH streetcar accident. management 2001 relocates to Los Angeles to Empire Ranch House is listed in the First annual Empire Carroll Gates and heirs continue . Statistical Research, Inc. (SRI) awarded better manage Vail Co.’s 1973 National Register of Historic Places Ranch Roundup & management of of Vail Cattle Co. long term contract for Empire Ranch California holdings Pancho Boice killed (submission by Marjorie Wilson, Open House is held 1854 1907 in plane accident Historian, Arizona State Parks) preservation repairs and planning 1691 Gadsden Purchase from Mexico acquires Garden and pool area, Lush Jesuit Father Eusebio Empire Ranch lands as part of U.S. Son Wm. Banning Vail sent 1988 Francisco Kino explores Pancho and Bob Boice in greenery on bay window and rear 1974 2001 First ERF Western Art Anglo-American settlers begin to occupy to ranch to learn the 1948 photo courtesy S. Boice $95K Millennium Southern Arizona, begin- tulip garden west of addition photos courtesy Boice family Anamax Mining Co. U.S. Bureau of Land Management Show. First Spring Trail Ride ning Spanish presence in Sonoita Valley business Matching Grant screened porch, 1930s John Wayne and Boices in publicity picture, 1950s purchases the Empire (BLM) acquires Empire Ranch, the region. awarded. photo courtesy Boice family Red River is among Hollywood Westerns Ranch from Gulf administered as Empire-Cienega Empire Ranch House 1821 1890 1948 filmed on the Empire 1969 American, Boice family Resource Conservation Area. 2002 Mexico wins 1928 designated an official Margaret Vail, sidesaddle, Ned Vail and Empire Cowboy bathroom (Room 7) and Cooks Gulf American Corp. purchases lease is discontinued Donaldson’s ranching lease Action Plan repairs to independence Vail boys Russell, 1930s project in Save from Spain 1877 views cattle branding foreman Tom Turner Vail Co. sells Empire Ranch to Chiricahua and cattle sold and use of headquarters Ranch House completed, Walter and Banning Some room uses are bathroom (Room 9) are added Empire Ranch for proposed Camp Huachuca (ca. 1884) drive cattle overland to 1916 Cattle Co. (CCC) (Henry G., Frank continues America’s Treasures Stone Corral preservation 1848 John Harvey, Edward Vail, and established as ca. 1896 Pancho Villa revised under Boice 1950 real estate development 1990 Walter Vail, 1879 photo courtesy California to defeat Seymour, and Charles Boice partners) program Mexican-American Army Outpost raids Columbus, management Windmill and water tank moved Boice family continues to project completed, War ends 1863 Arizona Historical Society 1896 McFaddin becomes Americorps volunteers 1876 Southern Pacific R.R. New Mexico 1928 ranch the Empire Windmill repaired, Union creates Empire Ranch foreman (Rooms 1, 3, 8, 12, to present location from west side install cedar shingles on 1849 Arizona Territory out Partners Walter Vail, Herbert Hislop, 1881 rate increase Banning Vail family, of Adobe Hay Barn under lease Electrical goes underground California Gold Gunfight at OK Corral 1918 14, 16, 23) Victorian Addition roof, of western half of (and later John Harvey) purchase Fish’s 1898 Spanish with 3 children, Rush begins New Mexico Tombstone AZ American War World War I Korean War ends and make other repairs Territory 160-acre Empire Ranch for $2,000 ends relocates to 1953 Los Angeles 1863 1870 1876 1882 1884 1886 1890 1894 1896 1900 1906 1925 1929 1930 1934 19451948 1951 1956 1958 1969 1972 1974 1976 1988 1999 2000 2015

1871 1882 1934 1956 Edward Nye Fish 1878 Railroad line completed through Sonoita Valley By 1925, new concrete Taylor Grazing Act World War II ends Frank Seymour Boice dies; sons 1975 1997 likely occupied Empire Partner John Harvey 1912 1951 2003 2015 1862 1865 floors laid, master bath passed to regulate Frank S., Jr. (Pancho) with his wife John Donaldson leases Empire Ranch Foundation (ERF) Homestead Act passed Civil War ends Ranch and original builds home (Rooms 1882 Arizona becomes added, ranch hand’s Frank Seymour and Mary Major emergency Childrens 1929 access for grazing Sherry, and Bob Boice with wife Empire Ranch from Anamax, and its partnership with BLM by U.S. Congress 4-room Empire 22 and 23) for his Empire Land & Cattle a state house and other out Boice become sole owners repairs to Ranch 1861 Frank Seymour Boice Miriam assume management lives in Huachuca House, using is created for purposes of Ranch House (Rooms future bride addition on public lands of Empire Ranch. Civil War Begins Co. created, with Walter buildings added. the main Ranch House for preserving and interpreting Hands House 1-4, 6), which may have completed on manages Empire Confederacy forms Confederate Vail as principal shareholder. 1900 They modernize kitchen housing cowboys and visitors the ranch headquarters and Haybarn been constructed 1878-79 Ranch; he and wife Territory of Arizona largely out of main house H. Heffner, Ranch Manager, (Room 17), living room 1958 2004 by Fish or possibly earlier Rear Addition & Stone Mary make it their Gadsden purchase lands in front of the 2-story corral (Room 20), and dining room Mary Boice relocates, after which First annual “Legacy Day” for area Corral constructed home bunkhouse that has since (Room 21) including lowering main Ranch House is used by ranch students held on the Ranch; Phase II Adobe (Rooms 10-18, 30) burned 1920 ceilings and replacing windows employees. It is no longer the primary Hay Barn emergency repairs completed; Laura Perry Vail with and sashes and installing residence of ranch operators Adaptive Reuse Plan documented 1881 children Dusty and Tom paneling Margaret Newhall marries Walter Vail and moves to Empire Ranch 1878-1881 BACK TO THE FUTURE 2005-2007 Victorian addition 1949 First “Shoot-out” held for artists; first Wild About the Grasslands! youth summer is enlarged Frank Seymour Boice camp held; phase one of Heritage Discovery Trail installed; Volunteer Days reinstituted; Phase III Adobe Hay Barn emergency repairs completed; new and Mary Boice in group water system and public restroom installed; emergency repairs to South Barn roundup photo and to Victorian Addition West Gable completed; Mechanic’s Shed roof Vail family photos photo courtesy Boice family repaired; old carpet, asbestos tile and linoleum removed, living and dining courtesy L.V. Ingram rooms in the Victorian Addition patched and painted. Original Empire Ranch House painting by Bruce Andre, 2002 Tack Room and snubbing post, 1950s 1960 2008-2010 photo courtesy Boice Family Donaldson family’s ranching lease assumed by the Tomlinson family; Anthony Quinn, Bob & Mary Bowman, Mary Boice, structural and seismic assessment study of four buildings of the Empire Ranch and Hal Wallace on site for filming Last Train from Headquarters completed; Lintel at the south end of the Zaguan restored; 1871 windmill replaced; Heritage Discovery Trailsignage and benches installed; Original Fish House Gun Hill photo courtesy Mary Bowman nomination of the Empire Ranch Headquarters as a National Register Historic District submitted.

1878 2011-2015 Rear Addition 1 3 Donaldson Brands Phased emergency repairs and long term preservation and adaptive reuse improvements made to Empire Ranch House interior and exterior, and to key 1878-81 2 outlying buildings; progressive expansion of interpretive exhibits and youth and community education programs and events. Victorian Addition 4 6

1878 9 Stone Corral, 10 8 Foreman's Quarters 1886 11 Children’s Addition 13 12 Cowboy 14 20 16 Cook's 19 21 Wing 17 15 18 29 22 23 24 25 28 26 30 Vail Empire Ranch Brands 27 Boice Brands