‘,. 1 0 c cr co 5— k)e. . 161 7 In Historic Aravaipa Canyon / 2.1 1 5 ` Early Arizona Lingers At Wood Ranch by Don Kramer Pinal County Development Board Chairman

In eastern Pinal County, the desert valley rises into live at Aravaipa, either in person, or in the spirit of their higher desert, a gorgeous country of giant saguaros, lux- sons and daughters. urious palo verde, and other desert flora. If you know where Only a few generations ago, the war cries of the Apache to go, you can find a quiet canyon, where the clear waters struck terror into the hearts of hard-bitten homesteaders. of Aravaipa Creek come bubbling down out of the drainage The unspoiled beauty of Aravaipa could still contain a area of the Graham and Galiuro Mountains. few hostiles for the fleeting mind to conjure up in a de- Willows, cottonwoods, and other luxuriant trees grow in lightful visit into a living museum of the early West. the fertile creek bed, side by side with the saguaros and Patriarch of the Aravaipa is John Martin Wood, 92, cholla. Close your eyes and open them again. You could be whose history is woven into the history of the West and in a valley of the White Mountains, or in a creek-bottom Arizona. He participated on cattle drives from Texas to of the North Woods. It's a dreamland, where mangoes, citrus, Kansas, as a cowboy maintained wilderness outposts to and figs grow at an elevation where most people don't expect protect his livestock from marauding Apaches, and lost to find them. Although the temperatures are high enough for his best friend to an Apache arrow. For the last 44 years, the cultivation of tropicals, its elevation protects Aravaipa he nas mace his home on the Panorama Ranch, at the head from the searing extremes of Arizona valleys. of Aravaipa Canyon. John Martin Wood's resolution and raw-hide toughness Spectacular scenery, including a "Little Grand Canyon" shine out through his eyes even after 92 summers. Although 10 miles long, are other factors which make the environment his body has stooped, and his walk has slowed, he has the look outstanding. But overshadowing the climate and scenery of of eagles in his eyes. He doesn't go into very many details the Aravaipa are its people, a rugged, close-knit group of the early days, when doing his share of fighting range wars whose faces reflect the old pioneer days of Arizona and the was a part of the duties of a cowboy, and when a cowboy had West. Before the pioneers came, the Aravaipa Apaches made to be handy with a gun to protect his stock and himself from their home there. Each ranch was painfully carved into an two-footed predators, as well as the four-footed cougars, outpost of.America by rugged pioneers, some of whom still wolves, and coyotes.

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Martin Wood was a native Texan, whose father, William, was an old-time pioneer in the Lone Star State. His mother belonged 4. h"Yl n.-..rr, to.the Taylor clan, well-known in Texas cat- tle circles. The Civil War closed the big Wood plantation in Texas, and the family had moved to South Texas. Martin Wood was only nine years old when he left Uvalde to go north with a 2,000 head cattle herd to FIRMER Dodge City, Kan. When driving the herd across Oklahoma, then Indian Territory, a group of Indians came out and fired a few shots in the air to stop the drive until STAN FIELD'S OLDEST JO" they were compensated for the herd cross- ing their lands. Asked what a boy of nine STORE U. S INSPECTED AND would do on a cattle drive, the sharp-eyed PASSED EST NO 241 veteran Westerner said, 9 rode behind the cattle. I had to make a hand.' He stayed awhile with an uncle in north- — GROCERIES ern Oklahoma, where the uncle headed up — FRUITS one of two English cattle syndicates. Sev- CLOUGHERTY eral cowboys were killed in the range war — MEATS which followed disputes between the two — VEGETABLES PACKING CO. factions. The head of the Wood clan de- clined to give any details of the range war. Sun Hats and Caps He reflects the tight-lipped silence of 1102 WEST GRANT ROAD • the old West, when a stranger riding through Picnic Supplies camp was offered a chunk of beef, some TUCSON. ARIZONA beans and coffee, without asking details of where he came from or where he was going. TELEPHONE 623-0901 • Afterwards, he followed rodeos through- out Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Washington, and Stagield Stete AREA CODE 602 Oregon, winning a number of silver in- laid saddles and trophies. He had some of the first Quarterhorses to come out of Texas. During this time, he worked for famous lawman Pat Garrett, at Roswell, Phone 568-2444 Night 568-2259 N.M., "running horses and breaking colts.' At last, he came into Safford with an Maricopa, Arizona old rodeo friend, Frank Ellwood. The two worked for various cattle out- fits in eastern Arizona, including the Double Circle spread. It was near Eagle Creek that Martin's friend, Frank Ellwood, was am- bushed and killed by the Apaches, while riding along a trail. "They shot two more MARCH EMCO men with arrows, but not bad,' the head of the Wood clan said, in closing his per- "On Guard For sonal account of that action with the Apaches. Insurance .... Later, the young Texan got to know the Your Crop Dollars" Apaches better when he was camped out at For your BUSINESS, AUTO, HOME or Freezout at the head of a valley where the RANCH. If your need is an individual Double Circle horses were gathered for policy or a complete insurance pro- winter branding and pasture. Marauding gram, we will be happy to help you Apaches, numbering three or four at a time, plan the right insurance coverage. attempted to slip past the camp and steal the horses. *They only had guns they could We write ALL LINES OF INSURANCE. steal,' he said, with a twinkle in his eye that seemed to say that an armed cowboy on the frontier wasn't exactly defenseless. Real Estate. Seeing Geronimo brought into Fort Bowie in chains was imprinted in Martin's mind, FARMS - LOTS - HOMES - ACREAGE - when he came into the Fort with a herd of COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL SITES. cattle and saw the Apache leader sent to Whatever you may want in the line of Florida. Real Estate, check our complete file of The Apache Kid was a 'wild Indian* who listing_ spoke English well. The Kid was one of Al Insecticides Sieber's best Indian Scouts, when he served with both the Arizona and TexasRangers. One Casa Grande Eloy time, the Indian Scouts got drunk, and Sieber 205 W. 2nd 519 N. Main Fertilizers reprimanded them. A scout named Curley 836-7483 grabbed a gun and started shooting. The Kid 466-7316 and the other Indians were arrested, and on Coolidge Distributors for Swifts the way to Florence, they were forced todis- 415 W Central Ave. Gold Bear Insecticides mount from the wagon on a steep grade. The ;23-5457 Kid and the other two Indians, all in shackles, 46 grabbed a gun and killed all their guards and , escaped. Payne's Livestock The Kid, born on the Aravaipa, °was on the dodge for years,' Martin recalled, adding Transportation that the fugitive would often ride into his camp , with his squaw for a lunch or visit. He made his living • steviling things around the ranches. STATEWIDE and INTERSTATE p ■ . ... It was better to be peaceful with that wild In- ANY SIZE TRUCK — BOBTAIL — POTS , . 1-.....-4 dian,' Mr. Wood said. At Safford, the young Arizona cowboy met Call Collect for Service .. Frankie Bell Middleton, who came out from Uvalde in 1890. She came from rugged Texan CY 7-1187 , --, , ,,,• , stock. Her mother was a Chisholm, the family rUCSON, ARIZONA v for whom the famed cattle trail toKansas was - named. Her father was Sgt. Charles Middleton, , ...... :,..-q. one of the most famous of theTexas rangers, mialaii■i4...... ,.....c...... ,.... • .. Payne's Livestock who served in Company A, under Capt. Mc- Nally. When he was 19years old, hewalked in NM • I, _ Auction and disarmed a large number of the Suttons 3 Miles Northwest of City to end the Taylor-Sutton war. In those days, TUCSON, ARIZONA Texas Rangers earned $30 to $40 a month ,■",-.,./ ''',4 Federally Inspected and Bonded Martin Wood married Frankie Bell, whu SALE EMT lived to the age of 81, when she died in 1961. UN Interstate Feed and Rest Stop Back in 1921, when the family moved to the No Permit Required From Any Point Panorama, Model T's had to cross the Ara- vaipa creek 32 times to get to the ranch. All, SALE EVERY SATURDAY Roads were virtually impassable, and elec- Ap, tricity was only for city folks. Mrs. Woods CY 7-1187 TUCSON, ARIZONA attacked those problems with industry and sincerity. To get a school at El Capitan, AIRCRAFT SALES SPRAYING DUSTING she took up a collection among the cowboys, CHART ER - INSTRUCTING - SEEDING and hired a teacher. She was postmaster at MAINTENANCE FERTILIZING El Capitan, and helped elect Senators Carl ligvden and Ralph Cameron. , Cliff C C0 Ca CROWL DUSTERS

325 E. MCMURRAY BLVD. ARIZONA PHONE 836-7831 CASA GRANDE.

Before they came to Aravaipa, the family ranched in the Globe area. Back in 1904, . Reservation Phone 868-4492 Wood cattle fed workers at Roosevelt Dam. The family owned a general store four miles , . east of Mesa, near the old Eastern Canal _ , from 1920 to 1921. , • ,- „, Chuck Wagon There were four sons born to the Wood . - family, Frederick and Charles Clifford, who . • _ a '0 - Featuring — live on the ranch with their families. Another • , rat 14i Seafood brother, Bert Wood, breeder of world-famous Steak — quarterhorsts, ranches near Camp Verde. ,F, Cocktails Leslie, retired, lives near Mayer, a small ^ F Tucson Highway town near Prescott. , 5 Miles South of Florence The Wood ranch was homesteaded in 1888, about the time other ranches in the Aravaipa , . ...--.-- were settled. The Panorama contains 15,000 acres, with 4,100 acres of deeded land and _ _ HASKELL LINEN SUPPLY the rest state leased land. Calves and year- -, .7"--- ■ lings from 400 to 600 head of cows consti- tute the chief crop, with about a dozen horses till.SKELL, , kept for work and pleasure. A few years ago, M1 UPI , MASIULL LIN5w so., . "Helping Keep Dr. J. T. O'Neil, of Casa Grande, purchased • about 100 acres off the lower end. „ The ranch includes 20 acres of permanent creek bottom pasture, citrus, pecans, a large .. . Pinal County Clean peach orchard, and some wonderous apple ...a trees. It's a hunter's paradise, with nearby bear, mountain lion, white and black-tailed deer, javelina, quail, and all kinds of dove. A ride, via horc , or jeep, to the upper reaches of the area will provide breath-tak- ing vistas that compare with more famous E. A. Ed Heckman parts 01 Arizona. And then you'll understand why the Ara- vaipa Apaches fought for their lands, and why OR Distributors the early homesteaders clung toit sodesper- ately. And you'll have a membership in a small STANDARD OF CALIFORNIA PRODUCTS CAO , SUPREME and close-knit group, those who know and love RPM.,,- Hayden Junction the Aravaipa. o GASOLINE <0811%C. Hayden, Arizona The End 47