In 1870, Chino Valley had a handful of ranches, plenty of open space, and occasional visits from fearsome Native Americans.
If one were to ride north from Prescott into Chino Valley, the first ranch encountered would be one owned by James Baker and John Campbell. They had on hand 500 head of cattle and 600 head of sheep. A dozen dairy cows produced “more milk and butter than ranchmen, herders, etc. can use,” the Weekly Arizona Miner wrote. Some of the cattle were owned by a third man, Mr. Buffum. “It is their intention to have at least 10,000 head of stock on the place, inside of a year. The range and water privileges are as good as any in this part of the Territory.”
Campbell and Buffum were also partners in a large and competitive mercantile store on Montezuma St. in Prescott. In November 1870, they invested $8000 to build an adjacent warehouse, doubling the company’s footprint. “This firm now has the largest, finest, most secure place in Prescott, as well as the largest stock of goods,” the Miner conveyed.
James Baker planned to go into the dairy business “on a large scale” that year, the Miner reported. “He expects, before six months [pass] to have about 300 head of cows giving milk, and he thinks he will then be able to supply the market with good fresh butter.”
By the end of the year, the ranch had nearly 1000 sheep. This allowed them to locally manufacture wool mattresses and pillows and sell them at their store. And, in December, “Campbell & Buffum…shipped to California, 3000 pounds of nice clean wool, which they recently clipped from their fine drove of sheep, in Chino Valley,” the Miner chronicled. “We believe this is the first shipment of wool ever made from Arizona.” (The author could find no previous announcement of any wool export out of Arizona, either.)
Robert Postle’s ranch was growing over 100 acres of fine wheat, and George W Banghart was planting corn. However, both of these men ended up putting their ranches up for sale. In August, Robert Postle put his ranch up for sale “cheap”. It was 160 acres with a “Large fine adobe houses, flouring mill, corral, outhouse, etc.” It also included “several thousand young and thrifty trees.” Banghart attempted to sell his ranch in the springtime. His holdings included a 160-acre plot with a “never-failing stream of water.” It had 162 acres under cultivation (150 in corn, and 12 in potatoes), a four-room “well-furnished” dwelling house, a stable, corral, several wagons, tools, and livestock. Along with this, he was also selling a house and three lots in Prescott. No asking price was given.
Neither man was able to find a buyer, and they continued to farm the land. In August, the paper reported that George Banghart had 150 acres of corn and 12 acres of potatoes, while Postle had his 100 acres of wheat. Postle’s ranch also included an adobe house, built specifically to defend against Native American attacks. This would become important at the end of the year.
Overall, besides the livestock, crops included corn, wheat, potatoes, and more. “The owners usually irrigate, there being an abundance of water at all seasons,” the paper explained. Springtime brought many settlers who immediately began to plant crops. ”Every ranchman in the valley has set out young trees, and they were growing finely.” In August, the crops on the four ranches totaled 185 acres of corn, 20 acres of barley, 12 acres of potatoes, and 40 peach trees.
With its wide open spaces, Chino Valley was a popular and successful spot for hunting in 1870.“Chino Valley is a good place to hunt and fish, and our sportsmen know it,” the Miner exclaimed. Two [hunters] went there last week, stayed a day or two, during which time they filled their buggy with duck, snipe, and fish.” (Snipes are a small, long-billed wading bird, which indicates how much wetter the climate was back then.)
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| A pair of snipes |
Fall brought deer hunting, and the paper reported two men who “killed 11 fat male deer in a four-day hunt.”
However, the Indian Conflicts were still occurring, and the safety of Prescott and Ft Whipple was 3 to 5 hours away by horse. On November 24, ten Native Americans visited each house in Chino Valley. The next day, a “party of 30 came in, with a requisition for provisions, which they wanted filled,” the paper said. This requisition was in the form of drawings on a piece of paper showing two cows, two sacks of flour, and ammunition. Upon being turned down, “they became very angry, and flourished their weapons—guns, knives, and bows and arrows.” It seems the Natives felt they were due some recompense for the use of their land.
The neighboring women and children, “of whom there were quite a number,” made for the protection of Robert Postle’s adobe house, “where a few of the men stayed to protect them.” Meanwhile, the other men protected the other houses. The Natives went to each house in the Valley, but were repelled each time, and “grew quite fierce and bloodthirsty,” the paper described.
“They actually insulted the women and tried to force their way into the house in which the women and children had taken refuge, but were pushed back by [Robert] Postle and Mr. Farmington,” the Miner chronicled. After being pushed back, they flourished their guns and knives, and some of them pulled the strings of their bows [so] savagely that they made them ring. They would have attacked the house but for fear of Postle, who stood by a porthole, through which they saw him, standing beside a pile of loaded weapons, which they well knew he would shoot at them, if the worst came to the worst.”
“While this was going on, James Baker brought four [Natives] to Camp Whipple, who, we believe, got some rations there, and returned…with Mr. Baker,” the paper continued. “Soon after their return, the [Natives left the valley, promising to return with 500 warriors and visit Fort Whipple.” This caused the Banghart, Postle, and Farrington families to move to Prescott for the winter. The Shivers family stayed, as did several single men.
“When danger stared the settlers in the face, the women showed no symptoms of cowardice,” the Miner reflected. “On the contrary, some of them showed a disposition to stand by their guns, and help their husbands defend their lives and property.”
“When the early history of this Territory comes to be written up, the historian will have to devote a goodly portion of his time to a recital of the heroic acts of its pioneers,” the paper insisted.
A description and over 14 images take the reader back to when Prescott was merely 6 years old.
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SOURCES:
Weekly Arizona Miner, 1870:
2/5, Pg. 3 Col. 2.
11/26, Pg. 3 Col. 1
9/18, Pg. 3 Col. 1.
9/3, Pg. 3 Col. 2.
1/15, Pg. 3 Col. 3.
12/10, Pg. 3 Col. 3.
4/30, Pg. 3 Cols. 3 &4.
8/27; Pg. 2 Col. 2 and Pg. 4 Col. 5.
4/23, Pg. 3 Col. 1.
3/26, Pg. 3 Col. 3.
8/13, Pg. 3 Col. 1.
12/3, Pg. 2 Col. 3.
12/10, Pg. 3 Cols. 1 & 3.
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