San Bernardino Ranch
Encyclopedia
San Bernardino Ranch is a site in the southern San Bernardino Valley
in the region of the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge
in extreme southeast Cochise County
, Arizona that is significant for its association with the beginning of cattle ranching in southern Arizona
and northern Mexico
. The ranchland and valley are part of the headwater region of the Yaqui River
. In 1911, during the conflict known as the Border War, a United States Army
camp was established at the ranch and was called Camp San Bernardino Ranch. It was a base for patrolling the Mexican-American border and was discontinued after by 1920.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1964.
was originally home to the Southern Athabaskan and Apache Indian tribes. The Spanish followed, including the Jesuit missionary, Father Eusebio Kino
, in 1694. The Marquis de Rubí proposed the building of the San Bernardino Garrison, which was open for from 1775 to 1780. In 1846 the Mormon Battalion
came through the property on their way to California. At the beginning of the road leading to the front gate is a historical marker, commemorating their passage. Prospectors and pioneers trekked through the valley in 1849 on their way to California. On June 8, 1854, the valley became part of the Gadsden Purchase
from Mexico.
The original Mexican Land Grant of 73,240 acres, where the San Bernardino Ranch sits today, was purchased by Ignacio Perez in 1822 for 90 pesos (plus additional fees.) He was chased from his land grant by the Apache Indians, in the 1830s. In 1884, John Horton Slaughter purchased 65,000 acres from Perez's heirs for approximately $80,000. Two-thirds of his property lay in Mexico, with the remaining third in the Arizona Territory
. An interesting note is that there are ruins on the property now owned by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
where a Morman employee of Slaughter's build a home (called the Mormon House) straddling the US-Mexico border so he could keep a wife in the United States and a wife in Mexico. The home was two rooms, one on each side of the border, with a breezeway connecting them.
Slaughter and his second wife, Viola Slaughter
, born Cora Viola Howell as well as her parents, Amazon and Mary Ann Howell, and Slaughter's children from his first marriage, Addie and Willie lived at the ranch for many years. An earthquake estimated to be 7.2 in magnitude and centered in Bavipse, Mexico, in 1887, destroyed the Howell residence on the property. The Howell's managed the property until Slaughter finished his second term as Sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona
. He was Sheriff from 1886 to 1890, and brought lawfulness back to Tombstone, Arizona
after the infamous 1881 Gunfight at the OK Corral. The Tombstone jail was once known as the "Hotel de Slaughter." He helped tame the Arizona Territory, and was known to return from searching for outlaws, but only returning with their horses and equipment. Slaughter had as many as 500 people lived and worked on the Ranch, plus many foster children. The most noteworthy of these was an Apache toddler Apache May Slaughter
who was adopted by Slaughter after she was abandoned by her parents while Slaughter was tracking her band who were responsible for killing white men in Arizona. Apache May and Slaughter adored each other. She called Slaughter "Don Juan." She died from burns as her dress caught fire at age 6. She is buried in the cemetery on what is now the wildlife refuge.
Children were a large part of the Ranch activities, and Slaughter loved children. There were enough children that the Slaughters built a schoolhouse, Slaughter School District No. 28. The children played in the natural artesian wells on the property and had picnics. Viola would bring the children ice cream from the ice house. The kids love swimming in the house pond which was dammed by Slaughter and was used for irrigation.
Slaughter loved technology. He had the first private home in Southwest Arizona to have a telephone. He owned six cars, yet never learned to drive.
From 1911-1920 the Slaughter Ranch Outpost for Camp Harry J. Jones in Douglas, Arizona
was established on the Ranch, on top of Mesa de la Avanzada overlooking the Ranch house. In 1919 John and Viola moved to Douglas, after the May 4th, 1919 murder of Jesse Fisher by Manuel Garcia and Jose Perez.
John Slaughter died peacefully in his sleep on February 16, 1922. Viola sold the property around 1936 to a friend, Marion Williams. In 1968 Paul and Helen Ramsower purchased the property. On August 7, 1964, the San Bernardino Ranch National Historic Landmark
was entered on the National Register of Historic Places
. The Ramsowers turned the ranch over to The Nature Conservancy
in 1980. It was purchased in 1983 by the Johnson Historical Museum of the Southwest and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
purchased most of the property. Of that acreage, 131 acres belongs to the museum and the rest is known as the San Bernardino Wildlife Refuge. The refuge and ranch are home to the Yaqui Topminnow and Yaqui Chub
, two endangered species of fish only known to exist in the valley.
San Bernardino Valley (Arizona)
The San Bernardino Valley of Arizona is a northeast by southwest trending valley in extreme southeast Cochise County, Arizona.The north end of the valley merges into the northwest by southeast trending San Simon Valley; both merge in western Hidaldgo County, New Mexico...
in the region of the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge
San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge
The San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge is located on the U.S.-Mexican border in Cochise County, Arizona. Situated at 3,720 to elevation in the bottom of a wide valley, the refuge encompasses a portion of the headquarters of the Yaqui River, which drains primarily western Chihuahua and eastern...
in extreme southeast Cochise County
Cochise County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*78.5% White*4.2% Black*1.2% Native American*1.9% Asian*0.3% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.0% Two or more races*9.6% Other races*32.4% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Arizona that is significant for its association with the beginning of cattle ranching in southern Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and northern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The ranchland and valley are part of the headwater region of the Yaqui River
Yaqui River
The Yaqui River is a river in the state of Sonora in northwestern Mexico. Being the largest river system in the state of Sonora, the Yaqui river is used for irrigation....
. In 1911, during the conflict known as the Border War, a United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
camp was established at the ranch and was called Camp San Bernardino Ranch. It was a base for patrolling the Mexican-American border and was discontinued after by 1920.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1964.
Slaughter Ranch
The site is now known as the Slaughter Ranch. The compound includes the ranch house, wash house, icehouse, granary and commissary. The museum is also known as the Johnson Historical Museum of the Southwest.History
The San Bernardino ValleySan Bernardino Valley
The San Bernardino Valley is a valley in Southern California. It lies at the south base of the Transverse Ranges. It is bordered on the north by the eastern San Gabriel Mountains and San Bernardino Mountains, on the east by the San Jacinto Mountains, and on the south and west by the Santa Ana...
was originally home to the Southern Athabaskan and Apache Indian tribes. The Spanish followed, including the Jesuit missionary, Father Eusebio Kino
Eusebio Kino
Eusebio Francisco Kino S.J. was an Italian Roman Catholic priest who became famous in what is now northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States in the region then known as the Pimaria Alta...
, in 1694. The Marquis de Rubí proposed the building of the San Bernardino Garrison, which was open for from 1775 to 1780. In 1846 the Mormon Battalion
Mormon Battalion
The Mormon Battalion was the only religiously based unit in United States military history, and it served from July 1846 to July 1847 during the Mexican-American War. The battalion was a volunteer unit of between 534 and 559 Latter-day Saints men led by Mormon company officers, commanded by regular...
came through the property on their way to California. At the beginning of the road leading to the front gate is a historical marker, commemorating their passage. Prospectors and pioneers trekked through the valley in 1849 on their way to California. On June 8, 1854, the valley became part of the Gadsden Purchase
Gadsden Purchase
The Gadsden Purchase is a region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that was purchased by the United States in a treaty signed by James Gadsden, the American ambassador to Mexico at the time, on December 30, 1853. It was then ratified, with changes, by the U.S...
from Mexico.
The original Mexican Land Grant of 73,240 acres, where the San Bernardino Ranch sits today, was purchased by Ignacio Perez in 1822 for 90 pesos (plus additional fees.) He was chased from his land grant by the Apache Indians, in the 1830s. In 1884, John Horton Slaughter purchased 65,000 acres from Perez's heirs for approximately $80,000. Two-thirds of his property lay in Mexico, with the remaining third in the Arizona Territory
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
. An interesting note is that there are ruins on the property now owned by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
where a Morman employee of Slaughter's build a home (called the Mormon House) straddling the US-Mexico border so he could keep a wife in the United States and a wife in Mexico. The home was two rooms, one on each side of the border, with a breezeway connecting them.
Slaughter and his second wife, Viola Slaughter
Viola Slaughter
Cora Viola Howell , later to become Viola Slaughter, was a famous Arizona rancher and the wife of sheriff John Slaughter.-Early years:Viola Slaughter was born in Missouri to Amazon and Mary Ann Howell...
, born Cora Viola Howell as well as her parents, Amazon and Mary Ann Howell, and Slaughter's children from his first marriage, Addie and Willie lived at the ranch for many years. An earthquake estimated to be 7.2 in magnitude and centered in Bavipse, Mexico, in 1887, destroyed the Howell residence on the property. The Howell's managed the property until Slaughter finished his second term as Sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona
Cochise County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*78.5% White*4.2% Black*1.2% Native American*1.9% Asian*0.3% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.0% Two or more races*9.6% Other races*32.4% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. He was Sheriff from 1886 to 1890, and brought lawfulness back to Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It was one of the last wide-open frontier boomtowns in the American Old West. From about 1877 to 1890, the town's mines produced USD $40 to $85 million...
after the infamous 1881 Gunfight at the OK Corral. The Tombstone jail was once known as the "Hotel de Slaughter." He helped tame the Arizona Territory, and was known to return from searching for outlaws, but only returning with their horses and equipment. Slaughter had as many as 500 people lived and worked on the Ranch, plus many foster children. The most noteworthy of these was an Apache toddler Apache May Slaughter
Apache May Slaughter
Apache May Slaughter was the daughter of Tombstone, Arizona sheriff John Slaughter and his wife Viola.Apache May was found by John Slaughter as he was following a group of Apaches in Mexico. She had been abandoned to her luck by her natural parents. John Slaughter returned to Arizona with Apache May...
who was adopted by Slaughter after she was abandoned by her parents while Slaughter was tracking her band who were responsible for killing white men in Arizona. Apache May and Slaughter adored each other. She called Slaughter "Don Juan." She died from burns as her dress caught fire at age 6. She is buried in the cemetery on what is now the wildlife refuge.
Children were a large part of the Ranch activities, and Slaughter loved children. There were enough children that the Slaughters built a schoolhouse, Slaughter School District No. 28. The children played in the natural artesian wells on the property and had picnics. Viola would bring the children ice cream from the ice house. The kids love swimming in the house pond which was dammed by Slaughter and was used for irrigation.
Slaughter loved technology. He had the first private home in Southwest Arizona to have a telephone. He owned six cars, yet never learned to drive.
From 1911-1920 the Slaughter Ranch Outpost for Camp Harry J. Jones in Douglas, Arizona
Douglas, Arizona
Douglas is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. Douglas has a border crossing with Mexico and a history of mining.The population was 14,312 at the 2000 census...
was established on the Ranch, on top of Mesa de la Avanzada overlooking the Ranch house. In 1919 John and Viola moved to Douglas, after the May 4th, 1919 murder of Jesse Fisher by Manuel Garcia and Jose Perez.
John Slaughter died peacefully in his sleep on February 16, 1922. Viola sold the property around 1936 to a friend, Marion Williams. In 1968 Paul and Helen Ramsower purchased the property. On August 7, 1964, the San Bernardino Ranch National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
was entered on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The Ramsowers turned the ranch over to The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
in 1980. It was purchased in 1983 by the Johnson Historical Museum of the Southwest and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
purchased most of the property. Of that acreage, 131 acres belongs to the museum and the rest is known as the San Bernardino Wildlife Refuge. The refuge and ranch are home to the Yaqui Topminnow and Yaqui Chub
Yaqui Chub
The Yaqui Chub is a species of ray-finned fish in the Cyprinidae family.It is found in Northern Mexico and the United States. The Yaqui Chub is a medium-sized minnow fish that historically occurred in streams of Rios Matape, Sonora, and the Yaqui systems of Sonora, Mexico. It is one of the five...
, two endangered species of fish only known to exist in the valley.
Buildings
Today, the existing buildings at the San Bernardino Ranch have been carefully restored to their 1900's appearance through personal recounts and photographic records. The buildings include:- Ranch House: Adobe structure with a hipped roof and redwood shingles. It contains six bedroom rooms, plus a living room/dining room, bathroom, kitchen, pantry, cowboy dining room, and porch.
- Ice house: Made of natural stone.
- Wash house
- Cook's room and Commissary
- Granary
- Car Shed: Contains a fully restored 1915 Model T Ford.
Museum
The Museum is open to the public and is frequented by birdwatchers, school children and people with interest in Southwest history. It was the brainchild of Mr. Floyd Johnson who established the Johnson Historical Museum of the Southwest. "So that the youth of tomorrow may know what is was like yesterday."- The San Bernardino Ranch is located at 6153 Geronimo Trail, Douglas, Arizona 85608
- Hours: Wednesday through Sunday 10:00 am till 3:00 pm
- Admission: $8.00 per adult; under 14 free
- Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
- Closed on Christmas and New Years Day
See also
- Mexican period of Arizona: Land grants
- John Horton Slaughter
- Viola SlaughterViola SlaughterCora Viola Howell , later to become Viola Slaughter, was a famous Arizona rancher and the wife of sheriff John Slaughter.-Early years:Viola Slaughter was born in Missouri to Amazon and Mary Ann Howell...
External links
- Slaughter Ranch - official site
- Discover Southeast Arizona: Slaughter Ranch Museum