100th Anniversary of Arizona Statehood

February 13, 2012

This is from Richard.   Tomorrow is Valentines Day!    And it is the 100^th year anniversary of Arizona Statehood!     Lots of things are happening and there has been a lot of history in the last 100 years.    

 I will talk about a family that came from Texas around 100 years ago.   They were known as the Wileys in Texas but they changed their name out here.    They are my neighbors and friends and I have known them for years.    They are big cattlemen.    They have a lot of the ranches for cattle between here and New Mexico.    

 Way back then a Wiley was walking down Railroad Avenue with a beautiful girl.   The girl was a sheep herder’s daughter and of course he was a cattleman.   They were walking down Railroad Avenue and they got to this building that is on the south side of the theater.   It has been several things since then…  it was Patty Jo’s ceramic shop at one time.   It was a bar at that time.   Wiley and his girl friend, the sheep herders daughter, walked past the open door and the bar tender shouted ‘baaaaaaa’ to the girl.    Since Wiley was a cattle man and he was associating with the sheep herder’s daughter he felt he must defend his girl against that derogatory remark.    So he bounded in the doorway and across the counter toward the bar keeper.    The bar keep was terrified of him and when he jumped the counter the bar keep found his pistol and shot him dead.    Wiley was dead.    The moral of that story for Valentines Day is that the Cattleman should not get too close to the sheep herders daughter.    And that is the moral of that story on Railroad Avenue in Willcox Arizona.  

Chirichua National Monument

January 4, 2011 (yes, a year ago)

 

One of our favorite places for tourist is the Chirichua National Monument.    Some folks says 'move over Grand Canyon' because the Chirichuas are more spectacular. 

I call it the cherry cows because it is so much easier to spell than Chirichuas for my scribe.    If you drive up past the Chirichua Visiter Center you go to Massai Point.   It is named after Big Foot Massai who is an Indian who stole a horse from a white man.    That was a big offense back then to steal somebody's horse.    Big Foot Massai, the Indian who stole the horse, had a wife who was pregnant and he said that is why he stole the horse, so she could ride.    So the white man chased Big Foot Massai and he apprehended him at Massai's point.   It is still one of the most scenic parts of the Chirichua Monument.  I don't know what happened to Big Foot and his pregnant wife but I suppose he went back to the reservation some way.    I haven't seen him much around the Chirichua Monument but the Massai point still remains.     

Another place of interest in the Chirichuas  is the Faraway Ranch.    It is restored now to an authentic ranch as it was.    The owner of the ranch before it was given to the Chirichua Monument was Lillian Riggs.    This was the time of President Coolidge.   Lillian Riggs was promoted in Life Magazine as the boss of the Faraway Ranch.   Even though she was blind she still rode with the Cowboys to tend the cows.   Her family said she could still shoot a rattlesnake between the eyes while riding her horse.   Lillian Riggs ended up in the nursing home in Willcox when my wife Leona was in charge there as a nurse.   The Faraway Ranch was a rambling ranch house near the entrance of the Chirichua Monument.    It was visited by numerous people including Buffalo Soldiers who stayed there for a while.    It is a must see when you are visiting at the Chirichua National Monument.   

http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/chiricahua/national_monument.html
http://www.gorp.com/parks-guide/chiricahua-national-monument-outdoor-pp2-guide-cid8899.html

This is Dick Seidel, rambling along railroad on historic Railroad Avenue.

Phoenix Magazine

Best of all I'm not talking about murders in Willcox this time.  I'm talking about my grandkids and I, whom have been featured in Phoenix Magazine. 

The Phoenix Magazine is a nice, slick, national magazine but I'm not sure it is easy to get out of Arizona.     We are in the February 2012 issue.

This is the blurb they had concerning Willcox.

We are having our February sale today that I've had for probably 40 years.  It has always been successful.  We are confident it will do as good today as it has in the past. 

This is Dick Seidel on historic Railroad Avenue. 

Birds

January 25, 2012

I will talk about the Birds again.    It is interesting to see so many birds in Southern Illinois now.    Have they pulled up all my wheat yet?      (Picture from Dan of geese on the Illinois farm 2003.)

I will tell you what they do around here about birds….   Where they have orchards, they have something that sounds like a shot gun go off at night so it will scare all the birds away.     

You may not have the problem in this story as you have no border patrol.   The Border Patrol truck went across the corner of the field and shots fired out.   They thought they were being fired on so they shot back.   Shots kept coming so  the border patrol called in reinforcements….   The reinforcements arrived and the gun fire continued.   The patrol ran out of ammunition about daylight.   The border patrol looked for the enemy and they found out that the apples were full of shot and not fit to eat anymore.     So be glad you don’t have border patrol patrolling your fields.      I think I told that before but it was worth telling again.    This was several years ago.   

This is Dick Seidel on historic Railroad avenue.  

Earps in Willcox

January 22, 2012

Have I ever talked about the Earp family…   Wyatt Earp’s family?      I might  as well talk about them now.   He is on PBS this week or last week.   I know it so I don’t have to watch it.            

The Earp family was from the Midwest, Illinois or Iowa.    They moved west after the Civil War.   Most of them settled in Tombstone.    Wyatt started as a law officer.   During the Geronimo wars he was down in Tombstone fighting that war.    His younger brother Warren came to Willcox and worked on the Sierra Bonita Ranch.    He also worked with Johnny Boyett but there became some friction between the two.   They met up in Willcox one night at the bar on Railroad Avenue.  It’s just at the other end of the block from the Commercial.   

 Warren Earp was kind of a bully I guess.   He told Johnny “You don’t have enough guts to pull a gun if you had one with you.”   “I can too”, he said and he walked outside where he took his gun out and shot and killed Warren Earp.   Warren Earp was buried in the old Pioneer Cemetery which is about a half mile from the Willcox Commercial.   

He is the only one of the Earp family that was buried in Arizona.   
 

Wyatt Earp came to Willcox to settle the affairs of his brother.   He said that Willcox was just a wild and lawless town.   Wyatt Earp’s wife talked to him and asked what happened to Johnny Boyett.   He just smiled a little smile.   Johnny Boyett was never seen again.  

This story is supposed to be on PBS but they may have to change it after I have told the true story….  so theirs will conform to mine.   PBS American Experience

I expect to have my store painted and the picture will be in the Willcox Range news in Wednesday’s issue.   Willcox Commercial Ad

WOW is Wings over Willcox.    Dan you can use WOW as ‘Wings over Wheat’.   I don’t want my wheat destroyed by them pulling it out of the ground.   You watch out and take care of it.  

 

This is Dick Seidel on Historic Railroad Avenue