Cochise County, Arizona
Biographies
Marcus A Smith
Marcus A. Smith, of Tombstone, was
born near Cynthiana, Harrison County, Kentucky, January 24, 1852;
received a common-school education; taught school in Bourbon County,
Kentucky, and with the proceeds derived from this occupation entered
the Kentucky University at Lexington, where he remained three years;
read law in the office of Huston & Mulligan; entered the Law
Department of the Kentucky University, graduating with the first honors
of his class; was elected Prosecuting Attorney for the city of
Lexington; at the expiration of his term of office removed to San
Francisco, where he practiced his profession for two years; in 1881
went to Arizona, and continued in the practice of law in the city of
Tombstone; in 1882 was elected Prosecuting Attorney for the Tombstone
District, and held the office for one term, and was elected to the
Fiftieth Congress as a Democrat, receiving 6,355 votes against 4,472
votes for Curtis C. Bean, Republican.
Source: Official Congressional
Directory By United States Congress Published by , 1888
Packard, Burdett Aden
Packard, Burdett Aden, stock raiser,
miner, was born Nov. 1, 1848, in Portville, N.Y. Since l882 he has been
engaged in mining, banking and the cattle business in Arizona. He
developed several mines at Tombstone. Ariz. He is the owner of three
hundred thousand acres of land and thirty thousand head of cattle. For
two terms he was a member of the Arizona state legislature, He is
president of the First National Bank of Douglas, Arizona.
Source: Herringshaw's National
Library of American Biography: By Thomas William Herringshaw Published
by American publishers' association, 1914
William Ellsworth
1872-1947
Born in Leeds, Utah, on August 17,
1872, the son of Utah pioneers of the Mormon faith, William Ellsworth's
early life was one of continuous migrations.
In 1876 his parents moved to Kanab under direction from the church to
colonize the area. In 187!) they made the arduous trek across the Grand
Canyon and settled in Arizona at the little town of Taylor. In 1883
they moved to Luna Valley and in 1884 to Safford, which was trial's end
for the family.
At the age of twelve Ellsworth began his business career by buying a
team and wagon and delivering farm products to Clifton, Globe and other
mining camps. By the time he reached maturity he was conducting a
flourishing freighting business and was the owner of many wagons and
much livestock.
In 1910 he consolidated his livestock interests by forming a
partner-ship with the late Jim Smith of Willcox, stocking the Smith
range with mother cows. In 1912 he purchased the Hundred and Eleven
ranch on the San Simon north of Bowie. He later acquired the old Davis
ranch, the H X, the Toll Gate, the Ash Peak and Hackberry ranches.
In 1894 William Ellsworth married Mary Wanslee at Safford and to them
were born five sons and four daughters, all of whom are living at this
date.
In his later years Ellsworth also operated ranch property in Colorado.
As his sons grew into manhood Ellsworth and sons. Rex and Reed,
purchased the Seeley holdings in Cochise county and were soon in
control of one of the largest spreads in southern Arizona, over a
thousand sections of rangeland.
Active in church affairs and in the Arizona and the Graham-Cochise
Cattle Grower! Association, he was also the first President of the Gila
Valley Irrigation District and long associated with educational
institutions.
William Ellsworth died of a heart attack on April 19, 1947. Mrs.
Ellsworth survives him and, with their children, operates the extensive
ranch holdings.
Burdette A. Packard
1847-1935
For many years. Colonel Packard as he
was called was one of the most prominent cattlemen and bankers in
Arizona. Born in Portville, New York, on November 1 1847. he came to
the Territory in 1880 with his first wife and settled in the booming
Tombstone silver camp during its "man for breakfast" days.
Two years later, he started a cow outfit in the Dragoons, with
head-quarters at the Cochise Stronghold. However, he sold out in 1885
and bought a large ranch in Sonora, just below Douglas.
In the late 1880's Packard and Colonel Bill Greene, of Cananea fame,
entered into partnership, running cattle on both sides of the border in
what was known as the Turkey Track brand.
At one time, Packard and Greene ran around 15,000 cattle and controlled
15,000 acres of range land in addition to a large, cultivated ranch
near Tempe. Part of the land on which the city of Douglas was built
once belonged to Packard.
Packard and Greene dissolved their partnership in 1908, with Packard
retaining 5,000 cattle, the range near Douglas and the Tempe farms. In
the same year, he acquired control of the First National Bank of
Douglas, and was its president until his death on March 12, 1935. He
also served in both the Senate and House of the state Legislature
during this time.
As a lover of good horses, Colonel Packard — along with J. C. Adams and
Tom Pollock — is said to have been responsible for the first Fair in
Phoenix and to have financed it for several years.
Colonel Packard's first wife died in 1893 and in 1903 he married Mrs.
Carlotta Holbrook of Tucson.
A son, Ashley B. Packard and two daughters. Gertrude and Dorothy — all
dead now — resulted from his marriages. Of the Packard family, only
Ashley's wife. Mrs. Rachel Packard, now lives in Douglas.
After Colonel Packard's death, part of the old Turkey Track range in
Mexico was sold to D. V. and Kemper Marley. who still operate it.
Alfred Stevenson 1877-
Alfred Stevenson, who has run cattle in the Mule. Dragoon and Mogollon
Mountains of Arizona for over half a century, was born at Franklin
Center. Quebec. Canada, on Feb. 21. 1877.
As a lad of 18 he came to Arizona, and worked as a cowboy for Cowan
& Sobercy. near Bisbee. Going into partnership with his brother. W.
R. Stevenson, in 1897, he bought Mexican cattle and located them in the
Dragoon Mountains, southeast of Tombstone.
Two years later, the Stevensons bought out the Soberey remnant. The S O
brand which it carried is still used by the brothers as their iron.
On April 25, 1906. A. G. Stevenson married Agnes H. Cain at Rockburn.
Quebec and then returned to Arizona with his bride.
Selling the Soberey outfit in 1909. the Stevenson brothers took up a
homestead in Dixie Canyon, in the Mule Mountains. The property became
their new headquarters and is still part of their holdings.
Along with H. R. Gatlin. the Stevensons bought several small outfits on
the Mine River, northeast of Clifton, in 1914. Around 1.000 head of
cattle were run on these properties until they were disposed of in 1928
on account of drought.
During another dry season, in 1918. the Stevensons moved a number of
cattle into Mexico, but drought conditions below the border forced them
to drive the herd to Van Horn. Texas. The brothers finally broke even
on freight and pasture fees by moving the cattle back to Arizona and
selling them here.
In 1931 the Stevenson boys acquired ranch property in the San Pedro
Valley, between Naco and Douglas. Today it is used as head-quarters
in connection with the Dixie Canyon Ranch.
A. G. and Mrs. Stevenson have two sons and a daughter: W. A. Stevenson
of Phoenix; Robert W. Stevenson of Detroit. Mich., and Mrs. Norman Hale
of Harshaw, Ariz,
For many years A. G. has been active in Masonic affairs. He is also
1952 President of the Southwestern Pioneer Cowboys Association,
Now 74, A. G. states that he still prefers riding a horse to walking,
even after 56 years in the saddle.
John A. Rockfellow 1858-1948
John A. Rock fellow, born at Mt. Morris. N. Y. In 1858, came to Arizona
in 1878 and during the 70 years he resided here served the young
territory in many capacities.
Arriving at the McCracken mine in Mohave County by water from San
Francisco and up the Colorado River, with a final 35 miles on foot.
Rockfellow reached there just as the SeMrffrlins and Dick Gird were
leaving to open the Tombstone mines.
During the next few years he prospected in the Tombstone and Santa Rita
area and in 1893 made enough money from a mine to go into the cow
business with Walter Servoss and that famous old timer, Pete Kitchen.
The ranch site selected was the Cochise Stronghold, where a horse herd
was first maintained. A water hole was soon developed out in the
Sulphur Springs Valley, where a home was built and cattle added to the
holdings. This was first known as the Esperanza ranch and later as the
N Y.
These were the years when Geroniuio was raiding, and while Rockfellow
escaped injury, a number of his neighbors were killed.
Finding a competent man to run the ranch. Rockfellow taught school at
times, became a surveyor, and in the early '90's' was both Justice of
the Peace and Cattle Inspector at Willcox.
In his schoolwork Rockfellow headed the University of Arizona
preparatory department and rode the range country to induce ranchers to
send their sons and daughters to the University.
For a number of years he maintained an office at Tombstone as a
surveyor and civil engineer, marking out and mapping such places as
John Slaughter's San Bernardino Grant.
On January 6, 1890, Rockfellow married a schoolday friend. Flora
McNair. of New York State, and brought her to the wild west.
In 1907 the N Y ranch was sold but Rockfellow kept the Stronghold Ranch
until 1934, when he sold all but a small portion, which still remains
with the family.
In 1937 Mrs. Rockfellow died. John Rockfellow died May 16. 1948. They
both lie in the family plot at Willcox.
The living descendants of this outstanding pioneer are a son Philip, of
South Pasadena, and daughters Mrs. A. G. Waite. Duxbury. Massachusetts,
, and Mrs. A. C. RubeI of Los Angeles.