Basic HTML Version
moved to Arizona in the 1880s. While both men were involved in numerous
ranching, mining and civic activities, Vail is especially known for establishing
the Empire Ranch, and J.V. Vickers the Chiricahua Cattle Company. The
two Tombstone neighbors joined forces in 1889 to purchase the Turkey
T Ranch, and in 1894 launched the Panhandle Pasture Company with a
third partner from Los Angeles, Mr. Carol Gates. Their success increased
dramatically from those early joint investments, although Gates did not take
part in the purchase of Santa Rosa Island. The initial herd of cattle stocked
at Rancho Santa Rosa numbered 1,891 head, brought over from the Empire
Ranch to fatten on the island’s replenished grasses.
After the V & V founders died, their heirs continued the joint venture,
although the Vail family became the managers of Santa Rosa Island, while the
Vickers family functioned as silent partners. The line of “maritime cattlemen”
started with Nathan Russell Vail, known as “N.R.,” who took over upon
Walter Vail’s passing and managed the island ranch until his own death in
1943. N.R.’s brother, Edward Vail (known as “Uncle Ed”) succeeded him
as manager until
his
own passing in 1962. A legendary horseman, Ed spent
his management years mentoring his nephew, Alexander L. Vail, son of N.R.
Vail. It was Al Vail who took over as ranch manager upon his Uncle Ed’s
death, and remained in that position until suddenly passing from a heart
attack in the year 2000.
Raising sheep and cattle on a 54,000-acre island presented its own
set of challenges, not least of which was supplying the operation, and
moving the livestock to mainland markets. A wharf at Bechers Bay, on
the northeast side of the island, was built in the nineteenth century and
upgraded several times over the years. During the V & V era, extensive
efforts were made to keep Santa Rosa Island self-sufficient in order to
keep costs down. Working cowhorses were bred and trained on the island,
and approximately forty acres were planted in oat hay to provide feed
for calves and the remuda of ranch horses, which numbered nearly 200
head. Later vaqueros traded their traditional cowboy hats for baseball
caps due to near-constant winds, and worked long stints with only each
other for company. Visits to the mainland were infrequent at best; the
tough conditions were rumored to contribute to the suicide of one ranch
foreman’s wife in 1914.
In 1913, V & V commissioned construction of
Vaquero
, a 130-foot
motorized vessel, to transport employees, stock and supplies to Santa
Rosa Island. She could carry 100 tons of cargo, which works out to
approximately 500 calves or 210 mature cows. Every autumn
Vaquero
would bring a load of calves, which were unloaded at the pier on Bechers
Landmarks
108
winter
|
spr ing