20
Your Connection to the Old West November 15, 2017 Vol. 29, No. 7 Territorial News Homesteading In South Dakota (See Dispute on Page 6) (See Legend on Page 8) (See Dakota on Page 14) www.territorialnews.com www.facebook.com/TerritorialNews Next Issue Wednesday November 29 Play Arizona Trivia See Page 2 for Details Index Arizona Kid..................15 Arizona Trivia................2 Business Directory ........18 Classifieds....................18 Jim Harvey .....................2 This Week’s Question: Which Arizona city is home to the largest flowering rose bush in the world? (9 Letters) The Pig War The San Juan Islands. The line to the west of San Juan is the Haro Strait and the line to the east is the Rosario Strait. Pirates In Arizona? England and the U.S. Nearly Go To War Over 1859 Northwest Land Dispute In Their Own Words With Tongue Firmly in Cheek, Sharlot Hall Museum Official Relates Dubious Legend By Richard W. Kimball G ranite Creek, just west of downtown Prescott, is, for the most part, about six inches deep and perhaps three or four feet wide. Anyone could easily jump across the stream. But, according to an old leg- end, an actual sailing ship dropped anchor in the creek in 1866. The ship had some- how made its way right into the interior of Arizona Terri- tory. It was not an ordinary sailing ship either; it was a By Michael Murphy W hen two armed na- tions are at odds, the most insig- nificant event can set off a firestorm. Such was nearly the case in June of 1859 when Britain and the United States almost went to war over a dead pig. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and a shooting war in the Pacific Northwest was averted. The Oregon Treaty of 1846 resolved a boundary dispute between the United States and Great Britain by dividing the Oregon Coun- try/Columbia District “along the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude to the middle of the channel which sepa- rates the continent from Van- couver Island, and thence southerly through the middle of the said channel, and of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the Pacific Ocean.” The trouble is, there are actually two straits - the Haro Strait, along the west side of the San Juan Islands and Rosa- rio Strait, along the east side - that could be called the “mid- dle of the channel.” In those days, the available maps of the area were sketchy at best. On some maps, the Haro Strait was not fully clear. The two countries set up a Boundary Commission in 1856 to help resolve several issues regarding the interna- tional boundary, including the water boundary from the Strait of Georgia to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. After much discussion, the nego- tiators reached an impasse and could not come to an agreement. The commission adjourned to report back to their respective governments and the uncertainty over the water boundary remained. Because of this ambigu- ity, both Britain and the Unit- ed States claimed sovereignty over the San Juan Islands. San Juan Island held sig- nificance not for its size, but as a strategic military point. The British already held Fort Victoria on Vancouver Island to the west, overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the entry point to Haro Strait. Whichever nation held the San Juan Islands would be able to dominate all the vari- ous water routes in the area. While all the back and forth between the two na- tions was going on, Britain’s famous Hudson’s Bay Com- pany took advantage of the situation and established op- erations on San Juan, turning the island into a sheep ranch. pirate ship. Apparently there was a lot of rainfall that year in Arizona Territory, so most of its streams were deep and swollen with water. “The pirates, as skilled as they were, quickly sailed farther upstream than any other ships,” said Sharlot Hall archivist. Michael Wurtz. “They sailed into the Verde Valley in October 1866.” Soldiers garrisoned at Camp Verde were mighty sur- prised when a ship full of sea- dogs arrived outside the stock- ade. Army officers, hoping to avert trouble, told the pirates that more booty could be found farther upstream. Col. Roberts, one of the Army of- ficers at the fort, hoped to get rid of the pirates as soon as possible. “They woud {sic] P at McDonough recalls homesteading as a child with his family at Lantry in central South Dakota. The McDonoughs’ first house was a sod hut on their quarter: One thing I can recall of those days was our first house. It was so small we had to put the bed outside in the daytime and the table at night. Fuel for a fire was a problem. There were no trees for miles around. The Sioux sold berries and wood. When we were out of wood we used cow chips, deposits by the wild cattle which roamed the plains near us. There were stockyards down near the railhead, but instead of cor- ralling the cattle, they let

Territorial News between the United States and Great Britain by ... said “a cowboy was a sheep-herder with his brains kicked out” and that a good sheep-

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Your Connection to the Old West November 15, 2017Vol. 29, No. 7

Territorial News

Homesteading In South Dakota

(See Dispute on Page 6)

(See Legend on Page 8)(See Dakota on Page 14)

www.territorialnews.com www.facebook.com/TerritorialNews

Next IssueWednesdayNovember 29

PlayArizona TriviaSee Page 2 for Details

Index

Arizona Kid..................15Arizona Trivia................2Business Directory........18Classifieds....................18Jim Harvey.....................2

This Week’sQuestion:

Which Arizona cityis home tothe largest

flowering rose bushin the world?

(9 Letters)

The Pig War

The San Juan Islands. The line to the west ofSan Juan is the Haro Strait and the line to

the east is the Rosario Strait.

Pirates In Arizona?

England and the U.S. Nearly Go To WarOver 1859 Northwest Land Dispute

In Their Own WordsWith Tongue Firmly in Cheek, Sharlot Hall Museum Official Relates Dubious Legend

By Richard W. Kimball

Granite Creek, just west of downtown Prescott, is, for the

most part, about six inches deep and perhaps three or four feet wide. Anyone could easily jump across the stream. But, according to an old leg-end, an actual sailing ship dropped anchor in the creek in 1866. The ship had some-how made its way right into the interior of Arizona Terri-tory. It was not an ordinary sailing ship either; it was a

By Michael Murphy

When two armed na-tions are at odds, the most insig-

nificant event can set off a firestorm. Such was nearly the case in June of 1859 when Britain and the United States almost went to war over a dead pig. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and a shooting war in the Pacific Northwest was averted.

The Oregon Treaty of 1846 resolved a boundary dispute between the United States and Great Britain by dividing the Oregon Coun-try/Columbia District “along the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude to the middle of the channel which sepa-rates the continent from Van-couver Island, and thence southerly through the middle of the said channel, and of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the Pacific Ocean.” The

trouble is, there are actually two straits - the Haro Strait, along the west side of the San Juan Islands and Rosa-rio Strait, along the east side - that could be called the “mid-dle of the channel.” In those days, the available maps of the area were sketchy at best.

On some maps, the Haro Strait was not fully clear.

The two countries set up a Boundary Commission in 1856 to help resolve several issues regarding the interna-tional boundary, including the water boundary from the Strait of Georgia to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. After much discussion, the nego-tiators reached an impasse

and could not come to an agreement. The commission adjourned to report back to their respective governments and the uncertainty over the water boundary remained.

Because of this ambigu-ity, both Britain and the Unit-ed States claimed sovereignty over the San Juan Islands.

San Juan Island held sig-nificance not for its size, but as a strategic military point. The British already held Fort Victoria on Vancouver Island to the west, overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the entry point to Haro Strait. Whichever nation held the San Juan Islands would be able to dominate all the vari-ous water routes in the area.

While all the back and forth between the two na-tions was going on, Britain’s famous Hudson’s Bay Com-pany took advantage of the situation and established op-erations on San Juan, turning the island into a sheep ranch.

pirate ship. Apparently there was a lot of rainfall that year in Arizona Territory, so most of its streams were deep and swollen with water.

“The pirates, as skilled as they were, quickly sailed farther upstream than any other ships,” said Sharlot Hall

archivist. Michael Wurtz. “They sailed into the Verde Valley in October 1866.”

Soldiers garrisoned at Camp Verde were mighty sur-prised when a ship full of sea-dogs arrived outside the stock-ade. Army officers, hoping to avert trouble, told the pirates that more booty could be found farther upstream. Col. Roberts, one of the Army of-ficers at the fort, hoped to get rid of the pirates as soon as possible. “They woud {sic]

Pat McDonough recalls homesteading as a child with his family

at Lantry in central South Dakota. The McDonoughs’ first house was a sod hut on their quarter:

One thing I can recall of those days was our first house. It was so small we had to put the bed outside in the daytime and the table at night.

Fuel for a fire was a problem. There were no trees for miles around. The Sioux sold berries and wood. When we were out of wood we used cow chips, deposits by the wild cattle which roamed the plains near us. There were stockyards down near the railhead, but instead of cor-ralling the cattle, they let

November 15, 2017Territorial NewsPage 2

Jim HarveyThe Arizona Trail

Arizona - Web of Time

The Territorial News is published by Territorial News Inc. The Territorial features Old West stories, photos and art that are part of our area’s rich and interesting past. The publisher assumes no liability for the opinions contained within this publication; all statements are the sole opinions of the contributors and/or advertisers.

The Territorial’s East Valley coverage area includes areas east of Gilbert Road, including East Mesa, Apache Junction, Superstition Falls, Mountain Brook, Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. Copies are distributed free at convenience and grocery stores, restaurants and bars, RV parks and subdivisions and libraries. Subscriptions are also available.

Merchandise or services advertised in the Territorial News are expected to be accurately described and readily available at advertised prices. Deceptive or misleading advertising is never knowingly accepted. To find out if a contractor is licensed call the Registrar of Contractors at 602-542-1525.All classified ads must be paid in advance. Standard ad rate is $2.00 per line or $10.00 per column inch. Payment may be made by check or credit card. Mail to Territorial News, P.O. Box 1690, Apache Junction, AZ 85117 or E-mail [email protected]. The Territorial News publishes every other Wednesday. Ad deadline is one week prior to printing.

P. O. Box 1690, Apache Junction, AZ 85117Phone 480-983-5009 Fax 480-393-0695

[email protected] All Advertising Information:

Linda Rae Stewart 480-522-7728 or [email protected] Henderson - Business Manager •David Stanfel - Editor

Linda Rae Stewart - Ad Sales 480-522-7728Michael Murphy - Layout & Design

Richard Kimball - Writer

Territorial News

Captain’s Bar Presents

Letters are hidden in the advertisements. Find the letters to spell the an-swer. Submit your answer with your name, address & phone number on a postcard for the current issue’s question to Territorial Publishing, P.O. Box 1690, Apache Junction, AZ 85217. Look for the answer in the next issue. To have your name listed in the next issue, cards must be received no later than 10 days past the current issue of the Territorial News. For example: submitted answers to the 11/15/17 question, deadline is 11/25/17. Limit one postcard per household per issue. Must be at least 18 years old. Remember to put your name and address on your entry!

How to Play

Sid Clarke, Larry Damer, Joyce Davis, Doyle Ekey, James Field, Kevin Gartley, Louise Moore, Jean Powers, Roger Ringer, Bill Riordan, William Smith, Gary Swanson, Richard Valley.

ARIZONA TRIVIAThis Week’s Question: Which Arizona city is home to

the largest flowering rose bush in the world?(9 Letters)

Last Issue’s Question: What is the name of architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home and school in Scottsdale?

Answer: Taliesin West

Congratulations! You got the right answer!

An ancient people ar-chaeologists call the Mog-ollon lived in southeastern Arizona more than a thou-sand years ago. They made some of the finest pottery every seen, including black on white bowls. The bowls

were decorated with pictures of rabbits, turtles, waterfowl and antelope.

The first permanent Spanish settlement in Arizo-na was established in 1752 at a place called Tubac close to

today’s border with Mexico. The Spanish built a military post there to prevent upris-ings of the O’odham Indians. Twenty-three years later, a group of Spanish colonists left Tubac bound for what would become known as San Francisco, California where they would settle.

A year later, 1858, a white traveler through north-eastern Arizona said the Na-vajo Indians living there had large flocks of sheep and herds of horses and cattle. Navajo men were armed with bows and arrows. The sheep provided wool for blankets women wove and dyed black, purple, brown, blue, yellow and green.

1886 was the year the Arizona Sheep Breeders and Wool Growers Association was organized in Flagstaff. At that time, an investment in sheep ranching was thought to be more profitable than raising cattle. People who made their living selling wool said “a cowboy was a sheep-herder with his brains kicked out” and that a good sheep-herder could earn twice a cowboy’s wages.

Single-handed, Arizona Ranger Jim Bailey captured three horse thieves near Flag-staff in 1903.

In 1928, an Arizona man found watermelon seeds left in a cave by prehistoric Indians centuries earlier. He planted the seeds and six germinated. The result was small sweet melons shaped like gourds.

Give ThanksWhen you arise in the morning,

give thanks for the morning light,for your life and strength.Give thanks for your food

and the joy of living.If you see no reason for giving thanks,

the fault lies in yourself.-Tecumseh

O

Page 3 Territorial NewsNovember 15, 2017

The Chuck Wagon

(See Cook on Page 10)

In 1866, when cattleman Charles Goodnight need-ed a way to keep his drov-

ers fed while trailing cattle from Texas to points north, he merely took an old Army supply wagon, and bolted to its back a wooden box divided into different compartments. He covered the box with a hinged lid that when opened and supported by a single leg, could serve as a work table or wide shelf.

The box was a simple contraption, but it revolution-ized the cattle industry. Food and cooking utensils were stowed in the pigeonholes of this traveling kitchen cabinet. There were other uses for the wagon as well. Bedrolls, med-icine, lariats, branding irons, whiskey and water--they each found a place attached some-where on the wagon.

It was no difficulty coming up with a name for Goodnight’s invention. Since early 17th Century England, individuals involved in the meat business referred to a lower priced part of the beef carcass as the “chuck.” Al-though less glamorous than other cuts, the chuck was an

important source of nutrition for the working man.

By the next century “chuck” became a catch-all phrase for good, honest, heart-warming food. The term encompassed beef, veg-etables, bread, dessert, coffee and anything else that could be eaten. On the ranch, the hands ate “chuck” at the “chuck” house.

Goodnight’s all-purpose compartment on the back of the

M

November 15, 2017Territorial NewsPage 4

The Clydesdales Are Coming!

(See USACPF on Page 16)

The Little Mesa Cafe is saddling up with the USA Clydesdale Preservation Foundation (USACPF) host-ing a benefit breakfast on Saturday, December 2, from 7:00a.m.-1:00 p.m. One half of the proceeds for all pan-cakes sold will go to help these “at risk” horses. Food specials, door prizes, and raffles will be offered to all. The horses will be on site and dressed for the holidays from 7:00 a.m. – noon. Bring the

kids and have their Christmas photo taken with these majes-tic horses. This is a great op-portunity to stop by and meet a Clydesdale and learn more about one of the rarest horse breeds in the world. A profes-sional photographer will be taking photos for donations as part of the fundraiser.

USA Clydesdale Preservation Foundation (USACPF) is a local 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedi-cated to the preservation of the Clydesdale horse breed. Founded in 2012 in Gilbert, Arizona, by Rebecca Stivers, USACPF’s goal is to educate the public about the “at risk” classification of the Clydes-dale Horse.

With their origins in Scotland during the early 19th century, the Clydesdale was bred specifically as a working farm horse. The Clydesdales are one of the largest of the draft horses ranging from 1800 to 2500 lbs and 16 to 19 hands in height.

Clydesdales came to the US in the late 19th cen-tury. They were utilized as a farm horse and war horse in the earlier years, but their numbers declined drastically due to casualties of war and the industrial revolution, as they were no longer needed for their pulling power. One of the largest issues for the Clydesdale Horse is the lack of having a new purpose for the breed. Promoting the Clydesdale as a riding horse will help create a demand for them.

Thanks to Budweiser’s marketing, the Clydesdale horse has become an Ameri-can icon, but the popula-tion is still “at risk and

Page 5 Territorial NewsNovember 15, 2017

Celebrating Thanksgiving In the Old West

(See Holiday on Page 9)

Hunting wild game for the Thanksgiving table was a western

holiday custom. Although hunters would settle for prai-rie chickens, buffalo or elk, wild turkey was the prize bag.

General George Crook, commander of the U.S. troops in Arizona, made a ritual of his Thanksgiving turkey hunt. A dedicated sportsman, Crook was a man who regu-larly rode ahead of his troops, deep in hostile Apache terri-tory, hoping to get off a shot at a deer or game bird. In November 1880, the general arrived at Fort Apache from his headquarters in Prescott, Arizona, to begin the annual turkey hunt. Accompanied only by two junior officers, he had ridden 150 miles on rough trails through Indian country to bag Thanksgiving dinner.

The mountains around Fort Apache teemed with game; turkeys were especially abundant because Indians did not favor them as food. Accompanied by several ju-nior officers, General Crook rode into the grassy mesas where oak and pinion groves

swarmed with turkeys. Two days later the hunting party was back at the fort with more than 100 big gobblers and some two dozen mule deer, all killed with regulation army rifles (no shotguns for the sporting general). Load-ing their kill on pack mules, the hunters trekked back to Prescott, the meat kept fresh by the cool November weather. It was a fine sport, and so popular did hunting wild turkey become that by

1900 almost none was left in the wild. Twentieth-century wildlife managers have re-stored the turkey to its range and hunters to their Thanks-giving sport.

City dwellers lack-ing either skill or incli-nation to ride through Indian country in search of Thanksgiving dinner could fix a gobbler in their sights at a turkey shoot,

B

November 15, 2017Territorial NewsPage 6

The Pig War

(See Dispute on Page 17)

Our WIFI was down yesterday & I spent 45 minutestrying to fix it. Our dishwasher has been broken for

three months and I haven’t gone near it.

Dispute

(From Page 1)

Meanwhile, by 1859, a couple dozen American settlers had also arrived on the island.

On June 15, 1859, American farmer Lyman Cutlar found a large black pig rooting around in his gar-den. The pig was trying to get at the farmer’s potatoes and it wasn’t the first time it had happened. Cutlar was so upset that he got his gun and shot the offending pig. The problem was, the pig’s owner was Charles Griffin, an Irish-man who was employed by the Hudson’s Bay Company to run the sheep ranch. Grif-fin, upset at the untimely demise of his prized pig, de-manded $100 from Cutlar as compensation. Cutlar,

believing he shouldn’t have to pay at all because the pig had been trespassing on his land, grudgingly offered Grif-fin $10. (One story, probably apocryphal, claims Cutlar said to Griffin, “It was eating my potatoes.” To which Grif-fin replied, “It is up to you to keep your potatoes out of my pig.”) With the men unable to come to an agreement sat-isfactory to both parties, Brit-ish authorities threatened to arrest Cutlar. Concerned American settlers then called on their government for mili-tary protection.

Brigadier General Wil-liam S. Harney at first dis-patched 66 American sol-diers of the 9th Infantry, commanded by Captain George Pickett, to San Juan Island in order to prevent the British from landing. The

British, concerned about the American military presence on the island, sent three war-ships under the command of Captain Geoffrey Hornby to counter the Americans. From there, things continued to es-calate. By August 10, 1859, 461 American troops sport-ing 14 cannon under Colonel Silas Casey were lined up against five British warships mounting 70 big guns and carrying 2,140 men. Up to this point, no shots had been fired.

James Douglas, the gov-ernor of the British Colony of Vancouver Island, ordered British Rear Admiral Robert J. Baynes to land marines on San Juan Island and engage the American soldiers. In-credulous, Baynes refused, deciding that “two great na-tions in a war over a squabble about a pig” was beyond fool-ish. Local commanding of-ficers managed to keep hos-tilities under control, but for several days, British and U.S. soldiers exchanged insults, in hopes of goading the other side into firing the first shot. However, discipline held and, again, no shots were fired.

When news of the con-frontation finally reached Washington and London, officials from both nations were shocked and immedi-ately took action to avoid a potentially disastrous inter-national incident.

At this same time, in-ternal tensions in the United States between the northern and southern states were es-calating and the government had no desire to expend troops and resources in the Pacific Northwest for a rela-tively minor border dispute. U.S. President James Buch-anan sent General Winfield Scott to negotiate with Gov-ernor Douglas and resolve the growing crisis.

The negotiations resulted

Page 7 Territorial NewsNovember 15, 2017

November 15, 2017Territorial NewsPage 8

Pirates In Arizona?

(See Legend on Page 18)

Legend

(From Page 1)

not stay long if they knew the bounty in Prescott was worth the trip,” he said.

After receiving direc-

tions, the seafarers sailed along the Verde River and then turned upstream on Granite Creek. They ran aground somewhere west of what is now the center of Prescott. The town was mighty small in those days,

populated mostly by miners, most of whom spent their days in the hills looking for gold, and a few townspeople. The only other residents of the area were the soldiers sta-tioned at an Army fort a mile or two east of the small settle-ment, and a few Indians.

The townspeople of Prescott were taken unaware when they saw a large group of swarthy pirates wading ashore with cutlasses and blunderbusses. They were used to Indian attacks now and then and shootouts be-tween lawmen and outlaws in the street, but the presence of burly seamen looking for swag—well, that was some-thing new. And so began a night of terror.

“Like most pirates of the time, they sacked and pillaged our little town, but there were exceptions to that behavior. A few of them de-cided right then and there to leave a life on the sea and en-joy the waning years of their miserable lives in the mild climate of central Arizona,” Wurtz said.

Page 9 Territorial NewsNovember 15, 2017

Old West ThanksgivingHoliday

(From Page 5)

like the one set up on the Santa Cruz River bottom in Tucson on the day before Thanksgiving 1883. Con-testants lined up on the dry Arizona riverbed and took aim from a distance of 60 yards at 30 turkeys, 12 chick-ens and three geese buried in dirt up to their necks. When the first round was over, the birds were disinterred and the marksmen had a go at whole birds from 200 yards. Winners of this grisly event got to roast the targets for Thanksgiving dinner.

Tucson residents also seized on Thanksgiving to indulge their love of sports. Horse races and baseball and football games were sched-uled on Thanksgiving Day. In 1879, the big game was a baseball contest between two local newspapers; final score: Tucson Citizen 31, Tucson Star 30. By 1899, football had come west and sports fans witnessed a doubleheader at Carrillo’s Gardens. In the morning, Tucson beat Tempe at baseball. After dinner the Tempe Normal School (now Arizona State University) trounced the University of Arizona at Tucson in a foot-ball match, 11 to 2.

Some Indian tribes be-came so assimilated to the white man’s ways that they issued Thanksgiving procla-mations of their own. J.B. Mayes, principle chief of the Cherokee Nation, pro-claimed Thanksgiving for his people in 1884 with a unique blend of traditional Indian phrases and Victorian ideas: “As our forefathers when na-ture’s children of the forest in pursuit of game around the council fire in simplicity did give praise and thanks to the Great Spirit in their yearly mystic ‘green-corn dance’ for the return of His great gift to them—the ‘indian’ corn—now today, as a Christian nation of people, it is but meet that the Cherokee people should give thanks to the Christian’s God for his continued protec-tion of our tribe.”

Thanksgiving celebra-tions in the Wild West of-ten included an element of adventure missing from the holiday in more settled parts of the country, but the basic

themes were familiar. There was the desire to feast at an ample table, to entertain fam-ily and friends and enjoy the dishes and customs remem-bered from childhood. At the same time, there was an urge to celebrate the holiday with

sports, dancing and amuse-ments of all kinds. This ten-sion between longing for a quiet, old-fashioned Thanks-giving and desire for a live-lier holiday would continue as Thanksgiving entered the twentieth century.

November 15, 2017Territorial NewsPage 10

The Chuck WagonCook

(From Page 3)

Army wagon became the “chuck” box. And a wagon with a chuck box became a “chuck” wagon.

The chuck wagon quickly gained independent status. While the wrangler or trail boss set the rules outside the camp, he and all the other hands obeyed the

cook within the sphere of the chuck wagon. The cook brooked no interference with his cooking or his uten-sils, but the cowboys never rebelled against his rule. They paid him tribute each day by roping dead mesquite or oak wood and dragging it into camp for the fire.

After ranchers fenced the open range with barbed wire, and the extension of railway lines made the

trail drive unnecessary, the chuck wagon lived on. Many times, neighboring ranchers helped with the roundup, the branding, the doctoring and other chores in return for the same consideration during their time to ship. When this happened, one chuck wagon might make the rounds of all the area ranches and be out for weeks at a time throughout the working season to feed dozens of persons.

Today, the chuck wagon remains a vital part of the cattle industry. It not only feeds working cowboys on larger ranches, but it also is a social gathering place dur-ing cowboy celebrations, fairs, meetings and other important events. For every-one, even those who are eat-ing behind a wagon for the hundredth time, the chuck wagon is a special place, and the time spent there eating, meeting and greeting with friends is forever filed away in the catalog of that person’s special memories.

E

Page 11 Territorial NewsNovember 15, 2017

The Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch

The Merchants of Historic Florence Welcome You!

As one of the largest and most popular wildlife preserves in Gil-bert, The Riparian at Water Ranch features hiking and equestrian trails open to the community. The preserve provides a great opportunity for wildlife and bird watching and is considered the premier bird watching facility in the Phoenix metro region. Close to 250 species of birds have been sighted and many people come from different states and countries to see the beautiful and sometimes rare birds. The park boasts covered picnic areas, a dinosaur dig site, and campsites that can be reserved for a desert getaway. The preserve also has the only valley astronomy observatory open to the public every Friday and Saturday eve-ning from dusk until 9:30 p.m., subject to weather conditions.

November 15, 2017Territorial NewsPage 12

Phoenix International Raceway Changing Its Name

By Ralph Henderson

Phoenix International Raceway hosted its last race under that name as the icon-ic track announced it will be changing its name to ISM Raceway in 2018. Under the shadow of the massive 197 million dollar construction project for the new seating and suites on turns two and three, the three-day event featured many different story lines.

In a somewhat emotion-al, heartfelt press conference, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. told a crowd of journalists that his retirement from racing had finally set in at the Phoenix race and that he felt at times like he was just going to break down. However, he looked forward to hopefully doing as well in his new opportunity in the broadcast booth as he had been able to do on the

track. Matt Kenseth, driver of the “20” car also spoke of his decision to step away from racing for the 2018 season and his close association with Dale, Jr. throughout the years. Although Danica Patrick did not make any statements con-cerning her future, she may have raced her last race at PIR as she has not announced her plans for the upcoming 2018

An emotional Dale Earnhardt, Jr. gives one of his last press conferences

season.In racing action, Johnny

Sauter survived a wild ride to win Friday’s Lucas 150 truck race; William Byron took a late race lead to win Satur-day’s Galaxy 200 Xfinity race, and Matt Kenseth, passing a desperate Chase Elliott in the final laps of Sunday’s featured Can-Am 500 NASCAR race for an emotional win, left Elliott out of the upcoming final race for the NASCAR championship next week at Homestead, Florida. Brad Ke-selowski advanced on to the big race.

“It couldn’t be any sweet-er,” said Kenseth, who an-nounced this week he would be stepping away from racing in 2018. “We’ve got one race left and this is a great way to go out.”

Ryan Blaney driver of the “21” car makes one of thefastest pit stops of Sunday’s race

O

Page 13Territorial NewsNovember 15, 2017

November 15, 2017Territorial NewsPage 14

Homesteading

(See Dakota on Page 19)

We hear the Oscars are adding a new categorycalled Best Apology.

Dakota

(From Page 1)

them roam for free forage.I was five years old at

the time and my brother was seven. When we got up at the crack of dawn to walk to school we first climbed a small hill and looked around the land. If there were no cattle in sight we would con-

tinue on to the school, which was about a mile’s walk. If we saw the steers we would return; they were dangerous and would charge when they saw or smelled a human.

School was a small shack; the class had about a dozen kids.

Mother used to bake bread for men who were “batching it” on the claims. They would provide the flour

and Mother did the baking while they sat around out-side. Later my father and uncle and neighbors built a larger house, which was com-posed of three rooms. Im-mediately a family of rattlers built a house in one corner. It’s an understatement to say it was a hazard walking to the outhouse.

T

Page 15 Territorial NewsNovember 15, 2017

Pecos BillT

he first Pecos Bill sto-ries were told in the 1870s. They were the

western version of a larger-than-life Paul Bunyon figure. The stories were originally oral tales, passed form cow-boy to cowboy. The first writ-ten version of the Pecos Bill stories appeared in Century magazine in October 1923. Other deeds were published and in 1948 Walt Disney pro-duced a cartoon version of Pecos Bill.

According to these cow-boy folk tales, Pecos Bill was raised by coyotes and was a grown man before he saw an-other human being. Joining the Hell’s Gate Gulch out-fit, Bill rode a cougar with a 12-foot snake for a lariat. He could drink a gallon of boil-ing coffee with a gulp and wipe his mouth with cactus. After joining the outfit, Pe-cos Bill taught the cowboys how to brand cattle, throw a lasso and yell “yippee.” The horse he rode was raised on nitroglycerin and dynamite; when another cowboy tried to ride his mount, Bill had

to lasso him from the top of Pike’s Peak. Pecos Bill rode an Oklahoma cyclone, and when the storm couldn’t throw him, it rained enough to create the Grand Canyon. Death Valley was formed by Pecos Bill’s rear end when the ride ended.

S

November 15, 2017Territorial NewsPage 16

The Clydesdales Are Coming!USACPF

(From Page 4)

vulnerable” as described by both the Equus Trust Foun-dation and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

USACPF hopes to make a difference in the popula-tion numbers with their volunteers’ hard work and dedication. The volunteers promote the versatility of the Clydesdales by riding the horses in parades, drill team

demonstrations, as well as educating through social me-dia, schools, and community events.

USACPF is always look-ing for volunteers who would like to help with the organi-zation. No horse experience is necessary, but a passion to save the Clydesdales horse is important. We also accept monetary donations and wish list items. For more info and a full list of wish list items, please visit our website usa-clydesdalepreservationfoun-

dation.orgFor 33 years the Little

Mesa Cafe, a local family owned and operated Fam-ily Restaurant, has played an active role in our Mesa and Arizona community. This is a chance for everyone to help and have some fun too!

Your participation, do-nations, gift certificates and door prizes are greatly appre-ciated. For more info contact David at the Little Mesa Cafe, 3929 E. Main St., Mesa, Ari-zona (480-830-6201).

Page 17 Territorial NewsNovember 15, 2017

The Pig WarDispute

(From Page 6)

in an agreement where both nations would retain joint military occupation of San Juan Island un-til a final settlement could be reached, with both sides reduc-ing their presence to a small force of less than 100 men. Briga-dier General Harney was officially rebuked and reassigned for let-ting the situation get out of control. The “English Camp” was established on the north end of San Juan Island along the shoreline and the “Ameri-can Camp” was created on the south end.

San Juan Island re-mained under joint military control for the next 12 years. During this time, the small British and American units on the island actually got along quite well. They visited each other’s camps to social-ize and celebrate holidays and would stage various ath-letic competitions. Apparent-

ly there was plenty of alcohol available so everything stayed pretty peaceful.

While the Americans were preoccupied with the Civil War, local British au-

thorities consistently but un-successfully lobbied London to retake control of the Puget Sound area. In 1866, the lo-cal British colonies merged to form a larger Colony of British Columbia. In 1871,

the colony joined the newly formed Dominion of Cana-da. That same year, Britain and the United States agreed to the Treaty of Washington, dealing with various differ-

ences between the two nations, includ-ing border issues. As part of the treaty, the two nations agreed to international arbi-tration to resolve the San Juan Islands dis-pute. King Wilhelm I of Germany was chosen to act as arbi-

trator. In October 1872, the Americans won the arbitra-tion and the marine bound-ary was drawn through the Haro Strait, to the west of the islands, putting the San Juans in American hands.

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November 15, 2017Territorial NewsPage 18

Business & Services

Classified

Pirates In Arizona?Legend

(From Page 8)

However, in one of the greatest single acts of mutiny, the legislature voted to move the capital to Tucson, Wurtz went on. “The pirates never forgave the governing officials for making Prescott “walk the plank” in moving the seat of the Territorial government to the most arid region of the land, thus ensuring that no pirate would ever want to serve in [the] governmental system again,” Wurtz said.

According to Mona McCrosley, who claims a pirate ancestry, a lot of western lore and customs can prob-ably be attributed to the pirates. For example, many of the swashbuck-lers amused themselves by chasing and capturing the wild cattle in the hills around town. Their knot-tying knowledge they had learned at sea, was useful for making lariats, tying cattle to trees, and other cowboy

skills.Those “cowboys,” as they even-

tually became known, often walked the planks of the wooden sidewalks along Whiskey Row. There they en-tertained themselves in the “saloons and brothels, just as they did in their old seafaring days,” Wurtz said.

By the early 1900s, the pirates’ visit had been forgotten by most people. Only a few old-timers could still recall the legend. No one knows what actually happened to the pi-rates. They just seemed to disap-pear.

Although archaeologists occa-sionally uncover wooden peg-legs, parrot skeletons and hooks, the only remaining evidence that pirates had been in central Arizona are the strange sculptures on the Hotel St. Michael on Whisky Row. If you look carefully, you can see the faces of pirates near the top of the building. The hotel is located on the corner of West Gurley and Montezuma streets in Prescott.

T

Page 19 Territorial NewsNovember 15, 2017

HomesteadingDakota

(From Page 14)

Our sport was simple and born of the frontier. In the winter we used as a sled a mortar box, about four feet wide and six feet long, with a couple of boards nailed across for seats.

We had a handyman by the unlikely name of Ar-thur Murray, who called my mother chief cook and bottle washer.

“I’m the sod-packer,” he would say when we would ask him what he was.

He never forgot those days. For years while he lived he would send the fam-ily cards celebrating certain anniversaries, such as the first day he came to work for us.

There were plenty of Sioux bucks around. One day Mother got the scare of her life. She turned and there was one big as life. All he would do was grunt and say “minnie.” Mother wanted to give him what he wanted

because stuck in his belt was a murderous-looking knife. Finally, by pointing and sign language, she found out all he wanted was water from our pump for his horse.

We didn’t have Mass every Sunday. The priest

traveled over a wide area of the frontier. Sometimes he would say Mass in the set-tlers’ homes. I can recall he once said Mass in our house. I also can recall him telling us how he said Mass for the tribes in a tent.

November 15, 2017Territorial NewsPage 20