Francisco "Pancho" Monroy - Salt River Recreation Area

My favorite place for strolling around in the desert is along the Salt River near the junction with the Verde River in the Tonto National Forest.  The area was much busier in the early 20th century when it was still open range and before Tonto National Forest was created.  Old maps show locations of abandoned mines and ranches that are no longer visible on modern maps.  One such site called Monroy's Ranch is shown on a 1904 U.S. Geological Survey map. The ranch is shown west of Blue Point on the south side of the Salt River. The Tonto National Forest Foxtail Administrative Site (located just east of the Usery Rd./Bush Hwy. intersection) is presently at the approximate Monroy Ranch location. Some initial research identified the ranch with Francisco "Pancho" Monroy.

Portion of 1904 USGS Map Showing Monroy Ranch Location

Francisco "Pancho" Monroy is mentioned in Dana Coolidge's book (reference 1), "Arizona Cowboys" as an uncle of Johnny Jones who was the son of Dr. W.W. Jones (an Arizona pioneer and one-time business associate of the Goldwater brothers). He is described in the book as an old-time Mexican cowman originally from Caborca, Sonora. Coolidge had visited the ranch with Johnny Jones prior to publishing his book. Coolidge maintained that visitors were always welcome at Monroy's home.

According to Coolidge, Monroy had been at the ranch for 30 years and had fought off Apaches and lived through droughts and disasters.  However at the time of the author’s visit in 1904, his pastures had been decimated by sheep due to his close proximity to the main sheep crossing on the Salt River. It’s reported that ninety thousand sheep crossed the Salt River near Blue Point and Monroy's Ranch twice a year during the early 1900's.  By 1904, the only stock remaining on the ranch consisted of a few goats.  

The book contains a couple of photos of Monroy.  One of which shows him looking upriver from a high bluff along the Salt River.  If you climb the bluff to the west of the ranch site, the view still looks much the same (see below).

Looking East through Salt River Valley (Monroy Ranch area below bluff)

Reference 1: Arizona Cowboys, Dane Coolidge, University of Arizona Press, Tucson Arizona, 1984.

There is also a photo of Pancho Monroy sitting at his ranch stored in the Arizona State Archive photo collection.

A search for Monroy Ranch in the Chronicling America newspaper search site brings up several Arizona Republican articles mentioning the site over the years 1910 to 1918 (search Monroy Ranch or Francisco Monroy).  Some of these articles relate to local folks camping at the ranch on fishing and hunting trips and others refer to the ranch as a geographical reference point. However, another Arizona Republican article in the August 11, 1918 edition page 10 describes Francisco as being tortured and robbed by heavily armed bandits at his ranch near Blue Point. The article describes five heavily armed men riding up to the ranch and requesting water. When Francisco attempted to get the water they jumped him and tied him up. The bandits suspected that he had hidden money and tortured him with knives trying to get him to tell them the location. Finally, Francisco's wife gave the locations to the bandits and they got off with around $1,500 worth of gold hidden in the house.
Reference link:  http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/

According to the book, “Mexicans in Tempe”, Francisco was born in the mid 1880’s and worked as a vaquero on Dr. W.W. Jones’s Blue Point Ranch. It's evident that Dr. Jones ranched in the area considering the location of "Jone's Ford" of the Salt River located just downstream from Monroy's Ranch (see 1904 map).

Monroy is also mentioned in the book "Images of America, Apache Junction and the Superstition Mountains". There is also a photo of him included in the book. Monroy is mentioned in this book and in Lost Dutchman discussion forums as having been a host to Jacob Waltz (Lost Dutchman) as Jacob traveled along the Salt River on prospecting trips. Monroy Ranch is also mentioned as being near the Government Trail river ford that is mentioned in some Lost Dutchman discussions.

Things must have been very interesting during those times.

This summer, when its too hot to for outdoor exploring, I'll explore the library for more material and update this blog.

Adios

Photos of landscape at location of Monroy Ranch.

Clearing near ranch area

Clearing near ranch area

Clearing near ranch area

Road to the river

View over ranch area towards west

Dr. W.W. Jones & Family - Salt River Recreation Area

Lately I've been snooping around in a website called Chronicling America set up by the Library of Congress. I ran into the site by following the Google+ site "Phoenix, Arizona Historical Images".  The Google+ site posts lots of interesting historical images and notes.  I decided to do some research on some East Valley pioneers who didn't fit into the typical history book profile.  The following accounts are mostly taken from newspaper articles found in Chronicling America.

Several of the old and existing landmarks around the East Valley are named after folks from the late 1800's and early 1900's.  One of these pioneers was Dr. W.W. Jones.  He was born and educated as a doctor back east in Maryland and then migrated to Los Angeles, California. For several years around 1870, he and a partner operated a freighting business between California and Arizona.  During that period, he married 18 year old Alcaria Montoya in Yuma. They built a home at 1008 E. Buckeye in Phoenix in 1879. His connection to the East Valley is through accounts of his having a ranch near Coon Bluff.  The landmark "Jones Ford" is shown on a 1904 topo map near Coon's Bluff in what is now the Salt River Recreation Area. In addition to Jones Ford, "Monroy's Ranch" is also shown on the map.  It probably belonged to Alcaria's Tio Poncho. Jones is also reported to have operated another ranch near Hidden Water Spring on Cottonwood Creek north of what is now Saguaro Lake (Butcher Jones Beach).

Remnants of ranch life east of Coon Bluff

In addition to ranching, dabbling in politics and occasionally practicing emergency medicine (bullet wounds & such), he was a prospector and mining speculator. He, from time to time, owned shares in several mines from Prescott to Florence including the famous Vulture Mine. In some circles, it's hinted that he may have known Jacob Waltz of the Lost Dutchman Mine legend.  

Dr. Jones is buried in Double Butte Cemetery, Tempe, AZ.

After the Dr's death in 1896, Colonel Alonzo Ridley acted on the behalf of his estate in probate court. The Colonel was a long-time friend of the Dr's.  He was a confederate in the civil war, refused to agree to surrender, emigrated to Mexico, fought on the side of Maximilian in the Mexican Civil War and worked on the Vera Cruz to Mexico City Railroad before returning to Arizona. Colonel Ridley is another character worth exploring.  (I'll write something of the Colonel later).  After the Colonel's return to the states, he lived on the Jones ranch for several years.  Deputy Sheriff G.G. Gonzales (a well known Tempe lawman, at least back then) was initially assigned as guardian of Jone's children until the Dr's son John could take responsibility.  

The son of Dr. Jones, Johnny Jones, ran the Jones ranching business after the Dr.'s death in 1896. According to Dane Coolidge's book "Arizona Cowboys", Johnny worked very hard to collect and sell enough cattle to provide his sisters with an inheritance. Johnny ran cattle in the western foothills of the Four Peaks Range around the Cottonwood Canyon drainage. 

Western Foothills of the Four Peaks Range

Along with other cattlemen in the early 1900's, he had serious issues with sheep traveling through the range. Between the sheep and cattle, the range became badly overgrazed leading to lack of ground cover and increased erosion. The Salt River dams were being built during that time and there was concern by downstream farmers and the government that the erosion could cause increased sediment at the lakes and dams. The overgrazing ultimately led to the formation of the Tonto National Forest. Sadly, Johnny died of the flu while still in his late 30's.

Abandoned Stock Tank and Cattle Pens along Cottonwood Creek

It's been fun researching this stuff.  I'm looking forward to seeing what else I can find.

Adios