Empire Ranch records
Collection area: Arizona and Southwest
Collection dates: 1874-1944 bulk (bulk 1880-1916)
This collection includes correspondence, legal documents, financial records, livestock records, and other materials relating to the history, development, and operation of ranch property in Southern Arizona and California. Includes records of cattle companies associated with the Empire Ranch. Some ranches covered are Onyx Ranch, Bonita Ranch, El Dorado Ranch, Rosemont Ranch, Pantano Ranch, and Rancho Corral de Quati. Also present are land and mining papers including Arizona land patents, land grant materials, abstracts of titles, and papers relating to mines such as the Total Wreck Mine. Abstracts of title involve land of the Whetstone and San Pedro Land and Cattle Co., Arivaca Land and Cattle Co., Las Jarillas Cattle Co. and others.
Empire Ranch is located east of Tucson. Started in 1876 by Walter L. Vail, founder of the Empire Land and Cattle Company, it became one of the largest cattle ranches in Arizona. In 1886, Vail formed a partnership with Carrol W. Gates. Soon after Vail and Gates expanded land and cattle operations to California, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Their headquarters were the Empire Ranch and Warner's Ranch in California. Chiricahua Ranches Company purchased the Empire Ranch operations in 1928.
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