07/17/2023
Commodore Perry Owens:
Like Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday, Perry Owens played a major roll in Arizona history with taming the Wild West. Born in 1852, Owens was a well known and feared gunfighter and lawman. In his early years he was a ranch Forman,when three Navajo warriors tried stealing horses while under his watch. Owens killed two and wounded the third warrior, earning him the nickname among the Navajo as Iron Man.
Owens later began to homestead near Navajo-Springs and raise Purebred horses. Owens had many dealings with the Navajo before his roll in the Pleasant Valley War. Almost always without permission, he would go onto the Navajo reservation to capture and arrest known horse thieves and ring them to justice no matter their age.
Throughout his early years there were three Navajo chiefs of different bands who claimed to have killed Owens during ambushes & gunfights later earning him the nickname Ghost Man. When the Navajo would cross paths or even seen Owens while on the trail, they would run or nervously let him pass without incident of any kind.
By the time the Pleasant Valley War was in full swing, Perry Owens was now a Respected and feared lawman. Not many men resisted when Owens came to arrest them, those who did were always brought back dead.
The most famous gunfight that Commodore Owens took part in was the Andy Cooper shootout in Holbrook Arizona.
It was September 4 1887 when Owens approached the Blevins house and demanded Andy Cooper to present himself and that he was taking him in. 12 people were in the house that day, including Andy Cooper, the eldest and youngest Blevins brothers. Owens stood alone outside the home and against 4 dangerous outlaws. The shootout took less than a minute and four men (known outlays and participants in the Pleasant Valley War murders) and one was wounded. Owens was praised as he walked down the streets of Holbrook for his killing of the dreaded Andy Cooper and therefore bring a swift end of the range war to a close.
After the Blevins shootout, Owens was. It elected again as sheriff as the outlaw days were coming to a close and there was no more of a need for someone of his metal. Owens left the Sheriff’s Office in 1888.
Commodore Perry Owens played a pivotal roll In Arizona history and sadly he is almost completely forgotten about. It is my hope that his legend and story doesn’t slip into history. Because without Owens, the Pleasant Valley War might have dragged on for many more years if Andy Cooper was left alive.
I hope everyone has a fun safe and exciting weekend!! If while on your adventures this weekend and you find yourself near Holbrook, maybe stop and check out where the Blevins shootout took place & walk the very path that Owens walked alone as he faced multiple known gunman.
Stay Safe, Stay Alive, Keep Treasure Hunting!
