Empire Ranch Foundation

10/06/2026

🤠🎥 Free Outdoor Showing of Red River (1948) at the Empire Ranch!

Come on over Saturday, October 10, 2026. We'll be talking about how the movie was made and where it was filmed starting about 5:30pm. The movie will start about 6:00pm (sunset).

Bring a chair, flashlight, and maybe a blanket.

🍿We'll have fresh popcorn, movie snacks, and soda and water for purchase.

See you at the Historic Empire Ranch - East Empire Ranch Rd, Sonoita, AZ 85637

Many thanks to Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area for helping to make this event possible! https://santacruzheritage.org/

10/06/2026

10/06/2026

Partial Interest in Warner Ranch Purchased--1902

“Walter L Vail has purchased a quarter interest in the Warner ranch for $64,000. The ranch contains 11,000 acres. Title to the ranch recently was decided by the United States supreme court to rest In the heirs of the late Governor Downey.” [Los Angeles Evening Express 7/23/1902]

In 1903 Walter spent $10,000 to build a new house at Warner Ranch. “The house has all me modern improvements and then some, hot sulphur water being piped throughout the building.” [Los Angeles Times, 10/16/1903]

Photo caption/credit: East elevation of original Warner’s Ranch House, 1960. Courtesy of Library of Congress

10/05/2026

Harry L. Heffner--1902

Around 1902 Harry Heffner became the manager of the Empire Ranch, a position he held until 1905. He first began to work at the Empire around 1893 and when the bookkeeper, Sinclair Oliver, died in 1895 he took over that position.

Heffner helped to organize the Arizona Cattlegrower’s Association in 1904 and held the office of secretary for the organization. Around 1905 he moved to California and continued his association with Vail & Gates.

Photo caption/credit: Harry L. Heffner in Empire Ranch corral, 1899. ERF archives: A536-56

10/04/2026

Second day at Art in the Park in Sierra Vista! Many thanks to Faith and Charlie for getting the word out yesterday. Stop by and say hello. We're right by the food!

10/04/2026

Ned Vail Visits Santa Rosa Island—September 1901

On September 25, 1901 Ned Wail wrote to his Aunt Agnes about a trip to Santa Rosa Island: “Walter and Mr. Vickers have bought the Santa Rosa Island and I made a trip there with them to see it. The party consisted of Mr. Vickers, his brother from New York, Tom Turner, a Mr. Willard from Tombstone, Walter & I and Banning. I was very much pleased with the Island and we had a pleasant party and a nice time. We rode over the Island a good deal, they have a lot of fine saddle horses on the Island and I think we rode over 20 miles a day where there. Most of the horses are large from 15 to 16 hands high and will weigh from 1,000 to 1,200 lbs. There are from 125 to 150 horses, mares, mules yet there. About 10,000 sheep and 300 or 400 cattle, the latter are very large short horn cattle and the fattest grass cattle I ever saw. The Island contains about 70,000 acres. I should think about 1/3 of it is rough and mountainous like Catalina and the balance is hilly with large mesas in the interior. The ground is very rich on most of the island and will oats, el filaria, cloves and other California grasses are abundant.

There are large barns, a large two story Ranch House, shearing sheds and dipping vats for sheep and cattle, a wharf and boat house with a life boat and a two story cottage furnished comfortably that made us think of Cousin Kate’s house in Plainfield. It even had a Bible and some old fashion books in it. There are beautiful views on the island and of the sea. Santa Cruz Island is only 6 or 8 miles East and looks close. Santa Rosa is a very windy place and so cool that we had to dress warm and a fire was comfortable at night (in August) but there is not much frost in Winter.

Banning had a fine time hunting foxes and digging for Indian remains and relics and went home with a sack of bones, sculls and some stone implements which he divided with Professor Willard from Tombstone.”

In December Walter Vail shipped 4,000 head of Arizona cattle to Santa Rosa.

Photo caption/credit: Buildings at Santa Rosa Island, ca. 1901. ERF archives: A530-576a

10/03/2026

Is there still a swimming hole in Monkey Spring Canyon?

Crittenden Land & Cattle Company Purchased—September 1901

Vail, Gates, and Oscar Ashburn purchased the Crittenden Land and Cattle Company on September 7, 1901, from pioneer rancher Rollin R. Richardson. The Crittenden property encompassed 5,280 acres which included Richardson’s Pennsylvania Ranch in Monkey Spring Canyon.

This purchase provided additional rangeland close to the Empire Ranch and family access to a great swimming hole in Monkey Spring Canyon.

Photo caption/credit: Section of 1905 USGS topographic map of Patagonia sector.

10/02/2026

Vail & Vickers Purchase Santa Rosa Island—June 1901

“The majority of interests in Santa Rosa island, which was owned for many years by the late A. P. More, was today sold to Walter L. Vail and J. V. Vickers, one of the largest cattle firms in the country, whose headquarters are in Los Angeles but whose large Interests are in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Santa Rosa island for many years has been one of the leading sheep and cattle ranges in the west. Vail & Vickers will stock the island to its full capacity.” [The Independent, Santa Barbara, CA, 6/22/1901] Carroll Gates chose not to participate in this investment.

Photo caption/credit: Santa Rosa Islands cliffs and seashore, ca. 1901. ERF archives: A530-578a

10/01/2026