John Ward's Ranch
Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz County, Arizona
Marker Inscription
John Ward's Ranch Arizona pioneer Johnny Ward established a ranch here in 1858. In 1861, Indians kidnapped his Mexican stepson, Felix Ward. Army officers assumed that local eastern Chiricahua Apaches were responsible, leading to the infamous conflict between Lt. Bascom and Cochise. In fact, the Pinal band of the Western Apaches took Felix. John Ward died in 1867. The ranch was also the site of a blacksmith and wheelwright shop, a mining headquarters, a store, and, finally, a produce farm before it was abandoned in 1903. By Interested Residents of the Region and Arizona Historical Society 1991
Erected by Arizona Historical Society
The Story
Arizona pioneer Johnny Ward established this ranch in 1858 in the contested borderlands of the far Southwest. In 1861 his stepson Felix was seized in a raid; U.S. Army officers wrongly blamed Cochise's Chiricahua Apaches, touching off the notorious Bascom Affair and years of war, though the Western Apache had in fact taken the boy.
Why it matters
A single misunderstanding here helped ignite decades of conflict between the United States and the Apache, shaping the violent settlement of the Southwest.
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Related people
- · Johnny Ward
- · Felix Ward
- · Cochise
- · Lt. Bascom
Related events
- · Bascom Affair
Themes & tags
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