In 1887, shortly after Geronimo surrendered. Neil Erickson and his wife Emma, immigrants from Sweden settled down to ranching and a career with the newly formed United States Forest Service. Neil who had himself served as an Indian fighter in the U.S. Army and had traveled the mountains of Cochise county Arizona on maneuvers seeing the beauty of the land which he and his family would become such a big part of ,fell in love with the mountains . Neil and his wife Emma would have three children, daughters Lillian, Helen and son Louis.
Lillian Erickson had an interest in purchasing the Stafford homestead as early as 1915. She was working as a schoolteacher in Bowie, and had the reputation of being aggressive and energetic, a forward-thinking and somewhat liberated young woman.
On April 22, 1918, Lillian Erickson purchased the 160-acre Stafford homestead from Wilber B. Wheeler and Clara Stafford Wheeler for $5,000. The parties arranged terms of $800 down, with yearly payments of $400 the first year, $500 the next, then two payments of $1650; when $2500 had been paid, the Wheelers would deliver the deed and take back a mortgage for the unpaid balance. Miss Erickson made the down payment and the first installment, but could not raise the money for the next four payments, although she apparently paid the interest. By this time the Wheelers had moved to Texas, and after the payments fell into arrears the parties renegotiated the transaction in February of 1923 for $4,000; the terms were paid off by June 15, 1928.
According to family Lillian Erickson purchased the Stafford homestead in partnership with her younger sister, Hildegard, although the deeds show only Lillian. Lillian herself wrote that "Hildegard and I decided to buy the Stafford place." They had an agreement that if either of them married or moved away the other would take over payments and ownership. According to family letters, they paid for the land with Lillian's teaching wages, a bank loan, profits from early guests, and probably income from their cattle.
Neil Erickson was transferred to Cochise Stronghold in 1917 to act as District Ranger of the Dragoon and Whetstone Mountain areas; he was eventually assigned to Walnut Canyon National Monument near Flagstaff. The sisters considered their options at the ranch. Lillian had the highest interest in horses and cattle, and Hildegard had been inviting her young friends for weekend stays at the ranch. In 1917 Hildegard had an idea to invite paying guests. After experimenting with short stays from people in the surrounding area she felt there was a market for a guest ranch. Soon she began hosting visitors for a week or more, feeding them and offering horseback trips into the Chiricahua Mountains and its "Wonderland of Rocks." Eventually Lillian retired from teaching and joined the operation, which soon developed into a modestly busy guest ranch business.
In her own words Hildegard described the embryonic stage of the guest ranch:
"After that there were crowds nearly every weekend so much against Lillian's wishes I started the boarder business. When our business was a proven success in the fall of 1917 Lillian gave up teaching and came home and we together went in to buy the Stafford place"
The guest ranch operations revolved around the Erickson's large house, a two-story adobe brick structure that had evolved from a small pioneer cabin on the Erickson's circa 1888 homestead claim. Lillian and Hildegard named it Faraway Ranch,
Within a few years Lillian found herself operating Faraway Ranch by herself. As of 1921 her parents were stationed at Flagstaff; Hildegard married in 1920 and moved away. Lillian wrote to her father, "With you and mama in Flagstaff, Hildegard married, and myself tied up with notes and the determination to pay out the Stafford place, there seemed nothing else to do but stick or die." Between 1924 and 1927 Ja Hu Stafford's son, Tom, and his wife Nora worked occasionally at Faraway Ranch, she as a cook and baker and he as a gardener and cowboy. The Stafford cabin found use for guests, relatives, friends and employees.
Major development of Faraway Ranch and regular use of the Stafford cabin did not begin until after Lillian Erickson's 1923 marriage to Ed Riggs, a widower with two children and former neighbor whom she had known since childhood. Lillian and Ed returned from their honeymoon and announced plans for building improvements, not only to the main ranch house but to the surrounding land including the Stafford homestead. The Riggs carried out numerous improvements from 1924 through the 1930s and early 1940s, including work on the Stafford cabin.
Lillian with her husband Ed Riggs operated the Faraway Ranch for vacationers in the south eastern mountains of Arizona for many years always improving it.. Lillian by herself operated the guest ranch long after her husband died, even after losing her eye site she loved riding over the property feeling the wind in her face. During her husbands life they explored the mountains of south eastern Arizona discovering many beautiful sites and bringing it to the attention of the Parks service with the many pictures they took.
At times relatives occupied the Stafford cabin, the original building on the ranch property which had been remodeled several times since it had been built. Ben Erickson, Lillian's brother, lived in the cabin on two different occasions, in 1946 with his first wife Belle Rapier Underwood, who married Ben as a young widow having lost her husband John Gordon Underwood to a mining accident. Belle was left to raise two young sons Harry and Lamar. Belle was a cattle woman and raised her sons to work along side herself and Ben, first at Faraway ranch and then in Camp Verde, Arizona. Belle died in 1955 and after her death Ben remarried cutting ties with Belle‘s surviving son Harry causing hard feelings between the two families as the Underwood's who had worked with him felt they had a claim to ranch properties from their mother Belle. A friendship of 40 years between the families was severed. In 1959-60 with his new wife Ethel , Ben again lived on the ranch property of the Faraway Ranch before moving to the home he would share with his second wife until his death.
The Erickson cemetery ,except for Lillian who is buried in the Riggs cemetery beside her husband contains the members of the Erickson family. Ben's first wife Belle Rapier Underwood Erickson is buried in the Paradise cemetery beside her sons and a grandson Robert Benton Underwood who was named after Louis Benton Erickson.
In late 1974 or early 1975 Lillian Erickson Riggs entered a rest home in Willcox, leaving management of Faraway Ranch to her longtime foreman and companion, Andy Anderson. By this time the era of the guest ranch at Bonita Canyon was over. Lillian Erickson Riggs died on April 26, 1977 at the age of 89.
After Lillian's death the National Park Service began dealing with the heirs of the Erickson's towards the purchase of Faraway Ranch. The Erickson heirs preferred that the ranch be preserved and supported the park purchase, although Louis Benton Erickson and Hildegarde Erickson Hutchison died before the transaction could be completed. Congress authorized the park expansion by public law 95-625 on November 10, 1978; the federal government purchased the property on July 27, 1979, and later purchased the historic furnishings and family papers.
The beautiful Arizona mountains these early pioneers so loved is now in trust for all to enjoy. The Erickson's all working towards this goal before they themselves left the land they so loved.
Lillian Erickson had an interest in purchasing the Stafford homestead as early as 1915. She was working as a schoolteacher in Bowie, and had the reputation of being aggressive and energetic, a forward-thinking and somewhat liberated young woman.
On April 22, 1918, Lillian Erickson purchased the 160-acre Stafford homestead from Wilber B. Wheeler and Clara Stafford Wheeler for $5,000. The parties arranged terms of $800 down, with yearly payments of $400 the first year, $500 the next, then two payments of $1650; when $2500 had been paid, the Wheelers would deliver the deed and take back a mortgage for the unpaid balance. Miss Erickson made the down payment and the first installment, but could not raise the money for the next four payments, although she apparently paid the interest. By this time the Wheelers had moved to Texas, and after the payments fell into arrears the parties renegotiated the transaction in February of 1923 for $4,000; the terms were paid off by June 15, 1928.
According to family Lillian Erickson purchased the Stafford homestead in partnership with her younger sister, Hildegard, although the deeds show only Lillian. Lillian herself wrote that "Hildegard and I decided to buy the Stafford place." They had an agreement that if either of them married or moved away the other would take over payments and ownership. According to family letters, they paid for the land with Lillian's teaching wages, a bank loan, profits from early guests, and probably income from their cattle.
Neil Erickson was transferred to Cochise Stronghold in 1917 to act as District Ranger of the Dragoon and Whetstone Mountain areas; he was eventually assigned to Walnut Canyon National Monument near Flagstaff. The sisters considered their options at the ranch. Lillian had the highest interest in horses and cattle, and Hildegard had been inviting her young friends for weekend stays at the ranch. In 1917 Hildegard had an idea to invite paying guests. After experimenting with short stays from people in the surrounding area she felt there was a market for a guest ranch. Soon she began hosting visitors for a week or more, feeding them and offering horseback trips into the Chiricahua Mountains and its "Wonderland of Rocks." Eventually Lillian retired from teaching and joined the operation, which soon developed into a modestly busy guest ranch business.
In her own words Hildegard described the embryonic stage of the guest ranch:
"After that there were crowds nearly every weekend so much against Lillian's wishes I started the boarder business. When our business was a proven success in the fall of 1917 Lillian gave up teaching and came home and we together went in to buy the Stafford place"
The guest ranch operations revolved around the Erickson's large house, a two-story adobe brick structure that had evolved from a small pioneer cabin on the Erickson's circa 1888 homestead claim. Lillian and Hildegard named it Faraway Ranch,
Within a few years Lillian found herself operating Faraway Ranch by herself. As of 1921 her parents were stationed at Flagstaff; Hildegard married in 1920 and moved away. Lillian wrote to her father, "With you and mama in Flagstaff, Hildegard married, and myself tied up with notes and the determination to pay out the Stafford place, there seemed nothing else to do but stick or die." Between 1924 and 1927 Ja Hu Stafford's son, Tom, and his wife Nora worked occasionally at Faraway Ranch, she as a cook and baker and he as a gardener and cowboy. The Stafford cabin found use for guests, relatives, friends and employees.
Major development of Faraway Ranch and regular use of the Stafford cabin did not begin until after Lillian Erickson's 1923 marriage to Ed Riggs, a widower with two children and former neighbor whom she had known since childhood. Lillian and Ed returned from their honeymoon and announced plans for building improvements, not only to the main ranch house but to the surrounding land including the Stafford homestead. The Riggs carried out numerous improvements from 1924 through the 1930s and early 1940s, including work on the Stafford cabin.
Lillian with her husband Ed Riggs operated the Faraway Ranch for vacationers in the south eastern mountains of Arizona for many years always improving it.. Lillian by herself operated the guest ranch long after her husband died, even after losing her eye site she loved riding over the property feeling the wind in her face. During her husbands life they explored the mountains of south eastern Arizona discovering many beautiful sites and bringing it to the attention of the Parks service with the many pictures they took.
At times relatives occupied the Stafford cabin, the original building on the ranch property which had been remodeled several times since it had been built. Ben Erickson, Lillian's brother, lived in the cabin on two different occasions, in 1946 with his first wife Belle Rapier Underwood, who married Ben as a young widow having lost her husband John Gordon Underwood to a mining accident. Belle was left to raise two young sons Harry and Lamar. Belle was a cattle woman and raised her sons to work along side herself and Ben, first at Faraway ranch and then in Camp Verde, Arizona. Belle died in 1955 and after her death Ben remarried cutting ties with Belle‘s surviving son Harry causing hard feelings between the two families as the Underwood's who had worked with him felt they had a claim to ranch properties from their mother Belle. A friendship of 40 years between the families was severed. In 1959-60 with his new wife Ethel , Ben again lived on the ranch property of the Faraway Ranch before moving to the home he would share with his second wife until his death.
The Erickson cemetery ,except for Lillian who is buried in the Riggs cemetery beside her husband contains the members of the Erickson family. Ben's first wife Belle Rapier Underwood Erickson is buried in the Paradise cemetery beside her sons and a grandson Robert Benton Underwood who was named after Louis Benton Erickson.
In late 1974 or early 1975 Lillian Erickson Riggs entered a rest home in Willcox, leaving management of Faraway Ranch to her longtime foreman and companion, Andy Anderson. By this time the era of the guest ranch at Bonita Canyon was over. Lillian Erickson Riggs died on April 26, 1977 at the age of 89.
After Lillian's death the National Park Service began dealing with the heirs of the Erickson's towards the purchase of Faraway Ranch. The Erickson heirs preferred that the ranch be preserved and supported the park purchase, although Louis Benton Erickson and Hildegarde Erickson Hutchison died before the transaction could be completed. Congress authorized the park expansion by public law 95-625 on November 10, 1978; the federal government purchased the property on July 27, 1979, and later purchased the historic furnishings and family papers.
The beautiful Arizona mountains these early pioneers so loved is now in trust for all to enjoy. The Erickson's all working towards this goal before they themselves left the land they so loved.
In 1887, shortly after Geronimo surrendered. Neil Erickson and his wife Emma, immigrants from Sweden settled down to ranching and a career with the newly formed United States Forest Service. Neil who had himself served as an Indian fighter in the U.S. Army and had traveled the mountains of Cochise county Arizona on maneuvers seeing the beauty of the land which he and his family would become such a big part of ,fell in love with the mountains . Neil and his wife Emma would have three children, daughters Lillian, Helen and son Louis.
Lillian Erickson had an interest in purchasing the Stafford homestead as early as 1915. She was working as a schoolteacher in Bowie, and had the reputation of being aggressive and energetic, a forward-thinking and somewhat liberated young woman.
On April 22, 1918, Lillian Erickson purchased the 160-acre Stafford homestead from Wilber B. Wheeler and Clara Stafford Wheeler for $5,000. The parties arranged terms of $800 down, with yearly payments of $400 the first year, $500 the next, then two payments of $1650; when $2500 had been paid, the Wheelers would deliver the deed and take back a mortgage for the unpaid balance. Miss Erickson made the down payment and the first installment, but could not raise the money for the next four payments, although she apparently paid the interest. By this time the Wheelers had moved to Texas, and after the payments fell into arrears the parties renegotiated the transaction in February of 1923 for $4,000; the terms were paid off by June 15, 1928.
According to family Lillian Erickson purchased the Stafford homestead in partnership with her younger sister, Hildegard, although the deeds show only Lillian. Lillian herself wrote that "Hildegard and I decided to buy the Stafford place." They had an agreement that if either of them married or moved away the other would take over payments and ownership. According to family letters, they paid for the land with Lillian's teaching wages, a bank loan, profits from early guests, and probably income from their cattle.
Neil Erickson was transferred to Cochise Stronghold in 1917 to act as District Ranger of the Dragoon and Whetstone Mountain areas; he was eventually assigned to Walnut Canyon National Monument near Flagstaff. The sisters considered their options at the ranch. Lillian had the highest interest in horses and cattle, and Hildegard had been inviting her young friends for weekend stays at the ranch. In 1917 Hildegard had an idea to invite paying guests. After experimenting with short stays from people in the surrounding area she felt there was a market for a guest ranch. Soon she began hosting visitors for a week or more, feeding them and offering horseback trips into the Chiricahua Mountains and its "Wonderland of Rocks." Eventually Lillian retired from teaching and joined the operation, which soon developed into a modestly busy guest ranch business.
In her own words Hildegard described the embryonic stage of the guest ranch:
"After that there were crowds nearly every weekend so much against Lillian's wishes I started the boarder business. When our business was a proven success in the fall of 1917 Lillian gave up teaching and came home and we together went in to buy the Stafford place"
The guest ranch operations revolved around the Erickson's large house, a two-story adobe brick structure that had evolved from a small pioneer cabin on the Erickson's circa 1888 homestead claim. Lillian and Hildegard named it Faraway Ranch,
Within a few years Lillian found herself operating Faraway Ranch by herself. As of 1921 her parents were stationed at Flagstaff; Hildegard married in 1920 and moved away. Lillian wrote to her father, "With you and mama in Flagstaff, Hildegard married, and myself tied up with notes and the determination to pay out the Stafford place, there seemed nothing else to do but stick or die." Between 1924 and 1927 Ja Hu Stafford's son, Tom, and his wife Nora worked occasionally at Faraway Ranch, she as a cook and baker and he as a gardener and cowboy. The Stafford cabin found use for guests, relatives, friends and employees.
Major development of Faraway Ranch and regular use of the Stafford cabin did not begin until after Lillian Erickson's 1923 marriage to Ed Riggs, a widower with two children and former neighbor whom she had known since childhood. Lillian and Ed returned from their honeymoon and announced plans for building improvements, not only to the main ranch house but to the surrounding land including the Stafford homestead. The Riggs carried out numerous improvements from 1924 through the 1930s and early 1940s, including work on the Stafford cabin.
Lillian with her husband Ed Riggs operated the Faraway Ranch for vacationers in the south eastern mountains of Arizona for many years always improving it.. Lillian by herself operated the guest ranch long after her husband died, even after losing her eye site she loved riding over the property feeling the wind in her face. During her husbands life they explored the mountains of south eastern Arizona discovering many beautiful sites and bringing it to the attention of the Parks service with the many pictures they took.
At times relatives occupied the Stafford cabin, the original building on the ranch property which had been remodeled several times since it had been built. Ben Erickson, Lillian's brother, lived in the cabin on two different occasions, in 1946 with his first wife Belle Rapier Underwood, who married Ben as a young widow having lost her husband John Gordon Underwood to a mining accident. Belle was left to raise two young sons Harry and Lamar. Belle was a cattle woman and raised her sons to work along side herself and Ben, first at Faraway ranch and then in Camp Verde, Arizona. Belle died in 1955 and after her death Ben remarried cutting ties with Belle‘s surviving son Harry causing hard feelings between the two families as the Underwood's who had worked with him felt they had a claim to ranch properties from their mother Belle. A friendship of 40 years between the families was severed. In 1959-60 with his new wife Ethel , Ben again lived on the ranch property of the Faraway Ranch before moving to the home he would share with his second wife until his death.
The Erickson cemetery ,except for Lillian who is buried in the Riggs cemetery beside her husband contains the members of the Erickson family. Ben's first wife Belle Rapier Underwood Erickson is buried in the Paradise cemetery beside her sons and a grandson Robert Benton Underwood who was named after Louis Benton Erickson.
In late 1974 or early 1975 Lillian Erickson Riggs entered a rest home in Willcox, leaving management of Faraway Ranch to her longtime foreman and companion, Andy Anderson. By this time the era of the guest ranch at Bonita Canyon was over. Lillian Erickson Riggs died on April 26, 1977 at the age of 89.
After Lillian's death the National Park Service began dealing with the heirs of the Erickson's towards the purchase of Faraway Ranch. The Erickson heirs preferred that the ranch be preserved and supported the park purchase, although Louis Benton Erickson and Hildegarde Erickson Hutchison died before the transaction could be completed. Congress authorized the park expansion by public law 95-625 on November 10, 1978; the federal government purchased the property on July 27, 1979, and later purchased the historic furnishings and family papers.
The beautiful Arizona mountains these early pioneers so loved is now in trust for all to enjoy. The Erickson's all working towards this goal before they themselves left the land they so loved.
Lillian Erickson had an interest in purchasing the Stafford homestead as early as 1915. She was working as a schoolteacher in Bowie, and had the reputation of being aggressive and energetic, a forward-thinking and somewhat liberated young woman.
On April 22, 1918, Lillian Erickson purchased the 160-acre Stafford homestead from Wilber B. Wheeler and Clara Stafford Wheeler for $5,000. The parties arranged terms of $800 down, with yearly payments of $400 the first year, $500 the next, then two payments of $1650; when $2500 had been paid, the Wheelers would deliver the deed and take back a mortgage for the unpaid balance. Miss Erickson made the down payment and the first installment, but could not raise the money for the next four payments, although she apparently paid the interest. By this time the Wheelers had moved to Texas, and after the payments fell into arrears the parties renegotiated the transaction in February of 1923 for $4,000; the terms were paid off by June 15, 1928.
According to family Lillian Erickson purchased the Stafford homestead in partnership with her younger sister, Hildegard, although the deeds show only Lillian. Lillian herself wrote that "Hildegard and I decided to buy the Stafford place." They had an agreement that if either of them married or moved away the other would take over payments and ownership. According to family letters, they paid for the land with Lillian's teaching wages, a bank loan, profits from early guests, and probably income from their cattle.
Neil Erickson was transferred to Cochise Stronghold in 1917 to act as District Ranger of the Dragoon and Whetstone Mountain areas; he was eventually assigned to Walnut Canyon National Monument near Flagstaff. The sisters considered their options at the ranch. Lillian had the highest interest in horses and cattle, and Hildegard had been inviting her young friends for weekend stays at the ranch. In 1917 Hildegard had an idea to invite paying guests. After experimenting with short stays from people in the surrounding area she felt there was a market for a guest ranch. Soon she began hosting visitors for a week or more, feeding them and offering horseback trips into the Chiricahua Mountains and its "Wonderland of Rocks." Eventually Lillian retired from teaching and joined the operation, which soon developed into a modestly busy guest ranch business.
In her own words Hildegard described the embryonic stage of the guest ranch:
"After that there were crowds nearly every weekend so much against Lillian's wishes I started the boarder business. When our business was a proven success in the fall of 1917 Lillian gave up teaching and came home and we together went in to buy the Stafford place"
The guest ranch operations revolved around the Erickson's large house, a two-story adobe brick structure that had evolved from a small pioneer cabin on the Erickson's circa 1888 homestead claim. Lillian and Hildegard named it Faraway Ranch,
Within a few years Lillian found herself operating Faraway Ranch by herself. As of 1921 her parents were stationed at Flagstaff; Hildegard married in 1920 and moved away. Lillian wrote to her father, "With you and mama in Flagstaff, Hildegard married, and myself tied up with notes and the determination to pay out the Stafford place, there seemed nothing else to do but stick or die." Between 1924 and 1927 Ja Hu Stafford's son, Tom, and his wife Nora worked occasionally at Faraway Ranch, she as a cook and baker and he as a gardener and cowboy. The Stafford cabin found use for guests, relatives, friends and employees.
Major development of Faraway Ranch and regular use of the Stafford cabin did not begin until after Lillian Erickson's 1923 marriage to Ed Riggs, a widower with two children and former neighbor whom she had known since childhood. Lillian and Ed returned from their honeymoon and announced plans for building improvements, not only to the main ranch house but to the surrounding land including the Stafford homestead. The Riggs carried out numerous improvements from 1924 through the 1930s and early 1940s, including work on the Stafford cabin.
Lillian with her husband Ed Riggs operated the Faraway Ranch for vacationers in the south eastern mountains of Arizona for many years always improving it.. Lillian by herself operated the guest ranch long after her husband died, even after losing her eye site she loved riding over the property feeling the wind in her face. During her husbands life they explored the mountains of south eastern Arizona discovering many beautiful sites and bringing it to the attention of the Parks service with the many pictures they took.
At times relatives occupied the Stafford cabin, the original building on the ranch property which had been remodeled several times since it had been built. Ben Erickson, Lillian's brother, lived in the cabin on two different occasions, in 1946 with his first wife Belle Rapier Underwood, who married Ben as a young widow having lost her husband John Gordon Underwood to a mining accident. Belle was left to raise two young sons Harry and Lamar. Belle was a cattle woman and raised her sons to work along side herself and Ben, first at Faraway ranch and then in Camp Verde, Arizona. Belle died in 1955 and after her death Ben remarried cutting ties with Belle‘s surviving son Harry causing hard feelings between the two families as the Underwood's who had worked with him felt they had a claim to ranch properties from their mother Belle. A friendship of 40 years between the families was severed. In 1959-60 with his new wife Ethel , Ben again lived on the ranch property of the Faraway Ranch before moving to the home he would share with his second wife until his death.
The Erickson cemetery ,except for Lillian who is buried in the Riggs cemetery beside her husband contains the members of the Erickson family. Ben's first wife Belle Rapier Underwood Erickson is buried in the Paradise cemetery beside her sons and a grandson Robert Benton Underwood who was named after Louis Benton Erickson.
In late 1974 or early 1975 Lillian Erickson Riggs entered a rest home in Willcox, leaving management of Faraway Ranch to her longtime foreman and companion, Andy Anderson. By this time the era of the guest ranch at Bonita Canyon was over. Lillian Erickson Riggs died on April 26, 1977 at the age of 89.
After Lillian's death the National Park Service began dealing with the heirs of the Erickson's towards the purchase of Faraway Ranch. The Erickson heirs preferred that the ranch be preserved and supported the park purchase, although Louis Benton Erickson and Hildegarde Erickson Hutchison died before the transaction could be completed. Congress authorized the park expansion by public law 95-625 on November 10, 1978; the federal government purchased the property on July 27, 1979, and later purchased the historic furnishings and family papers.
The beautiful Arizona mountains these early pioneers so loved is now in trust for all to enjoy. The Erickson's all working towards this goal before they themselves left the land they so loved.
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