Joyce Shumate
On Oct. 21 the Let’s Travel Club presentation will be about the Historic Empire Ranch, presented by Faith Boice, a fourth generation Tucsonan and Empire Ranch Foundation’s president. All QC residents are welcome to attend.
The historic Empire Ranch has been a working cattle ranch for 140 years. Its rich history includes successive ownership by two prominent ranching families, two corporations, and, finally, by the federal government on behalf of the general public. The Empire Ranch House is a 22-room adobe and wood frame building that dates to 1870 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The ranch sits at the heart of the 42,000-acre Las Cienegas National Conservation Area.
In 1928 the Empire Ranch was purchased by the Chiricahua Ranches Company (CRC), the successor to the Chiricahua Cattle Company (CCC). The CRC was incorporated by three Boice brothers, Henry Gudgell, Frank Seymour, and Charles Gudgell, respected ranchers known for promoting the Hereford breed of cattle in the Southwest. Frank Boice and his wife Mary Grantham Boice moved to the Empire Ranch in 1929. Frank and Mary’s sons Pancho and Bob grew up on the Empire Ranch and assisted with ranching operations as adults. Frank and Mary are Faith Boice’s great-grandparents, and Pancho was her grandfather.
The Boices added many modern conveniences to the Ranch House. Propane and, eventually, natural gas was piped into the house, a large electric walk-in refrigeration unit was installed, plumbing was upgraded, and cement stucco was applied to the exterior house walls. The living room, dining room, and kitchen in the family residence were remodeled and became the focal point for family gatherings and parties.
During the 1940s and 1950s, many Hollywood films were shot at the Empire Ranch and in the vicinity. The Boices hosted numerous film stars, including John Wayne when Red River was filmed at the Empire Ranch. To this day, the Empire’s lands and ranch headquarters have supported only cattle operations, and further remodeling changes to the ranch house and buildings have been minimal. In 1976 the Empire Ranch House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1997 a group of private citizens formed the Empire Ranch Foundation (ERF) as a volunteer 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The Foundation provides funds and organizes volunteers to support and complete numerous preservation projects and educational activities at Empire Ranch. The purpose of the Foundation is to protect, restore, and sustain the Empire Ranch historical buildings and landscape as an outstanding Western heritage and education center. There will be a donation box for anyone who wants to donate to the Empire Ranch Foundation. To learn more about the Empire Ranch Foundation, go to www.empireranchfoundation.org.
Save the date for the 21st Annual Cowboy Festival on Nov. 5 and 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s an annual public event celebrating Arizona’s Western history and culture. It’s a fun-filled two days for the whole family, featuring Western music and entertainment, history and culture demonstrations, ranch life exhibits, 45-minute trail rides, kids’ activities, skilled artisans and speakers, a silent auction, and food.
Learn more about this Empire Ranch and the upcoming Cowboy Festival at the next Let’s Travel Club meeting on Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. in the Kino Center’s Ocotillo and Mesquite Rooms. Hope to see you there.