by Peg Matteson, Maverick Historian
When Publisher Amie Rodgers asked me to “re­search rodeos” for the July issue, never did I real­ize how that request would stimulate my imagina­tion… but it did! And because of that fact… this month, I am going to share with all of you some facts and information about what we will call The Pro Rodeo Cowboy and their best “friends”… horses and cattle.
Horse and cattle have always been a cowboy’s most prized possessions. Throughout history, the three have been an inseparable trio. In pioneer days, …

 
Andres was born on July 11, 1840 in a little vil­lage in the state of Sonora, Mexico. While still a young lad, his father moved the family near Tucson and, when the area became a part of the United States, he became a naturalized citizen. The Civil War depleted the number of troops available to contend with the Apaches who rec­ognized the opportunity for successful rampages against the white people. When Arizona became a territory on its own, the governor requested per­mission to form a Volunteer Infantry and, though permission …

by Amie Rodgers with the help of Marian’s daughter Diane Harris
Marian Dashow was born August 3rd, 1913. (If you get a chance, be sure to wish her a happy 97th this month.) She was born in Rochester, Minnesota. “We are direct decedents of John Adams, John Quincy Adams and Sam Adams. Our family on my mom’s side traces back to the Mayflower. Marian’s grand­mother was an Adams who married a Farrington who came over in the early 1600’s and settled in Massa­chusetts,” notes Marian’s daughter Diane Harris dur­ing our recent …

Every once in a while (more often if you’re lucky) you meet a character so rich and colorful that it can be intimidating for someone like me to convey the ex­perience of their story and depth of their knowledge on the mere page. Master horseman L. Dutch van Dierendonck is one of them. This September, he will even be an honored volunteer at the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY.
Dutch may be a lot of things, but I wouldn’t consider him a cowboy. Maybe it is just because I …

by Jo Baeza
In a recent interview on Show Low’s City4 TV Connect show, Wendy Koch­heiser asked Steve Taylor, Chris Isaacs and me, “Why should people attend the White Mountains Roundup of Cowboy Poetry, Music & Art?” It didn’t take me long to answer, “Because it is one of the best cowboy poetry and art events in the country.” There are only two other major cowboy poetry events in Arizona, in Prescott and Sierra Vista. Aside from that, you’d have to travel out of state to find cowboy entertainers and artists …

Freelance photographer Harvey Caplin recorded ranch life in the American West from the 1940’s to the 1980’s, before the last roundup, capturing magnificent landscapes, picturesque people, and the growing population. This selection features his images of cowboys on the range, in camp, and working horses and cattle. Caplin went along as a trailhand during roundups, branding cattle, drives to stockyards, and the final journey to market. He patiently waited for the right time, the right light, and the right subject. For more information or to obtain a copy of this …

Submitted by Lita Nicholson at the Rim Country Museum in Payson
Most of us would agree that cowboys are a different breed. We hear about cowboy humor, cowboy po­etry, and most of all, the cowboy’s code which advises “Talk straight, shoot straight, never break your word….” (Jinx Pyle, Rodeo 101, p. 62)
So, no one will be surprised to learn that Payson cowboy Harry Shill, in his many years as a bull rider, shook up the rodeo world and redefined the ways in which a cowboy could find adventure.
Born in …

by Peg Matteson, Maverick Historian
Guess what?!? I received a call from Maverick Publisher Amie who made a special request of this “Arizona Histori­an”… did I have any information about rodeos in Arizona? I told her I would look through my many Arizona books and see what I could find. I promised her one thing for sure, I would not get into who has the oldest rodeo in Arizo­na… Prescott or Payson. Both of them claim that title and I just don’t want to take sides on that question. So, we …

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The Amazing Doris Huff
by Amie Rodgers
To me, Doris is a shining example of graduating from the School of Hard Knocks and enjoying a full and happy life. Doris’s father was a Russian officer who fled the country after winning a sword duel by stowing away on a ship to America. Her mother was a French immigrant. Doris was born in 1921 and lived in Huntington Park, California. She remembers having a lot of broth­ers and sisters. “My very first memory ever was eating powdered sugar …

Saturday, July 3 from 7 am to 9 am biscuits and gravy will be served at the Festival Market Place as part of the Independence Day Celebration. This annual breakfast is a fund raiser for the Show Low Historical Society. Tickets may be purchased at the museum located at 561 E. Deuce of Clubs or at the event that morning. Prices for tickets are as follows: Families – $20, Adults – $5 and Child – $3. For more information call 928-532-7115.
On Thursday, July 15 at 7 p.m. Jani and …