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| Above, the 26 Bar Ranch. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
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| Above, Jerry Springer. |
I was heading to Eagar, Arizona on April 12, which John Wayne's former ranch, the 26 Bar Ranch, is located. I was en route to Tombstone. Eagar is right next to Springerville. I was because of that town's name that Jerry Springer came to mind. I don't believe I ever watched his show, but my ex-roommate may have.
Then, word came yesterday that Springer died of pancreatic cancer at age 79.
It is weird how things like this work out.
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| Above, the main ranch house. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
As mentioned in a prior post, I drove by John Wayne's former Hereford cattle (a British breed) ranch in Eagar, Arizona (next door to Springerville). I stopped and snapped some photos from the fence near the ranch entrance as there were "No Trespassing" signs posted. The 26 Bar Ranch is now owned by the Hopi Tribe.
The 4,000 acre ranch, the 26 Bar Ranch, was an investment for Wayne.
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| Above, John Wayne at the 26 Bar Ranch with two of his kids. |
As part owner of 26 Bar Ranch, Wayne had a major stake in the cattle game.
Located in Arizona, 26 Bar Ranch was just one of many productions Wayne enjoyed in the state. He filmed classics including “Stagecoach” and “Red River” and spent time with his family there. (From their experience at 26 Bar, Wayne’s kids learned the nuts and bolts of real ranch work and riding horses). Apparently, the Wayne-Arizona love affair was mutual: a stretch of the state’s route 347 is known as John Wayne Parkway, and his former ranch wrangles interest to this day.
That Bar 26 Ranch was a lucrative investment for Wayne is in large part because he was invested in its success, which from the beginning was anything but assured. Wayne was an actor, after all, and humble enough to recognize what he didn’t know. When he needed a partner to hop into the saddle with him, someone he could trust who could bring a solid hand on the operation, Wayne proved an able scout of talent too. In neighboring rancher Louis Johnson, he procured a partner and a pro—not only did Johnson bring stewardship that helped the enterprise turn a handsome profit, he became a lifelong friend of Duke’s. (Bets between the two men led to new cars for both—many, in fact.
A few photos of the ranch:
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| Above, "26 Hereford" is on a hillside on the ranch. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
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| Above, the 26 Bar Ranch once owned by John Wayne. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
I decided to leave today so that I could drive in Arizona's White Mountains and see the former cattle ranch of actor John Wayne in Eagar, Arizona, the 26 Bar Ranch.
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| Above, a zoom shot of the main ranch house. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The ranch looked exactly like the photos of it I've seen online. I stopped and took a few photos of it before heading back on the road. After leaving Eagar, I passed by the Round Valley Rodeo Grounds in Springerville. I have seen Wayne there in photos from the 1960s at events and the grounds looked the same now as it did then.
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| Above, John Wayne at the Round Valley Rodeo Grounds. I saw this spot as I passed by it today. |
The road to Willcox, Arizona (where I am spending the night at the KOA) was a long one. Much of it was in forested mountains that were winding with low speed limits. It was a scenic drive, but even I got weary of the winding roads. I drove around 380 miles today.
I reached Willcox just before 2:00 and after setting up camp, I jumped into the campground's hot tub for a good hot soak. That felt great after that long drive.
I will be heading into Tombstone tomorrow morning. It is probably around a 60-mile drive.
