Henry Hooker
Encyclopedia
Henry Clay Hooker was a prominent and wealthy rancher of the American
Old West, and personal friend to lawman Wyatt Earp
during the early 1880s.
.
His father was Henry Hooker (1791–1885), a descendant of early New England
leader Thomas Hooker
(1586–1647). His mother was Mary Daggett. He was sixth out of 11 children.
He married Elizabeth Rockwell on December 23, 1837 at Erie, Pennsylvania
.
In 1848 he traveled to New York
, and the Kansas City, Missouri
in 1849. He worked for the Indian Department until 1852, then went to El Dorado County, California
in the California Gold Rush
. After trying his hand at mining, he became a merchant in Placerville, California
until 1866.
Hooker, sometimes referred to as "Colonel Hooker", owned and operated the Sierra Bonita Ranch
, located in Graham
and Cochise Counties
, first established in 1872. From the time his ranch was established it was the largest in Arizona
, starting at 800 acres (3.2 km²). The ranch is now listed as a National Historic Landmark
, due to it having been the first permanent ranch established in Arizona. Hooker first ventured into Arizona Territory in 1867, and quickly became the most important military beef contractor in Arizona. In 1872, when one of his herds of cattle stampede
d into the Sulphur Springs Valley
, near what would become Willcox, Arizona
, Hooker was impressed by the valley, and chose it to erect his ranch. During that time, Hooker averaged 15,500 head of cattle. Shortly after establishing the ranch, Hooker erected a small adobe
fort to fend off regular attacks and raids by the local Apache
, which initially cost him numerous losses, both in personnel and equipment.
Hooker, for a time, employed Billy the Kid
, who at the time was unknown, that being prior to the Lincoln County War
. Hooker was a supporter of the Earp faction, and assisted them with allowing them the use of his ranch
and supplies during the Earp vendetta ride
. Hooker was a prominent figure in the events that played out in Arizona
during the late 19th century. However, little is known of his life prior to the events involving the Earp-Cowboys clash. It is confirmed that he served during the Civil War
, on the side of the Union
, possibly as a Lieutenant Colonel
, but the latter is not confirmed. He survived the disastrous drought
of 1891, and shortly thereafter formed the Sierra Bonita Land and Stock Company, and extended his ranch to 250000 acres (1,011.7 km²), supporting 20,000 head of cattle. He died December 5, 1907, on his ranch, and at the time of his death he was the wealthiest rancher in Arizona. The Sierra Bonita Ranch remains in the Hooker family to the present day.
His children were Ida M. Hooker born May 3, 1858, Edwin R. Hooker born February 27, 1861, and Joseph M. Hooker who married Laura Butler Coffin on November 14, 1906.
film Tombstone
, Hooker was portrayed by actor Charlton Heston
. Hooker also had a book written about him, by author
Lynn R. Bailey, titled Henry Clay Hooker and the Sierra Bonita.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Old West, and personal friend to lawman Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...
during the early 1880s.
Life
Henry Clay Hooker was born January 10, 1828 in Hinsdale, New HampshireHinsdale, New Hampshire
Hinsdale is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,046 at the 2010 census. Hinsdale is home to part of Pisgah State Park in the northeast, and part of Wantastiquet Mountain State Forest in the northwest....
.
His father was Henry Hooker (1791–1885), a descendant of early New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
leader Thomas Hooker
Thomas Hooker
Thomas Hooker was a prominent Puritan colonial leader, who founded the Colony of Connecticut after dissenting with Puritan leaders in Massachusetts...
(1586–1647). His mother was Mary Daggett. He was sixth out of 11 children.
He married Elizabeth Rockwell on December 23, 1837 at Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
.
In 1848 he traveled to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and the Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
in 1849. He worked for the Indian Department until 1852, then went to El Dorado County, California
El Dorado County, California
El Dorado County is a county located in the historic Gold Country in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and foothills of the U.S. state of California. The 2010 population was 181,058. The El Dorado county seat is in Placerville....
in the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
. After trying his hand at mining, he became a merchant in Placerville, California
Placerville, California
Placerville is the county seat of El Dorado County, California. The population was 10,389 at the 2010 census, up from 9,610 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
until 1866.
Hooker, sometimes referred to as "Colonel Hooker", owned and operated the Sierra Bonita Ranch
Sierra Bonita Ranch
Sierra Bonita Ranch is a site in Arizona that is significant for its association with Colonel Henry C. Hooker's cattle ranch, the first permanent American cattle ranch in Arizona, located near present-day Willcox, Arizona overlooking the Sulphur Springs Valley...
, located in Graham
Graham County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*72.1% White*1.8% Black*14.4% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.8% Two or more races*8.3% Other races*30.4% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
and Cochise Counties
Cochise County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*78.5% White*4.2% Black*1.2% Native American*1.9% Asian*0.3% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.0% Two or more races*9.6% Other races*32.4% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, first established in 1872. From the time his ranch was established it was the largest in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, starting at 800 acres (3.2 km²). The ranch is now listed as a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
, due to it having been the first permanent ranch established in Arizona. Hooker first ventured into Arizona Territory in 1867, and quickly became the most important military beef contractor in Arizona. In 1872, when one of his herds of cattle stampede
Stampede
A stampede is an act of mass impulse among herd animals or a crowd of people in which the herd collectively begins running with no clear direction or purpose....
d into the Sulphur Springs Valley
Sulphur Springs Valley
The Sulphur Springs Valley is a major valley in the eastern half of Cochise County, Arizona. The valley covers an approximated vertical rectangle west of the Chiricahua Mountains–Dos Cabezas Mountains complex; the Chiricahua's have a valley to the northeast, San Simon Valley, and to the southeast,...
, near what would become Willcox, Arizona
Willcox, Arizona
Willcox is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,769. Professional wrestler Ted Dibiase lived his formative years in Willcox, as did singer Tanya Tucker.-History:...
, Hooker was impressed by the valley, and chose it to erect his ranch. During that time, Hooker averaged 15,500 head of cattle. Shortly after establishing the ranch, Hooker erected a small adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
fort to fend off regular attacks and raids by the local Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
, which initially cost him numerous losses, both in personnel and equipment.
Hooker, for a time, employed Billy the Kid
Billy the Kid
William H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...
, who at the time was unknown, that being prior to the Lincoln County War
Lincoln County War
The Lincoln County War was a 19th-century range war between two factions during the Old West period. Numerous notable figures of the American West were involved, including Billy the Kid, aka William Henry McCarty; sheriffs William Brady and Pat Garrett; cattle rancher John Chisum, lawyer and...
. Hooker was a supporter of the Earp faction, and assisted them with allowing them the use of his ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
and supplies during the Earp vendetta ride
Earp vendetta ride
The Earp Vendetta Ride, lasting from March 20 to April 15, 1882, was a manhunt for outlaw Cowboys led by newly appointed Deputy U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp. He was searching for men he held responsible for maiming his brother Virgil, the Tombstone Marshal and Deputy U.S. Marshal, and assassinating his...
. Hooker was a prominent figure in the events that played out in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
during the late 19th century. However, little is known of his life prior to the events involving the Earp-Cowboys clash. It is confirmed that he served during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, on the side of the Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
, possibly as a Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
, but the latter is not confirmed. He survived the disastrous drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
of 1891, and shortly thereafter formed the Sierra Bonita Land and Stock Company, and extended his ranch to 250000 acres (1,011.7 km²), supporting 20,000 head of cattle. He died December 5, 1907, on his ranch, and at the time of his death he was the wealthiest rancher in Arizona. The Sierra Bonita Ranch remains in the Hooker family to the present day.
His children were Ida M. Hooker born May 3, 1858, Edwin R. Hooker born February 27, 1861, and Joseph M. Hooker who married Laura Butler Coffin on November 14, 1906.
Popular culture
In the 19931993 in film
The year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:...
film Tombstone
Tombstone (film)
Tombstone is a 1993 American action film set in the Old West directed by George P. Cosmatos, along with uncredited directorial efforts by actor Kurt Russell and writer Kevin Jarre. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Jarre....
, Hooker was portrayed by actor Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston was an American actor of film, theatre and television. Heston is known for heroic roles in films such as The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes...
. Hooker also had a book written about him, by author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
Lynn R. Bailey, titled Henry Clay Hooker and the Sierra Bonita.