Revised June 20, 2021
Readers reviews:
"Beautiful book on some of the history of Arizona."
"Excellent book."
"I will always cherish this book as will all of my family members and it will be passed down through the generations. Thank you for writing it. The stories of all the ranches and the people and the Apaches were very interesting."
"Beautiful book on some of the history of Arizona."
"Excellent book."
"I will always cherish this book as will all of my family members and it will be passed down through the generations. Thank you for writing it. The stories of all the ranches and the people and the Apaches were very interesting."
Review by Bruce Dinges, Arizona Historical Society:
Authors often become discouraged when publishers turn up their noses at a pet project, but not Leland Hanchett, Jr. Instead he embraced the challenge and set out to produce his own book. Historians and general readers will be glad he did. The "Crooked Trail to Holbrook" is Hanchett's meticulously told account of the people and places along the route of late 19th century cattle drives from the Pleasant Valley-Globe area north to the Atlantic and Pacific railhead at Holbrook. Along the way, he introduces us to Hashknife cowboys, the feuding Grahams and Tewksburys, flamboyant Commodore Perry Owens, quietly effective Sheriff Frank Wattron and scores of hardworking but unsung ranch men and women. Much of this material appears in print here for the first time and reveals a great deal that is new about the joys and tragedies of everyday life on the Q, OW, Baca and Black Canyon ranches, as well as in the small communities of Wilford, Heber and now vanished Zeniff. Finally the author/publisher has bound it all up in a handsome package, filled with crisply reproduced half tone images and his own artful color photographs. This is grass roots history at its best. "The Crooked Trail to Holbrook" seems destined to become one of the enduring classics of Arizona Range lore.
Authors often become discouraged when publishers turn up their noses at a pet project, but not Leland Hanchett, Jr. Instead he embraced the challenge and set out to produce his own book. Historians and general readers will be glad he did. The "Crooked Trail to Holbrook" is Hanchett's meticulously told account of the people and places along the route of late 19th century cattle drives from the Pleasant Valley-Globe area north to the Atlantic and Pacific railhead at Holbrook. Along the way, he introduces us to Hashknife cowboys, the feuding Grahams and Tewksburys, flamboyant Commodore Perry Owens, quietly effective Sheriff Frank Wattron and scores of hardworking but unsung ranch men and women. Much of this material appears in print here for the first time and reveals a great deal that is new about the joys and tragedies of everyday life on the Q, OW, Baca and Black Canyon ranches, as well as in the small communities of Wilford, Heber and now vanished Zeniff. Finally the author/publisher has bound it all up in a handsome package, filled with crisply reproduced half tone images and his own artful color photographs. This is grass roots history at its best. "The Crooked Trail to Holbrook" seems destined to become one of the enduring classics of Arizona Range lore.
This second printing will be available by August 1, 2021. Order now to reserve your copy. $25
Note: This book was recognized as one of the "Best of the Southwest Books" for 1993.
Softbound $25.