History of Otero Ranch

 

Arizona Republic Newspaper, Phoenix, Arizona. February 17, 1957. Page 98.

Otero Family Sets Record As Oldest Cattle Business

ARIZONA DAYS with Roscoe G. Willson

One of the best known cattlemen of the Southern Arizona for many years following the acquisition of the Gadsen Purchase was Sabino Otero.

To him, his father and grandfather, belongs the distinction of having been in the cattle business in Arizona for a longer period than any other family, or outfit, as far as I can ascertain.

The record of the Otero Family as Arizona pioneers goes back 167 years, to 1789, when Sabino's grandfather, Don Toribio de Otero secured a grant, or deed, to lands in adjoining Tubac, the first town, or presidio established in Arizona by the spaniards.

Just when the first Spanish settlers brought in cattle is not clear. We know that Father Kino brought cattle from Sonora to his Arizona missions on the San Pedro and San Xavier, near Tucson, in the 1690's. But after his death in 1711, during the period when mission work ceased, these cattle were evidently all consumed by the Indians.

It is probably that a few years after the famous silver strike at Arizonac in 1734 a few hard settlers drove cattle into the Santa Cruz Valley and established ranches near the site of Tubac. Then, because even their existence was threatened by Apache raids, the Tubac garrisoned presidio was established in 1752 to prevent a complete exodus of the settlers.

For some reason the garrison was moved to the site of Tucson in 1776 and the Apaches again moved in on the Tubac settlers.

There seemed to be a scarcity of Spanish soldiers, so a troop of Pima Indians, deadly enemies of the apaches, was trained and stationed at Tubac, where they were fairly effective in holding off Apache raids.

At the Time Torbio de Otero came to Tubac, probably in 1788, Lt. Nicolas de la Erran was commandante, in charge of a company of Pima soldiers, and it was to him that Don Toribio applied for permission to establish himself in the pueblo. His brother-in-law Jose Maria Martinez also made application at the same time.

As the representative of the King of Spain, Lieutenant de la Erran was empowered to make grants to the settlers, so, after duly investigating Don Toribio, he granted his request and drew up the following document:

"Whereas, the resident, Torrivio de Otero has presented himself to me, petitioning for a house lot on which to establish himself in this presidio, for the purpose of pursuing his calling as a farmer and in consideration of the benefit resulting from the establishment of industrious settlers, such as the petitioner, who will cultivate the soil thereby furnishing a supply of grain which, in some seasons, has to be brought a long distance;

"I, Therefore, by authority conferred on me by the King (of Spain) grant to the said Torrivio de Otero, and donate to him as a first settler, perpetually, forever, and with right of inheritance to him and his children and descendants, a lot which to build his house, on the lower side of this Presidio, in the direction of the south, with a front to the north of twenty varas; and a tract of land for cultivation, distant from the presidio about one-eighth of a league, since only at the point is found the little water that runs in the river, and he having made there his irrigation ditch; I grant him, also, in the name of His Majesty, (whom God preserve) four farming lots of land, the measurement of the same to be from south to north, and from east to west, four hundred varas.

"It being well understood that the said Torrivio de Otero is required to keep arms and horses, and to be ever ready to defend the country against the enemies thereof, when he is called upon to do so, the grantee being also required to plant upon such land fruit trees, or other kinds that me be of utility.

"And the said Torrivio de Otero being informed of the foregoing, I took him by the hand and gave him possession of said lands, he, according to custom, scattering earth and stone and pulling up herbage."

Signed Jan 10, 1789 by Teniente Nicolas de la Erran, Commander of the Company of Pimas of Tubac."

Being thus legally entitled to maintain a home and a farm at Tubac, and apparently with the right to use "common lands" for his cattle, Don Toribio moved in herds from Sonora. Thus began the Otero cattle operations which are still represented by some of Don Toribio's descendants.

Harassed by intermittent Apache raids, and at times even forced to retreat temporarily to Sonora, Don Toribio stuck to his cattle ranching, as did his son, Manuel, after him.

It must be remembered that Tubac and all of Arizona south of the Gila River was a part of Mexico until the Gadsen Purchase of 1853 and there were only a few Americans in the area when the purchase was consummated.

Don Toribio de Otero lived out his life at Tubac and after his death was succeeded in the ranch ownership by his son, Manuel.

Sabino Otero, best known of the Oteros to the American settlers, was born in Tubac to Manuel and Clara Otero, Dec 29, 1846.

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