When Neil Erikson became a ranger for the U.S. forest Service, he used his ranch and especially the main House, for a headquarters. From here he conducted his daily rounds in the adjacent forest. In 1917 Erickson’s daughter, Lillian and Hildegard, turned the ranch and farm into a Guest Ranch and called it Faraway.

After WWI Ed Riggs became a Ranger with the forest service and worked in the area of the Chiricahua Mountains. The following was found in the Arizona Range newspaper.

“In 1879 a large cave was discovered underneath the Chiricahua forest, but it had never been explored until just recently. Forest Supervisor Chas. T. McGlone and Forest Guard E. M. Riggs did some exploring in the cave. It has not been fully explored yet, but enough has been done to prove that it is very large and has numerous caverns of great size and extreme beauty and a great many long winding passages.”

Edward married Lillian Erickson on 26 Feb 1923.

26 Feb 1923 Ed Riggs Lillian Erickson married

They had no children but Ed’s two children, Eula Lee and Edward Murry, lived with them at Faraway Ranch.

In the early days a guest ranch was commonly known as a "dude ranch", and to some extent the expression is still in use. But call it what you will, you will find Faraway Ranch one of the most pleasant, homelike and comfortable guest ranches it will ever be your good fortune to visit.

The writer arrived at Faraway Ranch at 11 a.m. Sunday just as the manager, Ed Riggs, was leaving in his light delivery truck to bring in a deer which had been killed that morning by his son. He returned in a short time with a fine buck deer carcass which proved to us right off the reel that there is plenty of game near the ranch for sportsmen who like to get away from the city, come to a quiet spot and indulge in this form of pastime.

During the absence of Mr. Riggs, we talked to Mr. Neil Erickson, his father-in-law, who gave us a glimpse into the historic past of Faraway Ranch. The ranch is located 36 miles southeast of Willcox and easily reached from here over roads that are for the most part in good condition. Mr. Erickson came into this section of the country many years ago and served with General Crook in his campaign against the Apache’s. He was later, for a number of years, a member of the government Forest Service until recently retired on pension. He took part in many of the early activities of the troops in holding the Indians to a state of peace, and knew Geronimo personally. His thorough knowledge of conditions which existed in the early days would make a most interesting volume if put into book form and some day we hope to prevail upon Mr. Erickson to put his experiences into writing.

Mr. Erickson homesteaded the land upon which stands the Faraway ranch house in 1886. He built a small cabin upon it at the time which was later torn away as the building was improved and enlarged. However, the visitor to Faraway Ranch today, if he inquires, will be shown a certain portion of the building which Mr. Erickson constructed along about 1887 of rock as a protection against the bullets of Indians fired from behind nearby brush and boulders.

The ranch has been enlarged by including adjoining lands of Manager Riggs and Mrs. Riggs, who is a daughter of Mr. Erickson, until today it is one of the most extensive guest ranches in this section of the state and has had many nationally distinguished guests. It is situated at the foot of the Chiricahua mountains and within its boundaries are embraced rugged boulders, towering peaks and deep canyons as well as a picturesque growth of small brush and gigantic trees. It was here in the Chiricahua mountains that Geronimo made his last stand against the oncoming whites, until his final surrender to General Crook in 1886. Here, too, his predecessor, Cochise, leader of the Apache’s who terrorized the white settlers, fought until his death. And the 10th Cavalry, who followed Geronimo to his lair, left a landmark consisting of a monument, each stone of which bore the name of some member of the regiment. These stones, today, form the fireplace at Faraway Ranch and the keystone bears the inscription: “In Memory of James A. Garfield".

The reception the guest receives at Faraway Ranch is wonderful, and his stay, be it long or short, winter or summer, is delightful. Fresh fruit and vegetables are home grown upon the ranch while indoor showers and an outdoor swimming pool are provided. Horses are available to those who desire them, for rides over the mountain trails of the forest.

For nature's mighty forces have played strange pranks here. Volcanic convulsions in ages gone by have left a spectacle which is awe inspiring. Deep crevasses--a towering forest of spire-like rocks--queer shapes, ludicrous in their resemblance to known objects and birds. Chiricahua is a beautiful spectacle. Trails lead from Faraway directly into the park through canyons covered with pines and filled with the most wonderfully picturesque rock-spires like a mighty forest. Heights are attained where one can gaze over mountains and valleys for 200 miles, a stupendous panorama. Stops are made for lunch beside some canyon spring; a rest under the pines or on a quiet, sunny hill and then the ride back to the ranch over a different trail gives one an experience far removed from city life with its rush and noise and care.

The recreational advantages and the hearty welcome that await guests at the Faraway Ranch under the management of Mr. and Mrs. Riggs have made it a valuable asset to this section of the southwest.

Faraway ranch's mile high location at the gateway to Chiricahua national monument, in the Chiricahua mountains of Arizona, makes it the rendezvous for tourists who, aware of the strange beauty which lies within the 15 square mile area of this park, come, in constantly increasing numbers, to marvel at its grandeur.

Faraway can boast of indoor showers and an out-door swimming pool -- in fact, practically all of the urban improvements transferred to the Arizona mountains. Visitors come to Faraway and, arrayed in riding clothes or dungarees, learn the joys of the saddle and of ranch life; follow the canyon and mountain trails; marvel at the beauty which each new trail opens up; join in the everyday fun of ranch life; hunt or lazy away the day through as their choice preferred.

Although life at Faraway ranch is a thing apart from the hurry of city life it keeps in intimate touch with the world's doings by means of the radio and current periodicals; a library containing the latest novels and magazines is maintained. The ranch itself is surrounded by an orchard and gardens, assuring a supply of fresh vegetables.

The swimming pool is supplied with fresh water from the mountain, carried down through pipes.

The mile high altitude of the ranch tempers Arizona's summer heat and summer days as a consequence are never hot; evenings are cool, rain, of course, being conspicuous by its absence. Faraways winter climate is as ideal as the summer. Warm sunny days and cold nights, which add zest to living, make Faraway an all-year-round resort.

There is every kind of horse available at Faraway, from the spirited animals for seasoned riders to the gentle one for the novice. Their everyday use is a regular part of ranch life. Hunting offers its attractions to those who are susceptible to its lure.

Whether visitors come to Faraway ranch merely as transient guests who desire to view the wonders of Chiricahua or for a month-long vacation, they will find the ranch ready, every day in the year, to offer its comforts.

In 1923 Edward Riggs, with the assistance of J.J.P. Armstrong and the American Legion park Committee in Douglas, sought to transform the area surrounding the ranch into a national park, in order to preserve its beauty and grandeur. During the depression of the early 1930’s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created employment through the funding of public works such as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Their mandate—to construct roads and campsites, to help prevent soil erosion, to aid in reforestation, to assist in flood control, to provide range improvement, and to work on any other conservation-related projects. A CCC camp was set up in the canyon and the work of building campsites, clearing and improving trails and making the area available for visitors to enjoy began. On 9 August 1933 the Chiricahua National Monument was officially transferred from the Forest Service to the national Park Service.

One of the most recently created national monuments is the Chiricahua National Monument and Faraway Ranch is located almost at the edge of this monument, being about one mile from the boundary and about five miles from the rhyolite park. Prehistoric man has apparently left his mark on the walls of the Chiricahua caves. Hieroglyphics as yet undeciphered, point to the fact that the volcanic convulsions which turned Chiricahua into one of nature's museums, must have occurred many ages ago. What these hieroglyphics signify--what tribal artist was inspired to leave his mark for future eyes to wonder over, it is impossible to say. They remain a challenge to the observers.

The monument proper consists of a series of fields of large rhyolitic monoliths eroded into many fantastic shapes. The area is cut by deep walled canyons, some of the walls being about 200 feet in height; and there are pillars, balanced rocks and formations resembling animals, faces, etc., scattered over the entire area. Interesting as are many of the individual rocks, still more impressive are the groups which are often separated by fissures resembling streets or passageways between tall buildings. The colors are unusual, the grayish rhyolite of the rock forms often covered with reddish lichen, making a decided contrast with the green of the oak brush and occasional yellow pine. And all of these wonders are easily accessible from Faraway Ranch.

MORE THAN A GUEST RANCH

Faraway Ranch's mile high location at the gateway to Chiricahua National Monument makes it the rendezvous for tourists who, aware of the strange beauty which lies within the 15 square mile area of this park come in constantly increasing numbers to marvel at its grandeur.

The above was taken from the Arizona Range News, Willcox, Arizona

Ed helped Lillian develop the Faraway Guest Ranch. The family spent many hours building trails through the Wonderland of Rocks. They were also instrumental in the work enabling the Wonderland of Rocks to become the Chiricahua National Monument on 18 Apr 1924. Later Ed worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps, CCC, developing trails and improvements.

FARAWAY GUEST RANCH