RIGGS HOME RANCH

1879

Brannick and Mary Elizabeth (51 and 41 years old) along with their children (Thomas J. remained in Colorado), Rhoda (20 years old), William M. (18 years old), Martha (14 years old), Brannick B. (12 years old), James J. (10 years old), Mary F. (7 years old), John C. (5 years old), Lucy E. (3 year old) and Barney K. (B.K.) (less than a year old) left Big Immigrant Canyon October 11, 1879 and traveled through Apache Pass and settled in Sulphur Springs Valley approximately four and half miles west of the current entry to the Chiricahua National Monument for a few months. When they ran out of water at that camp, most likely in January or February 1880, they moved east to approximately three miles west of the current entry to the Chiricahua National Monument to what became known as the Riggs Home Ranch, the center of the Riggs Settlement. (Edith Bessy was born at the Riggs Home Ranch)

1880

The original Riggs Home Ranch residence was built in 1880 by Mr. Schafer, it was sturdily built of eighteen inch thick adobe walls. The home was composed of four main rooms with a large hall through the center. This style with the hall through the house from one side to the other was called a “dog run house” or “dog trot house”. There was a fireplace in each of the four rooms to provide heat.

The deep windows were barricaded with trunks and the lamps were out during "Indian Scares." The younger family members recall the long nights of waiting with family members and neighbors when the Indians were reported near. 

1880 - 1882

A separate kitchen structure built of adobe was constructed to the west of the main residence and later taken down. 

1882

The El Dorado school was established at the Riggs Home Ranch in 1882 by Brannick Riggs as a private school for his family. El Dorado became School District number 16, Cochise County on August 13, 1883.

RIGGS FAMILY EDUCATION will take you to a section of this website documenting the Riggs Family Education.

1904

An addition connecting the original residence which includes the “cook house” and living room was built.

In later years one of the front rooms served as a Territorial Post Office -- Brannick, Arizona Terrirory. The mail brought out from Willcox was distributed to neighbors by Brannick Riggs and other family members.

Within those sturdy walls over the years were joyful and sad occasions.  They witnessed weddings, births, deaths and funerals: and it was here that Brannick died in 1907 and Mary in 1935.

1887

Mary Riggs wrote in her diary about the earthquake in 1887:

“87 May the 3rd we had a Severye Earth quake Some thing unknown to Arizonians it liked to Scared the people to death it cracked our house we had to moove JJ to the School house a lunber house in the yard”

1892

Brannick Riggs recorded a homestead deed on March 16, 1892 which included the following property:
Lot 1, Lot 2 and the East half of the NorthWest quarter of Section 30 in Township 16 south, Range 29 east of Gila and Salt River Meridian in Arizona Territory, containing One Hundred and fifty-two acres and seventy-one one-hundredths of an acre (152.71 acres).