Originally named Pleasant Valley in the 1870s, the founding settlers found the land to be good for habitation. Peaceful breezes gently blowing among the Ponderosa Pines perhaps inspired the name. Or perhaps viewing the gentle valley sloping calmly into the promising blue sky gave the founders a sense of peace and serenity, thus eliciting the name of Pleasant Valley. In my imagination as I time travel, I can hear the voices of yesteryear saying, “Hey, this is pleasant! Let us name it Pleasant Valley!” And so it was.

 However, the pleasantness of the valley turned out not to be so idyllic in the range war spanning the ten years between 1882 and 1892. The unpleasantness invaded nearby towns, such as Globe and Prescott, and wrote history as far as Apache and Navajo counties, as this range war stretched beyond the confines of Pleasant Valley.

 The infamous family names in this range war were the Grahams and the Tewksburys. However, as in many conflicts, the instigation of this murderous feud was abetted by others: James Stinson, hired gunfighters, ranch hands, the Hashknife Outfit, the Daggs Outfit, and of course, law enforcement. Irony plagues the very beginning of the relationship between the Graham family and the Tewksbury family, perhaps starting in the year 1881.

 According to research, the Tewksbury family originated in San Francisco and moved eastward to develop land in the primitive mountains of Arizona. The Graham family originated in Northern Ireland, migrating to Ohio in 1851. Thirty years later, the offspring, John and Thomas Graham, moved to Pleasant Valley to stake adventures in cattle ranching at the invitation of the Tewksbury family, according to legend. Yes! That’s right! The Tewksbury family INVITED the Grahams to settle in the small growing town; the two families were friends in the beginning.

Then enter a cattle rancher by the name of James Stinson. Stinson needed the grasslands of Pleasant Valley for his very lucrative cattle business. As per history notation, he claimed both families were rustling his cattle. Stinson made a deal with the Graham family: in exchange for their testimonies against the Tewksburys, he would give them cattle and would not seek to prosecute the Grahams. 

 A deal is a deal. Thus, the beginning of the feud known as the Pleasant Valley War, or Tonto Basin Feud, lasting ten years, spanning miles and miles in radius, and killing an estimated 35-50 individuals, all started in the peaceful setting of Pleasant Valley. To add to the conflict, the Tewksburys started running sheep in the valley and partnered with the Daggs Outfit; likewise, the Grahams partnered with the rowdy cowboys of the Hashknife Outfit to run cattle.   

 

 Confrontations with law enforcement, ranch hands, and members of these groups were numerous and deadly. Lynchings were common. John Stinson left in 1885; however, the feud lasted until 1892 when Tom Graham was fatally shot. Before he died, he identified Ed Tewksbury as one of the culprits who had shot him. However, Ed Tewksbury was acquitted of murder in a second trial. For a great detailed historic account of Pleasant Valley history, see Pleasant Valley War in Wikipedia, and www.legendsofAmerica.com.  

The history of the Pleasant Valley War is massive. This article is a very, very condensed version of the enormity of information of historical events surrounding the Grahams and the Tewksburys; indeed, it was an extremely complicated relationship filled with many twists and turns.  

And what a relationship of irony! What began as a friendship between the Grahams and the Tewksburys ended in one of the deadliest feuds over range land in Arizona history. Not surprisingly, in 1890, the good folks of Pleasant Valley renamed the town: Young, in honor of the first postmistress, Olla Beth Young. In my imagination as I time travel, I can hear the voices after the long Tewksbury vs. Graham Feud in 1890 saying, “Hey, this has not NOT been PLEASANT! Shall we re-name Pleasant Valley after our postmistress? Shall we re-name it Young?” And so it became Young, Arizona.

 The struggles and conflicts of the feud in the late 1800s are hard to imagine as one stands in the placid valley of Young, Arizona in 2021. Traveling to Young, Arizona today is indeed a very lovely journey. From Payson, on Highway 260, travel approximately 32 miles east until Forest Service Road 512 (FR 512), also known as the Tall Pines to the Desert Highway. Turn right onto FR 512. The paved street will turn into a dirt road which will lead you into the late 1800s, where Father Time has preserved remnants of the historic West, as evident in some of the unique structures still standing, such as the Dead Broke Inn, the 1874 Pleasant Valley Museum, and other preserved dwellings which appear original to Pleasant Valley. (Due to COVID-19, there may be closures; for example, the Pleasant Valley Museum was closed at the time of our visit.)

 Whether you are traveling to Young, AZ or other destinations, we wish you and yours pleasant journeys in 2021. May your friendships be free of feuds and may you have peaceful lands on which to roam and dwell. 

 Speaking of peaceful lands, before the snowfall, Rim Country had been in a deep, deep drought. Rainbows have always been symbolic to me of great treasures and hope whether of the heart or of the purse. Therefore, I share a photo of a rainbow after our first good rain in many, many months. Enjoy! And may great treasures of the heart shine in beautiful pastels on you and yours. Blessings!

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