Around 1880, the Graham and Tewksbury families were friends and neighbors in central Arizona. The soon ended in arguments over possible rustling, land rights, and cattle (Graham) versus sheep (Tewksbury).
Major violence erupted. It’s not clear what the final body count was, but some estimates say up to 50 people died in the Pleasant Valley War (also known by several other titles)—including most of the men in both families.
The last survivor, Ed Tewksbury (photo), became a marshal in Globe, AZ, where he died in bed of natural causes in 1904.
Related Articles
-
Tom Graham thought he’d gotten away from the death and destruction of Arizona’s Pleasant Valley…
-
Commodore Perry Owens had a problem keeping deputies when he was sheriff of Apache County,…
-
Arizona had a lot of loathsome cold-blooded killers but none worse than Charles Stanton. He…
