John Rockfellow was a big figure in Tombstone’s history, even if his name isn’t well known. He moved to the area in 1881 at age 23 and established a cattle ranch which provided beef for the San Carlos Reservation. He was head of Tombstone schools and was later Cochise County Surveyor—in that job, he surveyed the lines of the Boot Hill in 1925, allowing the old cemetery to be reclaimed from the desert. Rockfellow was also heavily involved in the first Helldorado in 1929.
True West November/December 2024