Did anyone ask about Corydon Cooley? This is from Find A Grave:
Corydon Eliphalet Cooley
Birth: Apr. 2, 1836; Loudoun County, Virginia, USA
Death: Mar. 19, 1915; Navajo County, Arizona, USA
Western Frontiersman and Folk Figure. He came to the White Mountains in the
early 1860s after serving two years as a Lieutenant in the 2nd New Mexico
Infantry Regiment. He came as a prospector and was one of the first white
men to extensively explore the mineral wealth of the region. He loved and
respected the Apache people and married two daughters of Pedro, an Apache
band chief in the Forestdale area. He and his wives established a ranch in
the area that is now the city of Show Low. Martha Summerhayes, author of
Vanished Arizona, a book of her memories of life as an officer's wife on the
Arizona frontier, had been intrigued by the story of Cooley living with two
Apache women. On a journey between forts, Martha and her husband were
overnight guests of the Cooleys. When she asked her husband which of the
attractive young women was Cooley's wife, he said, "I don't know. Both of
'em, I guess". Refined Victorian lady that she was, Martha tried to
rationalize the situation, writing, "Now this was too awful, but I knew he
did not intend for me to ask any more questions." One of the wives soon died
during childbirth, leaving him to live as a monogamist. Their ranch was one
of the most noted stopping places in eastern Arizona and guests were
unanimous in their appraisal of Molly as a tidy and gracious housewife and
Cooley as a generous and notable host. With his vast knowledge of the White
Mountains, the Apache people and their ways, and his ability to speak the
very difficult Apache language, he was acknowledged for many years as one of
the great and famous Indian scouts of the Arizona Territory. He was Chief of
Scouts off and on for General George Crook, probably the greatest Indian
fighter the United States Army ever knew. With the possible exception of his
good friend Al Sieber, he was Crook's most trusted scout. There was great
respect between Crook and Cooley. John G. Bourke, General Crook's
aide-de-camp for 11 years and author of the book On the Border with Crook,
notes that Cooley's influence was always on the side of peace and
understanding between the Indian and the white man. The following quote
about Cooley is from the July 1996 issue of Arizona Highways. "Always hungry
for adventure and danger, Cooley gladly accepted appointment in 1877 as
deputy U.S. marshal for huge Yavapai County, from which Apache and Navajo
counties were later carved. He ranged far and wide in his new job, risking
his life more than once to bring in outlaws who had flocked to wild Arizona
Territory. In one especially notable raid, he captured and jailed two
desperadoes who were threatening to take over the new settlement of
Springerville. Scarcely had he left the town, however, when a lynch mob
stormed the jail, and in the words of Cooley's report to Gov. John Hoyt,
"disposed of the prisoners according to frontier law." One great legend
involves Cooley and Marion Clark. They were partners in a 100,000 acre
ranch. At some point the two decided that the area just wasn't big enough
for the two of them and one had to leave. They couldn't decide who should
leave, so they played a game of cards with the winner to take all. They
played a game called "seven up" throughout the night and into the early
morning with no winner. Finally Clark told Cooley, "Show low and you take
the ranch". Cooley turned over a deuce of clubs and walked away with a
reported 100,000 acres of land, all the cattle and the buildings. Clark went
on his way and was not to be heard from again. However, in March of 2007 a
local reporter found an article in the October 24, 1910 Washington Post that
indicates some errors in the legend. The card game actually occurred, but,
by the time it happened, Clark had already moved on and the game was between
Cooley and a man named Henry Huning. Cooley told the Post the game was six
to five in Huning's favor and Cooley, holding the trey, was certain he had a
winner. He told Huning to show low to win and Huning held the deuce. By 1888
Cooley started ranching a few miles south of where the Hondah Casino now
stands. Mormon settlers moved into the area, bought the ranch land, cattle
and buildings from Huning for $13,500. They divided the land into four and
one half shares, split the cattle, and occupied the buildings. They called
the settlement Show Low and the main street through town is now named "Deuce
of Clubs". There is some serious dispute about the accuracy of this
Washington Post article and some evidence to support the original version of
the legend. His year of death is actually 1917 and not 1915 as stated on the
plaque on his headstone. (bio by: Tom Todd)
Family links:
Spouse:
Molly Cooley (____ - 1920)*
Children:
Albert W Cooley (____ - 1924)*
Belle Cooley Amos (1873 - 1966)*
Cora Agnes Cooley Pettis (1875 - 1944)*
Lillie R Cooley Penrod (1876 - 1968)*
Charles Paul Cooley (1882 - 1940)*
Corydon Carelton Cooley (1891 - 1954)*
*Calculated relationship
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Burial: Fort Apache Cemetery; Navajo County, Arizona, USA
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Originally Created by: Tom Todd
Record added: Apr 17, 2007
Find A Grave Memorial# 18994311
Mary C.
Received on Wed Apr 03 2013 - 21:13:05 MDT
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