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A Fine Letter from Colin Cameron, Arizona Cattle Baron, 

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Historical Memorabilia Start Price:225.00 USD Estimated At:300.00 - 500.00 USD
A Fine Letter from Colin Cameron, Arizona Cattle Baron, 

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Auction Date:2009 Jun 24 @ 10:00 (UTC-04:00 : AST/EDT)
Location:6270 Este Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio, 45232, United States
written to Alexander M. Fulford, Esq. 2pp, 7.25" x 9.75", on San Rafael Cattle Company letterhead listing Colin Cameraon as General Manager, and Brewster Cameron, Secretary, printed place as Lochiel, Pima Co., AZ, 31 DEc. 1884. Letter refers to a letter that Fulford received from "Brother." Cameron writes: I have insisted that he resign his govt. position, and go into the Cattle business direct. I know he will be a 100 times better off in 5 years. He notes that they are trying to raise enough money to buy more cattle in the spring. He also informs Fulford the best times to visit.

Colin Cameron was born in Danville, PA, and he and his brother, Brewster, grew up in a relatively affluent circumstances. They were closely related to Simon Cameron and his son, James Daniel, both of whom served in the Senate, and Simon was Lincoln's first Secretary of War. In 1882 the Cameron "boys" headed for Arizona to try their hand at cattle ranching. They settled in the San Rafael Valley, and used 135,000 acres of public grazing land in addition to approximately 17,000 acres that were part of the San Rafael de la Zanja Ranch. For more than a decade, Cameron and his associates, especially Joseph Campini, took a brute-force approach in their attempts to acquire these public lands, including, according to some, murder of "encroaching" homesteaders (Glyphs, Vol. 56, No. 12, Ariz. Archaeol. and Hist. Soc.). He also used his family wealth and political influence in Arizona and Washington to further his ends. By the turn of the century, he had been accused of everything from income tax evasion to evading customs in the importation of Mexican cattle to the abuses of homesteaders mentioned above. 

The Thomas Minckler Collection of Western Americana

Condition: Expected folds, light toning, else fine.