b'White Bird and His Memories OF THE TONTO RIMBy Hank ShefferL ast month I was privileged to share a little bit aboutanything outdoors was right up Greys alley and Babe soon my dear departed friend Bill Haugh, or as many knewbecame a personal friend to the western adventure novel him, White Bird. We both loved talking about Arizonawriter. Ironically, Babe had gotten his nickname for no history. Me from a learners point of view and him from amore sophisticated a reason than being the baby of the sharing point of view. The Haughts have been around for afamily. It was Zane Grey who later tagged him with Haught, Example of a "Dogtrot" cabin.very long time in the Tonto Rim region. Our conversationsThe Bear Hunter. prompted me to talk my wife into helping me take on theMEMORIES OF TEXAS FLATtask of writing another book. This one was to be about theEven after Babe died in 1929, a second story was added toNovember 10, 1982, by White BirdPioneer Haught family and their escapades in the Tonto Rimthe cabin. A fireplace was added at one end to block theWhile growing up in Texas Flat there were lots of funny Country. We were going to title the book "Patriarchs of thecold winter winds and add warmth. It was just about athings that happened. For instance, while I was downtown Tonto Rim." Unfortunately, I suppose, as time would havehalf mile from Zane Grey\'s cabin. As it stands, none of theone day, I guess I was around 10 or 11 years old, l was it, that was thirty years ago and there were so many Haughtsold homestead exists today, nor does the apple orchard orvisiting Mr. Cooper our town barber. At that time his and so much information already available to compile thatgarden areas the Haughts worked so diligently to build andbarber shop was on the east front porch of the Winchester. we never finished that book. maintain. And to add insult to injury, Zane Greys famousHe always cut my hair free of charge if I\'d sing him a song cabin was completely destroyed in 1990 during the Dudeand this particular day we had just walked out on the front Long before my grandad arrived in Arizona the HaughtFire on the Rim. The family homestead has gone the way ofporch and here came Pat Weitz in his ol\' Model A Ford. He family had made its presence known. S.A. Haught, Sr. washousing progress. On the other hand, there is good news asalways parked right on the east end of the barbershop. He one of the very first of the Haughts to settle in the Tontoan exact replica of the cabin was constructed in Payson andand Mr. Cooper were talking about Bill Wade, who built Rim Country. He and his wife Isabella homesteaded onis now the home of an area museum where you can wanderthe original Ox Bow Inn. They were talking about where Rye Creek. He became Arizona\'s first cattle king with tenthrough the adventures of this wonderful Arizona historyhe got the money to build it and so forth.I always listened, thousand head of longhorns. His rangeland extended fromfor yourself. because when those two got together they really made you Rye Creek, south of Payson, all the way to Sunflower. laugh. Pat said, You know after he built the dern hotel he That Babe Haughts adventures and other exploits werehad the gall to call it The Modern Hotel. Mr. Cooper spoke Bill\'s grandfather, Anderson Lee "Babe" Haught, came toinspiration fodder to Zane Grey for his novels goes withoutup and said, Yes and the only thing modern about it was the Arizona in the spring of 1898 in search of a new homestead.saying. These are the titles he wrote in or about Arizonasticks that held the winders up. You still had to go out back His wife Ella and young son Edd had remained in Dallas,western adventures: Arizona Ames, Arizona Clan, Call ofto an old W.P.A. toilet. All my life l have never forgotten that Texas until he could establish a new home for the family.the Canyon, Code of the West, The Drift Fence, The Hashconversation between those two wonderful old men.He arrived in Safford by railroad. From there he rodeKnife Outfit, The Man of the Forest, Nevada, Shadow of the horseback until just before sundown when he stopped toTrail, Tales of Lonely Trails, Tappan\'s Burro, 30,000 on theHere\'s another story - first hand. Like the saying goes boys camp for the night.It had been an arduous journey but heHoof, Sunset Pass, To the Last Man, and Under the Tontowill be boys and what hellions they were.knew this country was to his liking. From under the ledgeRim. There is a wealth of interesting Tonto Rim history to where he camped, he could look out and see almost all ofbe seen and shared in the Payson area, but be forewarned,There was an ol fellow who lived out on the control road, the Upper Tonto Basin and off in the distance he could seeyou sure \'nough can\'t see it all in one day. just a little way from the road going to Pine. About once the Four Peaks. There were miles and miles of virgin yellowevery two or three weeks he\'d drive his team and wagon pines, oaks, and maples. The cattle feed in the meadowsBill spoke to me about his times as a boy growing up ininto town for supplies. He would always tie his team and was so high you could hardly get a horse through it. TontoPayson. He wrote dozens of short stories and anecdoteswagon to a big cottonwood tree right on the west side of the Creek was off to the east about a mile twisting its waywhich literally became chronicles of people, places, andold Pioneer Bar. lt was a long building with a bar at the west through the pines. He knew this was where he was to makehappenings with his rich descriptive writing style. He spokeend and a dining room on the other, there were about three his stake! at length about his adventures at Texas Flat and later hisrooms inside the dining room to be rented. So, we knew recollections at his oak tree and the beauty of the area aswhat his habits were. When he went to the bar he drank a Grandmother had a very difficult trip when Babe sent forbest he could remember them. while, then he would eat and go to bed in one of the rooms. her. But she persevered and eventually added six moreHe\'d always put a nose-bag on his horses and feed them children to the ever-growing ranch. The family continuedWhile my wife and I never finished the Patriarch, before he went in.to grow and prosper. There was the apple orchard thatproject we did go to Payson to see if we could find the they had planted that need tending, along with all thehomes and people mentioned in the stories. We were ableWell, that night the bigger boys took his wagon apart and other things that necessarily filled up the itinerary ofto photograph justpulled it up - a piece at a time - on top of the post office surviving under the Tonto Rim. Finally, it was decidedabout every locationbuilding, which was right next door. They put it back that the family needed to build a large "Dogtrot" cabin. without difficulty.together right on top. The next morning ol\' Bob came We were astoundedout of the bar and every kid in town was there to see the Babe was making a name for himself as a famousat how much from sofun, trying not to laugh. Dern I almost died. Boy with hunter when Zane Grey arrived in 1921and apparentlylong past we a hangover like he had, just the thought of what kind took a liking to the family. Hunting, fishing, andcould actually see. of drunk he thought he must have been on was enough I cannot tell you to laugh you crazy. The expression on his face when he how happy I am thatcouldn\'t find his wagon was bad enough. Let alone what he we did because sosaw when he looked all around for it. Then all of a sudden much/most of it nohe looked up and there was his wagon on top of the post longer exists. office. Of course, the boys took it down and put it back together for him. There was lots of fun in Payson in those That all said, I amdays. I call it good ol clean fun. No one was hurt and heck, going to place someit didn`t even make Bob mad; he got as much fun out of it of Billie White Bird\'sas the boys did.(as I used to call him) writings in thisMEMORIES OF TEXAS FLATstory. After all, theseNovember 24, 1982, by White Birdare his stories andThis is not only a memory of Texas Flat, but its also a tribute no one could tell them better. He always titled the storiesto the greatest lady I have ever known or ever will know. "Memories of Texas Flat" or "Memories of the Tonto Payson was blessed by God when Miss Julia Randall came Rim" when he wrote for the many news publications,here. She taught school here for 50 years. Those of you who including mine. do not know her cannot imagine the "love/dedication" of this Zane Grey and wife Dolly; Grey\'s cabin northeast of Payson.40 August 2023'