Economy Primary Source: Colin Cameron's Excerpt from the Governor's Report

Colin Cameron was an easterner who came to Arizona to become a rancher to take advantage of the vast resources Arizona had to offer, according to Thomas Sheridan in his book Arizona. Sheridan spoke of Cameron being from Pennsylvania the son of a business man and had limited agricultural background other than with the dairy cattle business of  Pennsylvania. Sheridan describes Cameron as the future of the Arizona livestock industry, being the son of a railroad businessman Cameron knew the potential of the cattle industry. Though Cameron was not from the region or raised a beef rancher, he came to be quite knowledgeable about the business and its impact on the economy of the nation, and used this knowledge to help himself succeed in the beef business along with other endeavors and used this knowledge to increase future prospects for the cattle industry in Arizona.

            Several clues can be gathered from this text into the region of southern Arizona during the years leading up to statehood. The first clue provided is the magnitude of the cattle industry in the region, which can be seen because it is included in the governor’s report to the secretary of the interior of the United States. Cameron writes about vast spaces of grass for grazing largely for the communal use and free grazing that the territory of Arizona provides to existing and prospective ranchers in the region. Cameron also offers insight into the rich history the cattle industry has in the Arizona region. He writes about how the modern cattle industry was started by pioneers and settlers who took advantage of the resources provided and the guarantee of safety once the Apache hostilities had ended. He goes back to the days when the region was first selected for widespread grazing because of its vastness and it is for this reason that so many settlers came to the region and still come.

            The next clue provided about the region has to do with climate and geography during the time of the late 1880’s and early 1890’s. Cameron being a cattleman and owning vast tracts of land would know the impact of Arizona’s climate on the cattle industry as a whole and tried to put this expertise into writing. in Cameron’s article he describes the vastness of Arizona’s grass land. He also describes when the region receives its rainfall as the ideal time to grow grass for cattle to graze. These two things along with the vast land grants from the government for grazing purposes makes the region a perfect place for the cattle industry to grow and to prosper, in the eyes of Cameron. Cameron also sees the region with the addition of modern ranching techniques and businesses such as the railroad as profitable for the stockman, “The short statement that a $15 range steer can be fattened for from $12 to $15 and when ripe sell for $30 to $40, demonstrates why the business is desireable.”



The Ranch House Colin Cameron Built





Colin Cameron's Registered Brand