132014
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Cline Family History, Part 1/3
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Part OfCline Family History Oral HistoryIntervieweeCline, SteveInterviewerMcBride, JoyceBrowse TopicBusiness and IndustryCommunity GroupsLand, Environment, and Natural ResourcesSociety and CultureSubjectOral historiesArizona HistoryArizona History 19th centuryArizona History 20th CenturyGila County (Ariz.)BiographyCattle--West (U.S.)--HistoryRanching History of Gila CountyRanch managers--ArizonaU.S. Forest ServiceSalt River Watershed (Ariz.)Tonto Basin (Ariz.)DescriptionThe first to immigrant to Arizona was Christian Cline, an English former bondservant from Pennsylvania. The family first immigrated to California during the gold rush. They panned enough gold to purchase a small herd of cattle in San Diego, and moved them to the future Roosevelt Dam basin on the Salt River sometime before or during the Civil War. They found the mature grasses too tough and reedy for the cattle to survive, so was forced to relocate south of Tucson. Indians drove them back out after killing a couple of their sons. They returned and started burning the old grass to improve the feed, but within a year the varmints had nearly decimated the herd. This time, while one part of the family went back to California and bought replacement cattle, another group went to New Mexico for hunting dogs. Steve's great grandfather, John Leroy Cline, was just 11 or 12 years old when on the return trip from California he was shot in the leg by bandits, the result being he walked with a limp the rest of his life. The Clines settled where Tonto Creek meets the Salt River and opened up a general store and post office. The Indian population had declined in the area by then because the U.S. Cavalry had already driven out the Apaches to form the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. Steve talks briefly about local legends, the Apache Kid, Nachez and Al Seiber. After the flood covered their original homestead, they relocated just east of the A Cross (Armer) Ranch. John Leroy Cline, while not found guilty, lost everything he had, his ranch and cattle there, the result of the ambush and murder of Territorial Charlie Edwards, whose father was the Territorial Judge. Now, too old to start another ranch, he relocated to the Tonto Basin area where the family still lives. John Leroy Cline opened another store and saloon, providing a warm meal and bootleg for the locals and travelers through the area. Steve's grandfather, George Cline, was now a young man who, while working on the Roosevelt Dam had met his future bride, Roxy Libby Solomon, the daughter of a teamster.Audio Length00:25:38Date Original2011-08-19Date Range1860s (1860-1869)1870s (1870-1879)1880s (1880-1889)1890s (1890-1899)1900s (1900-1909)1910s (1910-1919)TypeSound- NonmusicalOriginal FormatOral historiesLanguageEnglishContributing InstitutionArizona Heritage Research FoundationCollectionOral Histories of Gila County RanchersRights StatementThe opinions expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee only. They do no represent the views of the Arizona Heritage Research Foundation, the Gila Co. Historical Museum or the Arizona State Library. Please contact the Arizona Heritage Research Foundation with questions about the use and reproduction of this resource.
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Oral HistorySteve Cline
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Cline Family History, Part 1/3, [Cline Family History Part 1.mp3]. Arizona Memory Project, accessed 31/03/2023, https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/132014
