162601
Amos, Cooley, And West Families Oral History, Part 1/3
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Part OfAmos, Cooley, and West Families Oral HistoryIntervieweeGlenn West Lonnie WestInterviewerJoyce McBrideSubjectOral historiesArizona HistoryApache County (Ariz.)Navajo County (Ariz.)BiographyCooley, Corydon E. (Corydon Eliphalet), 1836-1917White Mountain Apache of the Fort Apache Indian ReservationApache Indians--WarsApache Indians--WomenShow Low (Ariz.)Lakeside (Ariz.)DescriptionPart 1: Glenn and Lonnie West tell the history of their mother's grandparents, Corydon E. and Mollie Cooley. Corydon E. Cooley came west from Virginia when he was 20 years old, before the Civil War. He first moved to Santa Fe, but then followed the gold rush to Colorado where he established himself in the trading post business. When the Civil War broke out, he enlisted and served as a lieutenant in the Union Army, but was later discharged after an extended illness. He then went to recuperate at the hot springs in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and eventually managed that resort's hotel. In 1869, he met Dr. Thorne there, who told him stories of a lost gold mine in Arizona. Cooley teamed up with men named Banta and Dodd, recruited an Indian named One-eyed Miguel to serve as a guide, and left with 30 Apache Indians to search for gold in the White Mountains of Arizona. They were in the vicinity of the peaceful little Apache Indian settlement of Cibecue when word came that U.S. Army soldiers were approaching with the intent to kill all its citizens and burn their fields. Cooley left the others and went out to meet the soldiers to petition for their lives. He was promptly suspected of some wrong-doing and arrested, but was still able to influence the captain enough to defy his orders, sparing the lives of countless innocent souls. After Cooley was released he and his companions continued prospecting around central Arizona territory, but disbanded after finding nothing. Cooley then returned to the White Mountains and made his home among the Indians farming and selling his produce to Fort Apache. He became friends with both the Army officers and Indians alike, and later married Chief Pedro's two daughters, Mollie and Cora, Indian-style. General Crook hired him, as a civilian, to be Chief of Scouts, to recruit Apache scouts and be his interpreter throughout the Tonto Basin Campaign to round up Apache renegades. After the Indian situation was under control, Corydon E. Cooley's family and Marion Clark relocated to what would become Show Low, where they established a prosperous ranch and farm alongside the freight road between Holbrook and the fort. His home was called the White House, a large, spacious headquarters that also accommodated and entertained many travelers. Cooley became the first Justice of the Peace, and was also influential in keeping the peace between the Apaches and the soldiers on a few occasions, and served as a steadying protective presence for the Mormon settlers and the Indians. It is possible that the card game that split up the partnership between Cooley and Clark and named the settlement Show Low happened at this time, or it could have been a similar card game between Cooley's next partners, the Huning brothers. At any rate, Marion Clark disappeared at some point and the Huning brothers arrived bearing large sums of money to purchase cattle and horses to supply the fort. This partnership soured as well, for they had little in common, but this time, it was Cooley and just Mollie now, with their family, that moved back up the mountain and onto the reservation to start over. The 20th Century awakened to another Cooley Ranch, even more prosperous and hospitable than the first. This Cooley ranch was the forage station, way station, telegraph, and ample hotel accommodations for everyone coming and going from Fort Apache. Corydon E. Cooley had a stroke and lived out his life as an invalid, as his now grown sons stepped in to run the ranch operations. Cooley died in 1917, and Mollie, his loving wife, followed him in death in 1920. Audio Length00:40:03Date Original2010-09-06Date Range1860s (1860-1869)1870s (1870-1879)1880s (1880-1889)1890s (1890-1899)1900s (1900-1909)1910s (1910-1919)TypeSound- NonmusicalOriginal FormatOral historiesLanguageEnglishContributing InstitutionPinetop-Lakeside Historical Society MuseumCollectionOral Histories of Pinetop, Lakeside, McNary and Whiteriver, ArizonaRights StatementThe opinions expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee only. They do not represent the views of the Pinetop-Lakeside Historical Society Museum. Please contact the Pinetop-Lakeside Historical Society Museum with questions about the use and reproduction of this resource.
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IdentifierAmos West Family History, Part 1 Cooley.mp3Date Digitized2010-09-06Digital FormatMP3File Size38 MB
Amos, Cooley, And West Families Oral History, Part 1/3, [Amos West Family History, Part 1 Cooley.mp3]. Arizona Memory Project, accessed 10/10/2024, https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/162601
