Ranch History

In its earliest days, Rancho Bosque was part of a larger portion of the Tanque Verde drainage fed by the 10,000 foot high peaks Santa Catalina Mountain range to the North and the lower 6,000 foot high Rincon mountain range to the East.

In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, this open desert and riparian environment was still a favorite geranimo hunting ground for the Apache tribes because it was so rich in wildlife and plants. A large number of the infamous skirmishes of the Apache Wars took place in this valley.

Fort Lowell was established as a U.S. Cavalry fort to protect Tucson and the adjacent region. Many of the battles between the famous Apache leader Geronimo took place in these valleys and mountains. It is a rugged and humbling landscape. At one time, nearly one fourth of the standing army of the United States was deployed into the countryside around Tucson to try to subdue a small band of 200-300 Apaches where nearly half of its strength was made up of women and children.

Despite such overwhelming odds, the Apache warriors were never defeated on the field of battle. Along the Northern parts of the acreage of Rancho Bosque , we can still occasionally find an arrowhead or small shard of pottery when we plow up the pastures. We always return them back to the earth where they belong.

saddles

In the early part of the 20th century, what was to become Rancho Bosque was part of larger parcel of land that became subdivided initially for a golf course. By the 1940's, better and more luxurious golf courses and resorts began springing up and the land along the Tanque Verde wash (or ‘arroyo' in Spanish) reverted back to smaller, so-called “gentleman's ranches” or were converted into pecan groves because of the abundant ground water.

The first part of Rancho Bosque was a smallish ranch house built in the 1940's by the Woodrow family. The house boasted one of the first air-conditioning systems ever made in the United States . The system used chilled water to circulate deep within pipes inside the thick masonry walls to cool the inside of the house. Covered porches, called ramadas, shaded the areas around the kitchen, living room and dining room to help cool the interior. The beams of the house were made from surplus redwood lumber imported into Tucson to help building the original St. Mary's Hospital on Tucson 's Southside. The house was still largely heated with wood from the abundant mesquite groves that surrounded the main house. It was from these abundant mesquite trees that the ranch was given its name original name of Rancho Bosque, which in Spanish translates roughly to “ranch in the woods” or “wooded ranch”. house In the 1970s, the Stillwell family took over the Rancho Bosque property. The Stillwells were originally from Australia and Mr. Stillwell headed up the Lear Jet Company in Tucson . He set himself the task of launching a massive series of improvements to bring the ranch into its own. Pastures were laid out and fenced. A set of two new wells were drilled over two hundred feet deep so that efficient irrigation of the pastureland could be carried out.

A masonry barn was built and a guest-house added. An expansion of the small main house was carried out adding an Eastern wing with proper bedrooms and bathrooms and, eventually a courtyard was also constructed along the Southern side of the house.

The Rancho Bosque name died away and the place was just known as the “Stillwell place” for years. The Stillwell family moved back to their Australian homeland in the late 1980's but Mr. Stillwell so loved the house in Tucson that he set about building a replica of Rancho Bosque “down under” when he retired.

house

In the 1990's Rancho Bosque fell upon harder times and passed through a wide variety of owners and renters. For a while it even served as religious commune. By the end of the 1990's, the buildings had been largely abandoned. Wear and tear had caused the pipes in the walls of the main house to burst. The roof leaked badly during the rainy season, staining and damaging much of the original cedar wood ceilings and soaking floors. The woodpeckers had destroyed much of the woodwork. The porch and steps leading to the guest house were gone and the desert had reclaimed much of the pastures and buildings. Eventually, over six tons of trees collapsed on the roof of the main house, temporarily converting the kitchen area of the house into an open-air arrangement. facilities

Still, anyone who came around the lonely property could feel its beauty. The great trees that stood on the property were still bearing witness, some of them well over two hundred years old. The gentle grace of the ranch house was still apparent with its understated elegance harkening back to an earlier time.

Rancho Bosque was purchased by Allan and Jane Hamilton in 1999. At that time there was no longer any heat, air conditioning or potable water. But Rancho Bosque just beckoned to the Hamiltons like it had to the Stillwells. Crews of carpenters, plumbers, electricians and farm hands came in under a massive and heroic effort led by Buddy Kocis of CamWest Construction Inc. and Marshall Dunster of Temco, Inc. Plans were drawn up to preserve every ounce of the original construction. Archivists and designers verified the historical authenticity of every detail and the main house was rebuilt, from the floorboards to the roof scuppers and the restoration of the original ceilings. The wood was replaced in every part of the barn and guesthouse. Massive four-hundred pound doors were rebuilt for the barns. Timber was brought in to shore up roofs and ramadas and porches and stairs were rebuilt. The original paint color of Rancho Bosque, a deep green, reminiscent of the mesquite leaves, was discovered in some paint scraps from some of the reconstruction and matched by a local paint company for the restoration. So much paint for the restoration project was fabricated in ten, twenty, and even fifty gallon containers that the company liked it well enough to eventually market and sell the paint color as “Rancho Bosque Green” on their shelves.

The wells were carefully tested and painstakingly returned into function by Jim Wise. Rancho Bosque's water, taken from deep down in tree lined lane the Sonoran aquifer is one of the sweetest and purest waters around. The water quality is tested on a regular basis to ensure its unspoiled goodness. The soil was also carefully analyzed. With the help of experts at the University of Arizona's College of Agriculture, not only Bermuda but winter and native grasses were once again painstakingly re-introduced using the most ecologically sound methods and techniques.

cow As soon as the pastures started to flourish, ground mammals such as mice and squirrels returned to Rancho Bosque. With the return of prey species, predators began to return as well. Rancho Bosque boasts two pairs of Harris hawks, a pair of redtail hawks, and one family of barn owls. Rancho Bosque is also home to peregrine falcons, turkey vultures, and an occasional golden eagle (although we would prefer it if they could leave our kittens and rabbits alone). A resident band of coyote makes their home in the wash to the North of the ranch and periodically crosses the grounds in plain daylight. Fences around the perimeter of Rancho Bosque have been modified so that wildlife can move freely at will across the surrounding pasture land. Bobcats include the ranches along Woodland Road in their home territories and most recently mountain lion have been making forays into the foothills, especially in wake of the 2003 forest fires.

Rancho Bosque boasts an impressive canopy of trees, including over one hundred mesquite trees, as well as examples of Aleppo pines, Arizona willow, eucalyptus, cotton woods, Mexican Elderberry as well an numerous species of cactus. The pastures and trees of Rancho Bosque have become a favorite place for local birding groups and enthusiasts.

This is thought to be the oldest tree on the proptery, and supposedly dates back over two hundred years in age. It's called the "Picnic Tree" because very often we take our lunches out into the field and sit on the long, sweeping limbs, and enjoy our meals.

There are common sightings of birds of prey, sparrows, doves, quail, hummingbirds, finches, cowbirds, and vermillion flycatchers. Even ducks, herons, and some shorebirds have been seen. The area is included in many of the fly-ways of migratory birds that winter in Mexico .