The Aztec Cattle Company & the Hashknife Outfit
The vast landscapes of the American West have always been fertile ground for tales of ambition, grit, and sometimes, lawlessness. Among the most enduring of these stories is that of the Aztec Cattle Company & the Hashknife Outfit, a saga that unfolded in the rugged territory of Arizona during the late 19th century. This enterprise, born from Eastern investment and fueled by the promise of expansive ranges, quickly became intertwined with the volatile social climate of the frontier, leaving an indelible mark on the history of the region.
In 1884, the Aztec Cattle Company & the Hashknife Outfit, backed by Bostonian capital, commenced its operations in Arizona. Its headquarters were strategically located across the Little Colorado River from the nascent settlement of Saint Joseph, now known as Joseph City. This ambitious venture quickly rose to prominence, becoming the third-largest cattle company in North America. However, it was perhaps better known by its more colorful moniker: the Hashknife Outfit. This name derived from the brand used to mark their cattle, which bore a striking resemblance to the hash knives wielded by chuckwagon cooks – a fitting emblem for an outfit that would soon be carving its own distinct, and often controversial, path through the West.
The following year, in 1885, the Aztec Cattle Company & the Hashknife Outfit made a significant move, relocating its headquarters to Holbrook, Arizona. This decision was followed by a shrewd acquisition in 1886, when the company purchased a staggering one million acres of former railroad land from the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad for a mere 50 cents an acre. This vast expanse of land formed the backbone of the Hashknife’s operations, stretching some 150 miles from the New Mexico border to just south of Flagstaff. The scale of their holdings was immense, a testament to the ambition and reach of the Eastern investors who sought to capitalize on the burgeoning cattle industry of the West.
Further solidifying their position, the Aztec Cattle Company & the Hashknife Outfit acquired the Hashknife brand itself, along with a substantial herd of approximately 33,000 head of cattle and 2,000 horses. This acquisition came from the Continental Cattle Company in Texas, which was struggling under the strain of a severe drought. The arrival of this massive stock by rail was a spectacle in itself, with cattle being unloaded at various stops across northern Arizona. Along with the cattle and the brand, a contingent of the original Hashknife cowboys also made the journey, bringing with them a unique blend of Texan grit and cattle-handling expertise.
Holbrook, in its early days, initially welcomed the influx of capital and economic activity brought by the Aztec Cattle Company & the Hashknife Outfit. The town anticipated prosperity and growth. However, this initial enthusiasm soon soured as the true nature of the Hashknife cowboys became apparent. The "Buckaroos of the outfit," as they were known, quickly earned a less-than-savory reputation, becoming known as "the thievinist, fightinest bunch of cowboys" in the United States. Their presence brought with it a surge in lawlessness, marked by rustling, robbery, and frequent gunfights. Ironically, much of the cattle thievery was perpetrated on the Aztec Cattle Company itself, highlighting the chaotic and often self-destructive nature of the frontier environment.
While some acknowledged the inherent skills and hard work of certain Hashknife cowboys, the overall image was marred by a propensity for violence and a blatant disregard for the law. Some were simply hot-headed young men looking for adventure, while others were outright outlaws, wanted men seeking refuge in the anonymity of the West. On at least two occasions, members of the Hashknife Outfit were linked to train robberies near Canyon Diablo, a notoriously dangerous locale. In another instance, a particularly brazen cowboy absconded with a substantial number of the company’s cattle, fleeing to Colorado where he used his ill-gotten gains to establish a saloon. However, his fortunes proved fleeting, and he eventually returned to the Hashknife fold, demonstrating the cyclical nature of opportunity and desperation in the Wild West.
Stagecoach and train robberies became almost a recreational pastime for cowboys and drifters operating in the area. The reputation of the Aztec Cattle Company & the Hashknife Outfit as a breeding ground for such behavior contributed to a climate of fear and instability. When the cowboys descended from the range, flush with cash and fueled by whiskey, Holbrook braced itself for trouble. In 1886 alone, a staggering twenty-six shooting deaths occurred on the streets of Holbrook, a town that was home to only about 250 residents at the time. The situation was so dire that the St. Johns Herald newspaper quipped, "The Salvation Army is going to visit Holbrook. A good field for operation."
The arrival of the Aztec Cattle Company also exacerbated existing tensions between established small ranchers and the new corporate entity. These smaller ranchers resented the encroachment upon the public lands that they had traditionally used for grazing their own herds. One bitter Arizona pioneer lamented: "Thousands of longhorns ate the grass; riffraff and hell-hounds out of Texas ate the rancher’s beef." This resentment fueled further acts of cattle rustling against the Aztec Company, and the Hashknife cowboys, true to their reputation, were quick to respond with force, using their guns to intimidate and drive small ranchers off the disputed lands.
The escalating violence and lawlessness made it clear that a strong law enforcement presence was desperately needed in the Holbrook area. Sheriff Commodore Perry Owens is widely credited with bringing order to the wild and unruly town in 1887. Over the next few years, Owens and his deputy, Frank Wattron, successfully dismantled some of the most notorious outlaw gangs operating in the region. However, while the towns experienced a relative period of peace, cattle theft continued to plague the Aztec Ranch, demonstrating the limitations of even the most effective law enforcement in such a vast and challenging territory.
Desperate to curb the rampant cattle rustling, the Aztec Company made a pivotal decision, hiring Burt Mossman in January 1898 to manage the outfit. Mossman would later achieve even greater renown as the captain of the Arizona Rangers. He immediately adopted a no-nonsense approach, declaring war on the cattle rustlers. His first act was a dramatic purge, firing 52 of the 84 men currently on the payroll, signaling a clear shift towards discipline and integrity.
Mossman then placed trusted men in charge of the remaining cowpunchers and personally spearheaded the effort to apprehend the cattle rustlers. By the end of the year, he had successfully sent 11 men to the county jail on cattle rustling charges. His efforts also contributed significantly to taming the lawless atmosphere of Holbrook, bringing a semblance of order to the previously chaotic town. Under Mossman’s leadership, the Aztec Company finally began to show a profit, a testament to the effectiveness of his tough-minded approach. On one occasion, as he and a new recruit walked past the infamous Bucket of Blood Saloon in Holbrook, Mossman remarked: "We ain’t had a killin’ in there since last summer. One more’d make it 17. Most of ’em been Hashknife boys or old hands that used to work for the outfit." This grim statement underscored the pervasive violence that had plagued the company and the town for so long.
Despite Mossman’s best efforts, however, the Aztec Cattle Company & the Hashknife Outfit was ultimately unable to overcome the challenges it faced. The following winter brought a devastating blizzard to northern Arizona, decimating the Hashknife cattle herds and causing massive financial losses. The subsequent spring saw a dramatic drop in cattle prices, further exacerbating the company’s financial woes. Faced with mounting losses, the company was forced to liquidate its holdings. In 1901, the ranch was sold to the Babbitt brothers of Flagstaff, marking the end of an era. That same year, the Arizona Rangers were officially formed, and Burt Mossman, having proven his leadership and law enforcement capabilities, was appointed as their first captain, continuing his legacy of bringing order to the Arizona Territory.
The story of the Aztec Cattle Company & the Hashknife Outfit serves as a compelling illustration of the complex and often contradictory forces that shaped the American West. It is a tale of ambition and investment, of lawlessness and violence, and of the enduring struggle to establish order in a vast and unforgiving landscape. While the Hashknife Outfit may have faded into the annals of history, its legend continues to resonate, a reminder of the challenges and triumphs of the frontier era.