A Visit to the Slaughter Ranch Museum

Along the Mexican border in Southern Arizona lies what was once the ranch headquarters of John Slaughter, sheriff of Cochise County during the days of Apache troubles, cattle rustlers and bands of outlaws. We had never visited it before and decided to stop and take a look.  It was well worth the time.

The stone ice-house was the first thing that caught my eye 

Not only is it a peaceful oasis in a dry and rugged land, there is a sense of calm there that pervades the whole place.  It first soothed my stressed out spirit then began to take hold of my imagination and inspire my mind. I'm really not trying to wax poetic here, but we wandered for over 2 hours and by the end of them I was back in the right frame of mind. It's a place to return to, I'm thinking.

The view across the pond toward the house

An adobe structure, the main house is cool and shady and well laid out for a frontier home.  The rooms are generous and gracious and it is easy to imagine the life that was lived there.  The Slaughters built a pond on the East side of the house which is kept full by artesian wells.  If I had to live in that country during pre-electricity days, the favorite part of my life would be that pond.  The breezes would blow moist air over the house and one could cool off with an afternoon swim.

The "bath room," so called because it had a bit, tin bathtub in it.  Outhouses were the order of this day and time. I am thankful for indoor plumbing! 

When I tour an old place like this I am reminded that we people-things don't live simply anymore.  All of the wonderful labor saving tools we have in our homes have freed us up to be busy busy busy.  We work to pay for these devices so we can be more busy and the busier we get the more things we need!  Hmm, there is a cycle happening here and days like this one help me see that I want off.  Come get my junk.  I'll keep driving my old car and do without the new shoes.

Cool rooms with big windows make this an inviting house.

I'm thankful to live in a day when I have access to modern medicine and electricity, I really am.  I think we've lost something, though. And I feel the need to get it back.  When I paint old buildings I am always surprised by the reactions they draw out of people.  I think the sense of nostalgia they evoke are based in just what I felt at the Slaughter Ranch house- a desire to live a life less centered on things that don't matter and instead a life that is slow enough to savor the little things that were sacrificed in a quest for bigger, better, more. And I think it's possible.

Thanks for stopping by!  Alice