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Continued: In 1915, the year noted as the peak for Babbitt
cattle operations, sales were in excess on 1.5
million dollars. But by 1920, the recession cut
receipts in half, and in 1921 the sales hit bottom
at less than 250,000 dollars. At that time they
were also very heavily pursuing the sheep industry.
From 1915 to 1920, the total sheep count reached
100,000. The largest of the sheep companies was
the Babbitt and Hennessy Sheep Company, which
at one time reached 50,000 head. However, as the
cattle market dipped, so did the market for the
range woolies. Drastic refinancing became necessary,
and sale of valuable land was unavoidable. About
the time the large debt of the early 1920's was
being paid off, another disastrous event took
place in the form of a infectious disease in the
cattle known as hoof and mouth disease. It was
in May of 1924 when the disease was detected in
the Babbitt registered herd on a ranch in California.
The only treatment for this dreaded disease was
to dig a trench 35' wide, 8' deep, 600' long,
shoot and bury the 3,500 cattle and cover then
with lime. The loss was estimated at $285,000.
Then in 1925 another dreaded disease called the
Scab was detected in the cattle in Northern Arizona.
Dipping vats were built in various locations,
and a total of 27,000 heads had to be dipped in
a medicated bath. It is estimated that this set
back may have cost $500,000.
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With
sincere determination, the Babbitt Brothers Trading
company persisted. C.J. Babbitt, in 1930, became
the president of the company after the sudden
deaths of Billy and David, and soon after, in
1934, he summoned his son, John George Babbitt
to Flagstaff from Boston to help with the immediate
situation. John's wife, Elizabeth Quimby says
John came home from work one day and said, Lets
pack our bags, my dad needs me. And so another
era of the Babbitt Ranching operation began under
John G. Babbitt. John is considered the individual
who developed the ranches into one of the most
highly respected outfits in the west. For many
years tedious efforts went into water development
through pipeline and storage tank development,
pasture fencing, earthen dam construction, and
general range management. John retired in 1984,
at 77 years of age, after overseeing the ranches
for over 50 years.
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Today's
cowboys do the same work as their 1880 counterparts.
Modern aids such as airplanes, helicopters, and
motorcycles, have no place within these operations.
Cowboys work the herds from horseback. Home on
the range is the bunk house, bedroll, and chuck
wagon. Recitals of poems and tall stories are
told during the spring branding and fall gatherings.
However, the management of the ranches is as efficient
as any modern day business.
Working
with State and National Government agencies and
Environmentalists, has been a prime objective
of management. This is a necessity, not only for
improving cattle operations, but also to insure
that the land is being used in the best interest
of the public.
The
Babbitt Ranches are living history, portraying
the immense opportunity on which Babbitt Brothers
Trading Company capitalized. Top Page
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