Hispanic America USA
Arizona Pioneers
Copyright (c) 1996-97 All Rights Reserved

Concho, The Sheep Kingdom of Apache County

The sheep industry, ownership of, and
running sheep, was the most important and
biggest source of income the Concho people
had. Some of the most prominent, and wealthiest,
sheepmen lived in Concho.

The leading sheep owners were the descendents of
Don Manuel Antonio Candelaria, "The Candelaria Brothers",
This family could have owned well over 50,000
head of sheep at one time.

Other successful sheepmen, were, Don Evaristo Martinez,
Don Pedro Montano, the Sandovals, Nasif Tamer, Desiderio
Ortega and the Peraltas. There were also several
other small sheep owners who had between 500 and 3,000
head of sheep individually.

It is not unusual to assume that at one time 100,000 or
more head of sheep grazed around the Concho area.
The sheep were grazed north of Concho to where the
Petrified Forest is now. There was no Petrified Forest
set aside in those years; to the west the sheep grazed
to near Snowflake. South to Vernon, and areas of
what is today the Forest Service.  Also, to the
Mesa Redonda area, sheep were grazing that were
owned by Concho men.

When the time arrived for sheep shearing in Concho,
people from the surrounding areas would come to
work for Don Juan Candelaria. People knew when
shearing time was at hand.

Don Juan Candelaria in particular, is said to have
been a very kind-hearted man. He knew no
distinction.  All were his friends. No one left his
home hungry. He was willing to help anyone.
The following incident was told this historian
several years ago by a reliable "old timer".