Sheep Ranchers and Herders of Arizona – Yuma

Sheep ranching has been greatly overlooked in the history of Arizona. While it never will compete with the five “C’s”, it added a great deal to the economic diversity in the state. Many different ethnic groups settled here and raised sheep for a living weathering the economic downturns as well as the prosperous years. They often weathered the storm better than cattlemen. These men and women raised their families on the frontier and left a lasting impact on the economic and ethnic diversity within the state. The story of the sheep industry is told through personal family memoirs collected over several years. The cyclical cycle taken each year will be shown in a photographic journey.

Dr. Barbara Jaquay, a historical geographer, recently published Where Have All the Sheep Gone? : Sheepherders and Ranchers in Arizona – A Disappearing Industry, a history of the sheep industry in Arizona.  She has her Ph.D. from Texas A&M where she wrote on the Caribbean Cotton Industry.  She has traveled extensively on all seven continents and visited over 40 countries.  She has followed many of Father Kino’s journeys of discovery as she visited his missions in Arizona and Mexico.  She has published on Cuba and Costa Rica as well as Arizona Native Americans. Dr. Jaquay continues to pursue the geographical and mysterious wonders across the globe.  She is working on a second book on the sheep industry and finishing her children’s book.