Pete Kitchen Ranch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Kitchen, Pete, Ranch
|
|
Historic American Buildings Survey image of the Kitchen Ranch
|
|
 Location in Arizona
Location in the United States
|
|
| Nearest city | Nogales, Arizona |
|---|---|
| Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Built | 1862 |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000360 |
| Added to NRHP | February 20, 1975 |
The Pete Kitchen Ranch was a famous ranch started around 1862 near Nogales, Arizona. Many people believe it was the very first permanent American ranch in Arizona Territory. The ranch was built in a great spot with easy access to water. This area had been used by people for a very long time, even before Pete Kitchen arrived. In 1774, an explorer named Juan Bautista de Anza visited the spot and called it Las Lagunas, which means "The Lakes." Pete Kitchen also used this name sometimes.
By the 1870s, the ranch was doing very well. It grew lots of crops and raised many animals. Pete Kitchen earned a lot of money, about $10,000 a year, which was a huge amount back then! His "Pete Kitchen hams" were especially famous and a big part of his business. In 1883, Pete Kitchen sold his ranch for a good price. This happened after the railroad arrived, which changed how goods were bought and sold. After selling the ranch, Pete Kitchen still had interests in mining and cattle. He later moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he faced some financial challenges. Pete Kitchen passed away on August 5, 1895, when he was 77 years old.
What Was the Pete Kitchen Ranch Like?
The main house at the ranch was built from stone and shaped like the letter "L." It had a flat roof with a special wall around it, about 4 feet (1.2 meters) high. This wall was important because it gave shelter to guards who watched for Apache raiding parties. Inside, the house had two main rooms and a kitchen downstairs. Over time, more parts were added to the house. There were also smaller buildings and even some dugout caves where workers lived. The entire ranch property covered about 5 acres (2 hectares). For a while, the ranch was a frontier museum, and some parts of it were rebuilt to show how it looked long ago.
A Place of History
The Pete Kitchen Ranch is a very important historical site. On February 10, 1975, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as a special place that tells an important part of American history. Today, the original ranch building is still standing and is part of a restaurant in Nogales.
Pete Kitchen on TV
Pete Kitchen's exciting life even became a story on television! An actor named Cameron Mitchell played Pete Kitchen in an episode of the TV show Death Valley Days in 1960. The episode was called "Pete Kitchen's Wedding Night." In the story, Pete Kitchen had to fight Apache Indians even on his wedding day and night! Barbara Luna played his bride, Dona Rosa.
