Taylor, Arizona – Thru The Lens

Anvils, Drums, and a Rich Heritage

A true story, by Jonathan Austen (conversational style)

Taylor, Arizona is a small town–

<sighs> Oh not that “small town” background stuff again. How about you skip it and jump to the cool info first.

Because I’m the narrator. And background—history—is cool.

<chuckles> Says you.

I do. And since I’m the narrator—

<pfft> Yeah, yeah. You said that already. Whateva. Get on with it then.

As I was saying…

Taylor, Arizona is a small town with a rich cultural heritage that dates back centuries ago when Native American tribes inhabited the area. The town was named after John Taylor, the third president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and settled by James Pearce in 1878 and later incorporated in 1966.

The town was born out of necessity due to its convenient location near two railroads – one heading south from Globe, AZ and another traveling east-west between Holbrook and St Johns, AZ. This made Taylor a hub for freight traffic and provided easy access to distant markets. The arrival of the railroad also brought new settlers who helped build up the local economy through farming and ranching.

<pause>

You done? Can we get to he cool stuff now?

<nods> Yes.

Whaddya got?

Drums and explosions.

<grins> Sounds like a heavy metal concert.

<rolls eyes> For those times, perhaps. Anyway…

Taylor’s town logo is a drum and anvil. The logo represents two family traditions that have grown to include the whole town. First is the Standiford family tradition of “The Firing of the Anvil” every 4th of July at 4:00 a.m. with a loud BANG! After that there is a serenade of patriotic music from the Jennings Band. This awakening call goes on as the anvil is fired in different locations around town. The star of the show, the anvil, was used by blacksmiths in the famed Mormon Battalion as far back as 1847. It was brought to the town by pioneer Joseph S. Hancock sometime in the 1880s.

Actually, the tradition involves two anvils. One serves as the base, upon which a fairly hefty cylinder of black powder is placed. Then the 1847 anvil, which weighs 80 pounds, is placed on top of it, and a rolled up newspaper is used to light the fuse. The result is a spectacularly loud explosion that shoots the anvil as high as 15 feet in the air.

Why do you think that’s a tradition?

<shrugs> Because boys like blowing stuff up?

<grins> Well that’s true. But probably not the real reason.

No, it’s more likely that the Taylor’s forefathers came up with the idea of “firing” it as a substitution for the cannon & fireworks.

What about the drums?

Getting to that…

The Jennings Drum is a historical drum, constructed by Major Edward Duzette, was made of cowhide, birch, and hickory and used in the Nauvoo Legion Band in the 1830’s. It was hauled across the plains on the back of Brigham Young’s carriage with the first company of Mormon pioneers in 1847 and later given to Cyrus Jennings, hence it is known as the Jennings drum.

I hope you enjoy this tour through Taylor Arizona.

Rural America Thru the Lens: Taylor AZ

The story of Cliford Maxwell

Typically, I don’t make a point to highlight individuals unless they’ve truly distinguished themselves, as I did previously with Dalton Hernandez from Springerville, Arizona. Today, we have another individual to add to that list – Clifford Maxwell from Taylor, Arizona. Now that we’ve got that sorted, let’s delve into his story.

I’ve never heard of Clifford.

I haven’t either, not until I visited the Taylor Rodeo Grounds and noticed a sign dedicated to his honor, alongside other rodeo legends such as World Champion Bull Rider Cody Hancock, Craig Click, Brad Click, Ray Hancock, Dallas Stock, and Rick Stock.

That’s some impressive company! Does that mean Clifford’s a champion bull rider, too?

Not quite.

What then?

I’m getting to that. <clears throat> Clifford wears many hats – he’s a husband, dad, grandpa, and even a bullfighter! That’s right, you heard me. This guy’s out there in the rodeo arena, dodging bulls to keep the kids safe. And get this – he’s doing it all in his 50s! But you wouldn’t know it by the way he moves out there. Clifford’s still got the energy of a 20-something-year-old.

Okay, so he’s a dad and a bullfighter, which is cool and all ‘cause he’s protecting kids, but that can’t be the only criteria for highlighting him.

Correct. Clifford’s also saving lives outside rodeo as a full-time firefighter paramedic with Timber Mesa.

Has he ever had to use his medical training in a rodeo?

You betcha!

Really?! What happened?

Let’s hear Clifford tell it in his own words.

“Right after I got my EMT, we were at a rodeo in California. A bull rider got bucked off and the bull stepped on his leg, breaking his femur. I cut off his chaps and exposed the break. The femur was a compound fracture that hit an artery and he was bleeding out. We saved his life due to the training that I had. The medical side has helped me with a few accidents like that.”

That’s amazing!

I know, right!

Is there more?

<nods> Clifford’s got his own custom cabinet shop in Snowflake, Arizona.

Oh, so he’s a carpenter like—

<chuckles> Don’t—

Okay. Okay. Man that’s a lot for one person.

There’s more. He’s done a 12-mile Tough Mudder in Mesa Arizona.

You’re lying!

<shakes head> Dude’s as tough as they come.

How does he do it all?

It’s a cliche, but it’s true; behind every great man is a great woman. And without Kim Maxwell I’m not sure it’d be possible.

No doubt. So, is that all?

<shakes head> Nope.

There’s more?

You betcha. Clifford wanted to be a bull rider once-upon-a-time. But that pretty much ended the moment he was thrown off and cracking several ribs and suffering some internal bleeding. He was in the hospital for a few days and came to the realization that he needed a change in direction.

So, instead he throws himself AT bulls. <chuckles> Makes total sense.

Well, as Clifford puts it, “This I do for fun…It gives me and my wife a chance to travel…”

I can think of several safer reasons to hit the road. So, that has to be everything, right?

Nope. There’s just one more bit of information about Clifford that people might not know.

He’s secretly a superhero?

Don’t be silly. When Clifford is working a pro rodeo he can be seen wearing his number 19 hockey jersey.

Is that his lucky number or something?

Sadly, no. It’s in remembrance of the 19 men who lost their lives in the Yarnell Hill Fire in July of 2013. At the time it was the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in the past 24 years. And the number is also in tribute to former Coyotes captain Shane Doan.

Well, I’d say Clifford deserves a shout-out. And I think the Mayor of Taylor should give him the keys to the town or something.

I agree. But that’s not likely to happen.

So, what was it like to interview Clifford?

Interview? <laughs> You think Clifford has time for that between rodeos, grandkids, store owner, paramedic, and being a good husband? No, I didn’t even try. Fortunately, there’s a lot of information out there. In particular Clifford was featured in the April 2016 edition of Rodeo News, as well several newspaper articles. It appears that I am the last person to learn about how remarkable Clifford is.

*Information came from several online sources. And I’d like to thank Kim Maxwell for answering any questions I had.

The Taylor Museum

Opened in 2005, is a time line museum, created to show the development and growth in Taylor from its founding in 1878 to the present. It is housed in the restored A.Z. Palmer/Hatch Brothers store in the center of Taylor. From ice cream and food supplies to gas and insurance, the Palmer & Son Store provided nearly everything local ranchers would need. It was a community-gathering place. George P. and Dora Palmer Hatch, Reed and Burt Hatch and Lloyd and Mildred Hatch Willis, were subsequent owners. In 1956, the “Hatch Bros. General Store” closed but other small businesses utilized the building. The town of Taylor purchased the site in 2000, and with the help of the Taylor/Shumway Heritage Foundation and many volunteers, it became Taylor’s main museum and the Chamber of Commerce.

Recorded narrations of exhibits add detail to the guided tour.

Outside the building are two signs that read as follows:

A.Z. Palmer and Sons 1895-1927 (Building erected in 1914)

A.Z. Palmer was one of the original settlers of Snowflake and established the first store there with Mark Kartchner, a brother-in-law. In 1895 he purchased the store located on this site and thereafter became the pre-eminent merchant in the region for a number of years. His son Arthur was the chief clerk most of the time after about 1905, and later the postmaster, an insurance agent, and a farm implement dealer – all businesses operated in conjunction with this store (called then A. Z. Palmer and Son). A. Z. died in 1925 the same year Arthur was called on a two year LDS mission to the Eastern States and during his absence the store failed. A. Z. served a broad regional clientele with his general store, livery stable, and ice cream parlor besides the other businesses.

Hatch Bros. General Store 1945-1980

In 1945, Reed & Burt Hatch, brothers & partners, purchased this building from the A.Z. Palmer Family, as they had outgrown the building where they operated a thriving general store. After some renovation, the building was renamed “Hatch Bros. General Store”, and proudly opened the doors for business. They had a little bit of everything for sale and if they didn’t have it they would get it. The store was a favorite gathering place and often people would enjoy a game of horse shoes on the south side. Although never licensed to be a barber, Reed became well known for his free hair cuts. Reed was also very generous to children with his candy kept behind the counter. Hatch Bros. General Store closed in the early 1980’s.

Margaret McCleve Hancock Log Cabin: 1884

Born in 1838 in Belfast, Ireland, Margaret McCleve made the 1300 mile journey from Illinois to Utah with the 1856 Mormon Handcart Company. She married Mosiah L. Hancock and in 1879 they left Utah to help settle Taylor at the request of Brigham Young. Upon her arrival, she was “set apart to minister to the needs of the sick and to midwife.” Mosiah and Margaret M. Hancock raised 13 children in this small cabin, located on East Willow and Main in Taylor, Arizona. In 1914/1915, the cabin served as a schoolhouse for the lst and 2nd Grades. In the grove behind the Margaret McCleve Hancock Log Cabin stands a small fort built with logs from Ft. Wingate (New Mexico).

Built in the late nineteenth century, the simple one-room cabin of Margaret McCleve Hancock became enclosed as various owners through the years added rooms and enlarged the dwelling.

By the 1990s, the cabin was part of a house owned and lived in by Ron Solomon and his family. They donated the house to the Taylor/Shumway Heritage Foundation several years ago, whose members made it a priority project at it’s new location of Willow and Main Streets. All the additions have been removed and the cabin looks as close as possible to the way it looked Jan. 1, 1880, when Margaret McCleve Hancock moved to Taylor to reunite with her husband Mosiah Lyman Hancock who had come before her, sent by LDS president Brigham Young to settle the area.

“The cabin was built by Mosiah and his oldest son,” said Naomi Hatch, a great-great granddaughter of Hancock. “Mosiah didn’t spend much time in Taylor, but Margaret made it her home and raised 13 children. Margaret had a big impact in Taylor. She delivered more than 1,400 and ministered to the needs of the sick.”

At that time, the home was located at Center Street and Tumbleweed on the east bank of Silver Creek. McCleve lived in the house until her death on May 6, 1908, at the age of 70.

About six years after McCleve’s death, the cabin served as an overflow classroom in which Estelle W. Thomas taught. Still later, the house was purchased by Orthello Bates who moved it to Fifth East and Maverick and built a home around it. “When we would go to visit Grandpa Bates, they would talk about the cabin inside their home,” Roy Solomon said. “I found out that was true when I climbed up and looked in the attic and saw the different roof. My brother Gary was born on a table in that home.”

Continuing the history of the cabin, Boyd Hatch, whose father Vern bought it from Bates, recalled the time it, and the house surrounding it, became known as Karneggy Hall. “Karneggy was the way it was spelled on the sign that used to be on the front gate of the yard where it used to sit,” he said. “A movie was playing in Taylor about a musician who got to play Carnegie Hall. Roy (Solomon’s) father called it that because of the noise we made and because we had our instruments in there. We made a lot of noise.”

Hatch then gave a rendition of “O Susannah” on a miniature harmonica, saying it was the first song they had learned. At the time, he said, they had no idea there was a cabin hidden in the house. “It became the little town clubhouse for all the boys about four or five years older and younger than me,” Hatch said.

In honor of Hancock and the cabin, Len Shumway, Mark Lyman, Kendall Shumway and Lee Shumway sang “Oh Home Beloved” before the cabin was dedicated by Scott Christensen, a Hancock descendant.

Standifird Home: 1890

The Standifird Home has many original family heirlooms donated by Standifird descendants. John Henry Standifird and his children were co-founders of Taylor in 1878. In 1905, Aquilla Standifird, son of John, purchased the distinctive 1890 stone house built by the Brimhall family. In 2004, Aquilla’s son, Jack Standifird, generously donated the Standifird Home to the Taylor Heritage Foundation. The home itself, with its three-foot thick walls plus many original family heirlooms donated by Standifird descendants, creates a yearning for yesteryear.

Oona’s Salon aka Taylor Cash Store is a heritage home. 

What’s a heritage home?

A heritage home is a residential property that has significant cultural or historical value. Typically, heritage homes are older properties that have been preserved and maintained to retain their original architectural and design features. These homes may have been owned by prominent individuals, played a role in important events, or represent an important architectural style or period.

It’s been a pleasure to take you on this tour of Taylor, Arizona – a charming old west town that holds a wealth of history and warm hospitality. The community is something special, and you can’t help but feel welcomed by their friendly nature.

The countryside surrounding Taylor is a visual treat, and the photographic opportunities are endless. The lush farmlands yield a variety of crops, and the fresh, locally sourced produce is a staple in the town’s farmers markets, swap meets, and road-side food trucks, offering a true farm-to-table dining experience.

And the annual corn festival is a must-see event, where a Corn Queen is crowned each year to honor the abundant corn harvest.

Thank you for taking this ride through Taylor Arizona. See you at the next stop.

 

Author, Jonathan Austen, an amazing photographer and the official photographer for goWhiteMountains.com, as well as published author, a consumate story teller, and all round nice guy. Don’t miss the chance to see a special exhibit of his work, specific to the town of Taylor, called “Taylor Thru The Lens” is now on display online at “The White Mountain Gallery”, for a limited time. 

Jonathan has other featured work in photo imagry as well as more of his stories, available on his photography site here: Jonathan Austen Photography