Elder George Albert Smith at Sundown Ranch in Aripine, Arizona (1941).
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Very cool. I don’t know much about George Albert Smith, but I’ve long thought he was the coolest looking prophet we’ve had :) Kind of too bad the goatee look went out of fashion so quickly. Why does the fence rail on the top right say “THE END”?
I wonder if he was as colorful with his language while handeling cattle as J. Golden Kimball claimed you had to be. :)
Are you sure this is in “Airpine, AZ”? I’ve never heard of it, and a search comes up empty. This does look a lot like “Alpine, Az”. Airpine is an awesome name for a high desert ranch though!
[Editor: Not positive, but that’s what the source I have says. Will have to look into it.]
[Editor: Looks like Tim below has solved the riddle… I’ve corrected the main post.]
The Lord calling a cowboy to be a prophet is just about the coolest thing around. Pres Mckay also liked horses and had hat and boots to match. When I was a little boy that knowledge sealed my testimony. Well at least they were close enough for me.
I wonder if he was as colorful with his language while handeling cattle as J. Golden Kimball claimed you had to be. :)
He’s sort of the forgotten church president, isn’t he? Most people don’t even know he was president.
This is Aripine, AZ. It is located about 13 miles outside of Heber, AZ just off highway 260 going towards Show Low. The pioneers settled it, under the direction of Brigham Young, and attempted to dry farm there, but it didn’t work out. It was then turned into a boys and girls ranch, called the “Sundown Ranch” owned by Fred Turley. My grandparents bought it from Fred Turley in 1956.
lots of mormons in that part of Arizona… especially in Snowflake it seems… can’t see I much miss that place.
That’s the general part of AZ that I am in right now. White Mountain Apache country.
The man on the far right is either my husbands grandfather Barr or his brother Fred Turley. The Sundown Ranch was started as an ingenious way to make the payments on the ranch just before the great depression. It was a wonderful experience and a great part of my husbands family history. Aripine had a Girls and Boys Ranch for many years. The book “Larry” was writeh by a young boy who came as a guest to the ranch and was impressed by this “cowboy “way or life.