Search the Encyclopedia Mavericana:   ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Rocking Star Ranch

Cattle ranch in Dry Springs, Arizona Territory from 1872 – 1877.[1]

Bought and occupied by Ben Maxwell in 1872.[1]

Maxwell was not a rancher when he bought the Rocking Star, although he knew how to lead men and was thereby able to run the ranch reasonably well. His true motivation was to be near Martha Ferris, who lived on her own ranch south of his own property. Maxwell had fallen in love with Martha when her husband Jedd was on trial for a bank robbery and murder Maxwell and his own gang had committed in Dry Springs shortly before. Although he had his own ranch to run, he had enough hands to operate the spread while he spent much of his time helping with chores on the Ferris Ranch in Jedd's absence.[1]

On December 9, 1877,[2] Whitey Brandon, one of Maxwell's gang from the bank robbery, was on the run. He appeared at the Rocking Star, seeking refuge. Later that same night, Bret Maverick, who was trailing Brandon, visited Maxwell at the Rocking Star to enlist his aid in hunting Brandon down. Maxwell agreed to help Bret, but asked him to call on Martha to tell her what was going on. While Bret was away, he arranged for Brandon to make his getaway. But before Brandon could escape, Bret cornered him in the Rocking Star's barn, forcing him to sign a confession letter to the Dry Springs bank robbery. Maxwell shot and killed Brandon before he could do so. Maxwell then turned his gun on Bret, but Martha appeared just then with the sheriff of Dry Springs, who fatally shot Maxwell. As Maxwell was dying, he signed the confession letter himself, which led to Jedd being freed from a life sentence he was serving for Maxwell and Brandon's crimes.[1]

Upon Jedd's return home two months later, the Ferrises arranged to take over the Rocking Star and merged it with their own spread.[2]

The Rocking Star Ranch house, Dry Springs, Arizona Territory, 1877.[2]