by William Howard in 1977 Fifty-five acres ordering Oak Creek in the Red Rock Loop area comprise the remainder of the Fred Schuerman Ranch. There’s a house on that land that Fred was born in, and in which he and wife Geraldine live today. Three Schuerman children share the home–there’s John, the eldest; Charles, a high school student; and Patsy, their 13-year-old sister Originally, the ranch was a 160-acre homestead. Oak Creek, then as now, provides irrigation water. “When I was a boy,” Fred recalled, “my hands fitted around a lot of hoe handles.” They still do. Ditches carrying water to the 35 acres under cultivation need constant watching, weeding, and repair. Trees producing red and yellow Delicious apples share moisture with those producing peaches. Grapes were once a crop, but with closure of the Clarkdale smelters which processed copper ore from Jerome, demand dropped. Coke may have warmed the copper, but juice of the grape warmed many Italians employed at the smelters. Medicinal purposes, of course. Much of Sedona lies in the past awaiting an abundant future. THOSE EARLY DAYS, a publication of Sedona Westerners, is available at The Worm Book Store, Sedona. It’s great reading and is crowded … Continue reading →

The Andrew Baldwin Ranch Home is located some ten miles south of Sedona, Arizona, overlooking Oak Creek in that colorful section of Arizona land, where formations of rock castles domes and steeples create a fairy land. Whichever way you turn, either from the outside of the house on the grounds or from the interior’s wide windows, may be seen enchanting rock formations of variegated colors of gray, buff and red. These formations and colors change momentarily throughout the day, taking on the various hues and coloring of nature’s mood at the time. Even by moonlight the color is still there and mystery and romance has been added. The Baldwin ranch home is located on a sloping piece of canyon side on a natural bench some 100 feet above Oak Creek and is of an architecture difficult to tag in any acknowledged style. There has been a blending of boulder stone taken from the bed of Oak Creek, mingled with the buff colored ledge sandstone, roughly shaped to form piers, fireplaces, and porches, while at the same time walls in some cases have been used of boards and battens, with brightly colored shutters and awnings typical of the country. Pergolas and … Continue reading →

Comment: The family story is that Henry took the property in for  debt. The description of the location is interesting.

Yavapai County Deed Book 15, pages 238-241.

Leonard and Minerva Carroll sold to Heinrich Schuerman on April 28, 1882 for the sum of $800.00 dollars, 160 acres.

The Carroll/Schuerman deed recorded May 9, 1882.

Excerpt from the deed: “All and singular the following described property and premises, viz. Being the possessory right to one hundred and sixty acres of land, situated lying and being on Oak Creek in the aforesaid county of Yavapai and about twenty-five miles up said creek from its junction with the Verde River. The said land or ranch being in edge of what is known as the “red rock” country and is about three miles down said Oak Creek from what is known as the James ranch in what was formerly known as “Oak Flat” the said land or ranch also being about eight miles north of Ben Baker’s ranch at the foot of the Mogollon mountains, and is the location made by the parties of the first part about the year 1878, and occupied by them since said time and is now occupied by them as a home. Also, the log houses thereon; and other improvements, water ditches or canals. Waters flowing through said canals or ditches, water rights dams, rights of way, tenements, hereditaments, rights, privileges immunities and appurtenance unto said land or ranch belonging or in anywise appertaining”

Deed Book 41, pages 184-187

Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company, Warranty Deed to Henry Schuerman, 1893

Henry had to buy the land again from the Railroad company for the sum of $400.00. There is a legal description in this deed as follows: The Southeast quarter of Section Twenty-seven of Township Seventeen, North range Five, East of the Gila and Salt River Base Line and principal Meridian, Arizona.

Earliest known inhabitants along lower Oak Creek date back to 700 – 900 AD when the ancient Southern Sinaguan people once occupied this land. Architectural and agricultural features suggest that Red Rock Crossing area was seasonally occupied for farming purposes. In more recent history, the Verde Valley has been home to many Yavapai and Apache Indians who traditionally hunted and gathered their food in the Valley and along the Oak Creek waterways.

It wasn’t until the mid 19th century when Euro-American settlers infiltrated into the Verde Valley to homestead parcels of land. Since the first homestead at Crescent Moon Ranch, it has changed hands at least nine times and changed names at least three. It is unclear when the name “Crescent Moon Ranch” came about.

In 1880, Prescott cattleman Jon Lee came to Sedona, settling along lower Oak Creek naming his land the “OK Ranch” after his cattle brand. Some 16 years later, he patented the 160-acre ranch under the Homestead Act of 1862. Lee was one of the earliest white settlers in the Sedona area where he grew grain for his animals. It wasn’t long after receiving his homestead patent that he sold the ranch to Elizabeth Ragsdale for cash value of $750.

Elizabeth resided on the ranch from 1896 to 1902 where she raised her cattle and served as a local midwife. Elizabeth later married Charles Howard, better known as the legendary “Bear Howard” who hunted and was later hunted by a bear in Oak Creek Canyon. Bear was also known to have killed a man and served time in San Quenton prison where he escaped prison twice in his lifetime once on his own and the second when a guard released him. Elizabeth and Bear’s marriage only lasted several months before going their separate ways. it was said she didn’t like his bear-hunting dogs and he didn’t like her cattle.

Elizabeth sold the ranch to the Schnebley’s in 1902 for $1000 who purchased the property strictly for speculation. The Schnebley’s then doubled their investment 2 years later selling to Marion Palmer for $2000 who then sold the property shortly after for $2200.

Over the next 15 years the Dumas and Schuerman families created a commercially successful orchard, with their apple and peach varieties receiving top honors at the Northern Arizona Fair. By 1916, there were some 1,500 fruit trees. A cannery operation was established in the home and fresh fruit was taken to regional markets. Ollie Dumas, a Jerome dentist used Crescent Moon as a winter range for his cattle and eventually bought out the interests of his siblings, renting the ranch and orchards. Over a period of time and neglect the ranch began to decline.

Fortunately, Andrew Baldwin and his wife Jane, who purchased the property in 1936 for $6,000, spared Crescent Moon Ranch from further neglect. They built the current ranch home in 1938 and renamed the ranch the “Palo Bonito.” Some claim that the ranch house architectural design was commissioned under a study with a student of Frank Lloyd Wright.

The ranch continued to produce successful peaches, apples, apricots, plums, grapes alfalfa, and tomatoes. Miners at the nearby town of Jerome purchased much of the produce; other produce was hauled as far away as Phoenix and Chicago to be sold. What is known today as Red Rock Crossing was once called the Baldwin Crossing.

Throughout the century of Euro American ownership, each family residing at of owning Crescent Moon Ranch managed to construct new buildings and structures, removed or recycled others, and allowed vacant buildings to fall into disrepair. The old barn is the only building remaining from the original homestead. Other historic buildings were built when the site was operated as a working ranch. Fruit orchards once occupied much of the ranch’s open pastures. Today the ranch house and other historic buildings are registered as National Historic Sites.

Throughout history, a number of ranch-hand families also resided on the ranch working behind the scenes, ranching, farming, building structures and maintaining the integrity of the ranch. In 1937, Claire Jones, who also worked the Schuerman Ranch at Red Rock Crossing was hired by Mr. Baldwin to take over the Palo Bonito Ranch where he then worked for the next 16 years. No electricity was available in the area, so a large water wheel was installed for the two houses which pumped both domestic and irrigation water. Claire worked to improved Red Rock Crossing, which connected Palo Bonito to the Baldwin’s land where Verde Valley School is today. In 1953, the Baldwin ranch was then sold to Mrs. Nick Duncan.

It wasn’t until 1980 that the Forest Service purchased the 160-acre Crescent Moon Ranch located along Oak Creek at Red Rock Crossing with National Land and Water Conservation Grant dollars. Intent of the Forest Service was to protect the land from future development and to secure it for the public’s enjoyment. Today, Crescent Moon Ranch is a treasured day-use recreation site located in a well-known world-class setting along Oak Creek at the base of Cathedral Rock (earlier known as Courthouse Butte).

Under Forest Service ownership, the Crescent Moon ranch house, foreman’s house and surrounding buildings have since been utilized as crew quarters, storage and now as a Forest Service cabin rental. The “Cabins With a View” cabin rental program was designed to help the Forest Service maintain this historic facility while offering the facility for public enjoyment.

Today millions of day-use visitors and photographers enjoy the natural beauty and ambiance of Crescent Moon Ranch along Oak Creek’s exquisite Red Rock Crossing. The Crescent Moon Day-Use picnicking and swimming site is managed separately from the cabin rental program, under contract with “Recreation Resource Management.” The “Rooms With A View” Cabin Rental Program is currently managed by “Recreation Solutions,” a Forest Service enterprise business. Together, Crescent Moon Ranch Day-Use Area and the Crescent Moon Cabin Rental location provide a unique quality recreation experience in an enchanted red-rock setting.