Show Low -- is it all a lie? 01-10-09

Right here, from the pages of JoAnn Finney Hatch's book, Lore and Legends, adventure and history in the White Mountains of Arizona, is living proof of the legend -- Show Low got its name from a card game.

Here's the legend.

Corydon Cooley and Marion Clark jointly owned a 100,000 acre ranch that occupied the entire valley currently known as Show Low. The valley began where a stream emerged from a malpais canyon at the pine tree line (mostly junipers in the lower areas) and spread out on both sides of the stream for nearly 10 miles. Sometimes the valley was a couple of miles wide, other times it bottlenecked into malpai gorges. It was a fantastic place to run cattle, and hay grew naturally in the fields along the creek. 

Not many years after the ranch got well started, Cooley and Clark parted company. Legend has it that rather than fight it out at close range with sixguns, the two men decided to play cards to determine who would go and who would stay. As the game drew to a close, Marion Clark supposedly said to Cooley, "Show low and win the ranch." Cooley turned up a deuce of clubs for the win. Clark peacefully went his way. 

Cooley often told the story of the card game. But then he often told stories, many of which were highly embellished versions of the truth. 

True, Cooley named the place Show Low Ranch. But did the name come from the fabled card game? The Chamber of Commerce of Show Low, Arizona, would have you believe so. 

But wait. What was the name of that creek that ran down the middle of Cooley's ranch?

An 1879 map has the stream labelled "Chiloe Creek." 

And in 1851, Franz Huning said the Indians referred to the creek as Shothloo. 

What a tiny bit of imagination it would take to morph Shothloo into Show Low. The card game makes a good story. Corydon Cooley was famous for his good stories. Dick Cooley, biographer and grandson of Corydon, wrote: "I wish you luck . . .since the dearth of accurate information and the separation of fact from fancy in the life of this remarkable man (Cooley) is not a simple task. His own penchant for story telling and humorous embellishments . . . tend to confuse . . . ."

Jo Ann says, "Whatever the facts of the naming of the town of Show Low, the tourists love Cooley's story as much today as they did 100 years ago. The truth of the matter is safely buried under the sands of time, and will never be known. But if you hear a faint chuckle as the 'Show Low Story' is told, don't be surprised. Old Cooley may be having the last laugh." 

Cooley and Clark, immortalized in bronze, play the famous card game. Vandals removed Clark's head. The one in the photo is a temporary replacement until another can be cast. Vandals never cease to amaze me.

Comments

[Ray]

I love these old stories about how places got their names.
There's a place over here called Cockfosters (near Barnet). Now there is the 'official' version on the net for all to see.
But the version I grew up with was that there was a bunch of gypsies called Foster who were famous for raising the best fighting cocks.

[V.E.G.]

JoAnn Finney Hatch's brother Henry Scott Finney. died as a result of efforts to help a friend in need. Semper Fi, Scott.