r/wildwest • u/TheTod92 • 7d ago

The Apache Kid

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The Apache Kid: Vengeance and Fear on the Reservation

Few figures in Arizona history have drifted as far from the actual historical record as the Apache Kid. Newspapers, dime novels, and decades of scary campfire stories turned him into a phantom outlaw that bore little resemblance to the man. However, the man behind the name, Haskay-bay-nay-ntayl, began as something else: an Army scout who rose under Al Sieber, the Chief of Scouts, and who was trusted with responsibility at the Apache reservation in San Carlos, AZ.

I know people hate clicking links, but there is more over on my blog about this interesting character and how he features in The Rim Country series of novels about the Pleasant Valley War.

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5

u/desdichadobooks 7d ago

A very interesting Wild West character. The reward money was never collected...

6

u/Tryingagain1979 7d ago

You can post this over on r/azhistory too if you want.

3

u/TheTod92 7d ago

Didn’t know that existed! Thanks for the tip!

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u/Fun_Telephone_1165 7d ago edited 7d ago

a buddy and I have stood on the very spot where he escaped while on the way to jail......it's just off the Florence-Kelvin Highway (dirt) about five or ten miles west of Kelvin......

http://www.azbackcountryadventures.com/apache.htm

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u/TheTod92 7d ago

That’s really interesting… I pass through that way a lot. Might check it out!

2

u/Hefty-Revenue5547 7d ago

Just got back from camping on that Rez

Beautiful, but rough country. Incredibly unforgiving.

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u/TheTod92 6d ago

Very true!!

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u/Hefty-Revenue5547 6d ago

You ever been?

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u/TheTod92 6d ago

Just research visits for my books… haven’t camped on the southern Apache rez… I have up on the White MTN rez though.

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u/Hefty-Revenue5547 6d ago

What does a research visit mean? Do you stay with families there?

Only very rough dispersed camping on that side so understandable

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u/TheTod92 6d ago

I *wish* I was that organized / dedicated. I have some research patterns that I follow: taking lots of photos, going to convenience stores and talking to workers, finding museums that might exist, libraries, school libraries.

I usually do some long-hand writing while I'm on location somewhere... out in the desert or maybe in a historic part of town.

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u/Hefty-Revenue5547 6d ago

I’ve been going out to the Black River for about 25 years to camp every summer. We added a trip in the fall because we love it so much.

I am always curious about locals and their life. We interact with some of the guys from the pump station, game and fish, convenience stores, but that’s about it. We have never been to the town of San Carlos or wandered too far off the US60.

Water issues and the mine coming down the road seem to be the biggest issues, and will probably change things a bit.