There's A New Sheriff In Town

 Today we meet one of the Sheriffs of Gleeson.  As you can imagine, law enforcement had their problems with thefts and lawbreakers, most likely those who had a hankering for alcohol.  What do you do with them when there's no jail?  You chain them to this big tree.  That doesn't sound like much fun!

When they were REALLY bad, they were hung from this branch.  Oh would I love to be out here doing a little night photography!!  We just might see one of the bad guys!!  THIS is the Hanging Tree.

Finally they built a little building out of wood.  That didn't work out so well when a Mexican inmate just crawled out of the roof.  At last they decided to build a real jail of concrete and steel, and it's still standing today.   Just inside the open door is a tiny room where the Sheriff did his paperwork.  Behind him were two huge cells.

So just who was the Sheriff?  Meet Wesley Wooten Cates, lawman for more than 50 years.  He was born in Burner County Texas, his mother having died at childbirth.  His father remarried, but Wes didn't take to her at all.  At the age of 11, his father died too, so he packed some clothes, his dad's .44 pistol and rode off on the only horse they had.  

Life was pretty hard since no one would hire anyone so young.  He finally ran into a rancher who knew his father, trading out his mare for two unbroken horses and a coffee pot.  He rode from ranch to ranch before finally figuring out he should add a few years to his age.

At last he landed at the LFD Ranch near the New Mexico border and was hired on to break young horses.  After a few years, he ran into Billy McCauley, a Texas Ranger.  Wes signed up and after only one year as a Texas Ranger (and not yet 18 years old) he resigned to become the first and youngest marshal ever in Amarillo.

It was a town of saloons and brothels.  Wes took his job seriously and began arresting them all.  The City Council, not wanting to disrupt business, decided to keep all the working girls and let the saloons just pay the fines regularly.  It made everyone happy.  It appears he was marshal for less than two years when he married Florence "Pearl" Allen at Christmas in 1895.

At last they headed this direction and ended up in Pearce working as a mine blaster, or powder monkey.  When the mine closed, they moved to Gleeson.  With two hotels, five saloons, two general stores and over 500 houses, it was a booming town.  Wes hired on as a deputy, earning $2 for every arrest (about $10 a week income), making sure they were chained tightly to the tree.  The town kids threw rocks at the "inmates".

Eventually the REAL jail was built in 1910.  It even sported a flushing toilet, although the concrete made it a rather hot place to be.  In 1912 a fire started in the basement of a warehouse building across the way, burning down 28 buildings.  The Sheriff moved on to Casa Grande, ending up as a captain of the mounted guard at the Arizona State Prison in Florence.

He moved back to Tucson, with his last job being that of a U. S. Deputy Marshal.  He died in 1955.  Can you imagine the stories he could tell!!

The jail was eventually closed down and taken over by a group of hippies who lived there (rent free) for several years. The metal gates and windows were removed and installed in the Benson Jail.   It fell into disrepair until in 2008 it was purchased by a couple who proceeded to bring it back to life.  It is now owned by Joe Bono, the son of the owner of the infamous Bono Saloon in Gleeson.  

This is a must see.  Everything you find in these two rooms belonged to his father (also Joe Bono), some of which came from the saloon.  Fascinating history here in this room, but I'll tell you about it tomorrow.

I didn't meet any ghosts, but I did meet and talk to Joe Bono (the son).  What stories he can tell.  I'll introduce you to him tomorrow.  If you are interested in seeing these amazing items and pictures, Joe comes from Tucson on the first Saturday of every month to open the museum.  It's a must see.

I served some time at Gleeson Jail and dropped a few bucks to help keep the lights on!!