The Coolidge examiner., 1937-04-01
Number S
Cactus Forest
Ranch Is Ideal
Haven Of Rest

CdCCuS foreSt Hdncn, ten miles
due east of Coolidge. on Highway
No. 81, owned py +. A. Peters, is
at present an asset to Coolidge, and
can be made of inestimable value
to this town.
The EXamintr visited Cactus
Forest Ranch for the first time
last Monday afternoon, and was sur
prised to find such a fine resort so
near Coolidge of which so little il
known here.
Mr.. Peters, owner, came to Ari-
zona nine years ago, as he stated,
ito die" but his nine years in this
wonderful climate not only pro-
longed his life up to the present
time, but has made of him a robust
man who is we'll destined to live
more thar the allotted three score
and ten years: He came from
smoky old Pittsbu! gh, Pa, and he
is now only 80 years old.
Cactus Forest Ranch is located
on 4S0 acres Of desert land-the
whole tract is as fiat as beavers
tail, and is studded with all varieties
of the cactus plant, some tall and
stately, that appear like ghosts un-
der the glare of moonlight, others
short and thorny, giving a beauti-
full setting to this wide-open space
right at Coolidges east door
The ranch now has five modern
cottages and con struction of four
additional ones has been begun. A
private lighting system furnishes
electricity. but b. July, Mr.. Peters
stated, the rural electrification line
will be available 10 his properties,
and this will do away with the
privately owned plant and greatly
increase the voldEle of Juice" for
all purposes.
A well $50 feet in depth affords
plenty of water for the ranch, and
the water is the. sery best to be
found in Arizona. In addition t.
the new cottages sewer system
is to be installed.
Mr.. Peters is still single, but his
mother, Mrs. G. Peters, who came
from Pittsburg four years ago to
pay him "short visit" is still with
him, and she probably will continue
to reside with him.
Mr.. Peters no." has $4,000 in
vested in the Cactus Forest Ranch
and will this summer spend about
$4,000 in making otler substantial
improvements. He reports his best
season in the nine years of his
residence here was the one just
closed, and stated that already he
has reservations for some very
wealthy eastern folk for next winter.
Cactus Forest Ranch is 1900 feet
above sea level; Tucson $500 fee.
and Phoenix 1,100 feet. Mr. Peters
says this is a happy medium and
that it is much cooler at the ranch
than it is either at Phoenix or
Tucson and warmer in the winter.
The cottages are nicely furnished
with many homemade pieces of
furniture which gives them a real
honey appearance.
Cactus Forest Ranch is in nc
sense dude ranch" Mr.. Peters ex.
planned; no livestock are kept and
when the winter visitors want
horses MIR. Peters gets them fror
ranchers in this section. No at
tempo is made to grow anything on
the ranch, the oniy vegetation be-
ing that which has always grown
there.
Cactus Forest Ranch strikes The
Examiner as being a place where
tired businessmen and their wives
and daughters can really find rest
from the cares and noises in their
home towns.
While the ranch caters principal
ly to winter visitors, some go there
for summer. Monday Paul Taylor
and his wife of Seattle, Wn., ar
rived at the ranch and will be there
several weeks. The ranch has
ample play and picnic grounds, and
Mr.. Peters stated that church and
other organizations in Coolidge
are welcome to use them at any
time without paying for the
!