Mrs. Frances Aleman has played an important role in not only the Arizona Sheep Industry but on the national level. An earlier blog was written about Frances and the beginnings of the Making it With Wool contest. We now turn our attention to her work on the national level. As part of the American Sheep Producers Council assigned the task of documenting the sheep industry across the country Frances traveled to many state woolgrowers associations asking each group to submit information on their members and she wrote hundreds of letters asking families to contribute their stories. Hers and many others tireless efforts resulted in Sheep and Men – An American Saga! The book documents the industry from the 1930s to the 1970s on the national level.  It was published in the late 1970s.  Just a few facts from the book will be listed here.

The early history of the sheep brought to the New World can be traced to Christopher Columbus in 1493 to the Caribbean.

Sheep are on the mainland of the Americas by 1521 when Cortes brings them into Mexico.

By 1611, Jamestown has sheep that will be raised for their wool and meat.  Jamestown had sheep in 1607 but they were consumed during the famine that hit the colony the next year.

The first national livestock association was the National Wool Growers Association which was established in 1865 in Syracuse, New York.

One chapter in the book is titled “the Basque in Arizona”.  Jean Etchamendy, Gumersindo Marcos, Jean Pierre “Pete” Espil, John Aleman, Manuel Aja, Miguel Echeverria, etc., are some of the Basque sheepherders/ranchers in Sheep and Men and further detailed in my book Where Have All the Sheep Gone?  As I documented, the Basque came from both France and Spain to work for a rancher with sheep and would take their pay in sheep which allowed them to start their own operations when they had enough sheep.  Both books offer anyone interested in the American sheep industry a good overall perspective of the hard working sheepherder and rancher who played an important role in the economic development of this country.

I believe that my book is unique in the fact that it gathers the stories from the families in the industry, which to my knowledge, has not been completed in any other state.  If there is such a book, please let me know so I can read about other sheep families.  I visited three Kentucky sheep farms in June to learn more about their eastern operations and to compare to the western operations.  A blog with pictures will follow on this topic.

I am collecting more family stories to preserve this history. If you are a former sheep rancher in Arizona or know someone who was, please contact me by placing a comment on this story or via email at bjaquay@icloud.com.  Thanks for reading my blog.  I hope that you enjoy and also learn some history of the sheep industry.

Fermin fell in love at first sight after meeting Benancia Erro Miranda in Flagstaff.  Benancia’s mother had immigrated into California in the early 1890s.  The Miranda family and Echeverria were from close native villages in Spain.  Benancia came to Flagstaff from California to work for her uncle, Gregorio Erro, who owned one of two Basque boarding houses.  She would help sheepherders who came through the boarding house with any translations that were needed or other problems that they needed an English spokesperson.  After only a few months of courting, the couple married in Los Angeles on October 5, 1918, returning to Arizona for Fermin to continue in the sheep business.

Fermin and Benancia would split their time between Wickenburg and Winslow.  Sheep are grazed in the summer months in the high cool forest lands around Winslow and to the east and further north toward the canyon.  The animals would be trailed there each spring. Sheep, burros for carrying supplies, dogs for protection and dogs for helping to move the sheep would be accompanied by a herder or two as they walked for six or more weeks to the cooler forest where grazing was plentiful.  Fermin would go with the herders.  When the temperatures began to cool, the ewes which are now pregnant,  would be moved to the warmer desert areas.  Here in this setting, the lambing would begin usually in November and continue until February.  This practice of the migration of sheep between summer and winter pastures is known as transhumance.  It is unique to the western states but not to other countries.

The couple’s first home was purchased in Winslow.   The couple was blessed with five children; Fermin Matias born in Los Angeles, Ellen in Wickenburg, John Philip in Winslow,  Rachel Marie in Wickenburg and Irene in Winslow.  The children traveled each summer to the family home in Winslow along with the families of Fermin’s partners.  The children would play together as the families lived in the same ranch house or very near one another.  As the children grew they learned a work ethic that is so common among the Basque as they were given chores and expected to carry them out.  Fermin and the other men would spend time among the sheep and herders.  The men would make supply runs to purchase weekly supplies that the herders needed.  Other times the whole family would take a trip to the sheep camp taking fried chicken and hand-beaten cakes that the women had prepared.  Mothers taught their daughters how to cook traditional Basque food.  Everyone would enjoy the camaraderie for the day with the herders.  The children would carve their names or animals or other things in the aspen trees.  The herders also would carve designs, their names, where they were from in Basque country, or to give directions.  This is a trait of the Basque.  A photographic documentation of many of these carvings has been made by the forest service and others allowing future generations to see them.

Back at the ranch house, many evenings were spent playing games or listening to someone play a musical instrument.  As Irene Echeverria Aja said one day to me, “Quality family time was spent in the evenings.  We made do with what we had growing up in the fields around our homes and we used our imagination to invent ways to keep ourselves entertained!”  After spending the summer in the cool forest of northern Arizona a return trip to Wickenburg occurred in October for the children to attend school.

Fermin Echeverria passed away February 7, 1974 followed by his wife February 17, 1976.  Fermin and Benancia had instilled in their five children to be true to their Basque Country but to have a great love for their adopted country, the United States.

More information on the Echeverria family is found in Where Have All the Sheep Gone? Sheep Herders and Ranchers in Arizona – a Disappearing Industry.

Pedro and Fermin headed northward riding on a buckboard.  Fermin would be given provisions for his stay with the sheep.  This was flour, sugar, coffee, salt, salt pork, rice, prunes, raisins and beans.  A Dutch oven, an ax, a bedroll and a canvas tent rounded out his equipment.  All his supplies were carried by the two burros he was given.  His salary for a month was $35 for watching and carrying for the sheep 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Fermin worked for Pedro Arrese for two years.  Because he had no place to spend his money he saved it.

He did finally met up with his brothers a few months after starting work for Arrese.  Miguel and Matias had formed an outfit with Mike Ohaco.  With some of the money he had saved, he also invested in that outfit.  The outfit needed money to pay for winter supplies.  During this time, Pedro had given Fermin a raise of $5 a month, but when he found out that Fermin had invested in another outfit, but just not any outfit, his brothers, Pedro reneged on the raise.

Just seven years after arriving in Arizona, Fermin he was able to purchase his brother, Matias, interest in the Ohaco Sheep Company.  Matias was drafted into the military.  The next year, Fermin would find love and get married.  Story continued tomorrow.

Fermin was the third son to migrate to the United States.  The Echeverria family migrated from Viscarret, Navarra, Spain, i.e., part of the Basque area in the Pyrenees. (There are also French Basque which will be presented in other blogs.)  Fermin followed his older brothers, Miguel and Matias, who in 1910 were working in Arizona.  Leaving by ship from Le Havre, France, Fermin made his way to the United States.  He told his family of the moment he spotted the Statue of Liberty as the ship pulled into the harbor.  He never forgot his roots back in Basque country, but America was now his home!  Like all immigrants of this time period, Fermin was required to pass a physical examination to enter the country.  Once he was processed at Ellis Island, he boarded a train for Arizona.

When Fermin arrived in Phoenix he was expecting one of his two brothers to meet him.  Unfortunately the letter he had sent to them did not arrive in time for Miguel and Matias to meet him.  He approached some men who he heard speaking Spanish.  He learned that his brothers were far away with a sheep outfit.  One of the men, Pedro Arrese, another Basque, offered him work.  Fermin agreed.  Part 2 tomorrow.   This is part of the story on the Echeverria family from my book Where Have All the Sheep Gone? Sheep Herders and Ranchers in Arizona-A Disappearing Industry.

As my husband and I was out driving in the Flagstaff area we came upon a flat field full of sheep.  Many lambs were in the flock and some were still feeding from the ewe.   There were two tanks with some water. Obviously water was being hauled in which must be expensive.  As we looked around, the forest is very dry and the forest service has closed many of the forest to any camping, campfires, and no smoking.  It is hoped that the monsoons come early and bring good rain.

As soon as I have confirmation to the date of the photograph I will post.  It is believed to have been taken in 1947, the year the contest began.  Frances Aleman is the woman in the middle seated.

Make It With Wool Contest is in its 70th year and it is only proper that we honor the woman who began this contest. Frances Aleman had worn many hats in her life time – wife, mother, organizer and enthusiastic promoter of the sheep industry. One of her achievements was the Make It Yourself with Wool contest which she cofounded with Ora Chipman in 1947. The Women’s Auxiliary of the National Wool Growers Association sponsored the contest because of the lack of a Women’s Auxiliary in Arizona. It would take eleven years for Frances and other wives whose husbands belonged to the Arizona’s Wool Growers Association to organize one. As the charter president of the Make It Yourself with Wool, Frances served for twelve consecutive years. She went on to be elected to the national association, served within the national organization for the next two years before  becoming its president for the next two years. During her years with the National Wool Growers Association, she was their National Press Correspondent. In 1968, she was elected Woman of the Year for her business and civic activities within Arizona and on behave of the national organization.
The first contest for the Make It Yourself with Wool involved twelve western states and was restricted to only women and girls. Each state held its own competition and winners went to compete on the national level at the national convention. Today, both males and females of all ages may enter a project made with wool in the competition in the six categories which are: Preteen, Junior, Senior, Adult, Made for Others, and the College Fashion or Apparel Design Category. The fabric from which the project is made must be 60 percent or greater of wool.  Virginia is the newest state to form an Make It With Wool Association.  Arizona’s contest will be held November 18. More information will follow on how to apply for either Arizona’s contest or look each state for their guidelines.  Unfortunately, not all states have a contest.

Before and after presenting the sheep history of Arizona at the Beaver Creek Preservation and Historical Society, several people in the audience told me stories of sheep crossing on or near their property.  One told me that he had taken donuts to the herders.  The owner of the sheep told him that the herders hadn’t been able to eat much the last couple of days because there was a restriction on camp fires.  He went and bought pizzas for the herders, who I understand were very appreciative.

Another story was from a woman who said she remembered the sheep going across her property every year.  She will be one that I will contact soon for stories.

As I travel around the state I am amazed at the history that is going to be lost to future generations unless we start to preserve it.  I hope that I can be a small part of this especially where it concerns the sheep industry.

I had a great audience at the Beaver Creek Preservation and Historical Society today.  They were a fun group and I learned stories of the sheep trailing in this area in past years which I will add in the next couple of days. One woman remembered the Aja’s and the sheep running down 19th Ave in Phoenix.   The Aja’s came in the 1920s to Arizona and raised their families along with the sheep.  Stay tuned for more stories.