History of Rancho San Cayetano

The ranch's beginnings were first documented as part of the original native American settlement adjacent to the old Tumacacori Mission.  The mission's founding was in the 1600's.  The land was a part of Baca Float #3, a large tract of land under dispute in the area.  It was purchased by T.T. Pendelton around the time that Arizona became a state.  Soon after this, the Santa Gertrudis cattle were introduced to the ranch from the King Ranch in Texas.  Several large ranches of similar size were sold off, and what is now Rancho San Cayetano was purchased by J.T Mallory, the VP of Buick Motor Division of Detroit, MI.  His family began the tradition of fine horsemanship on this property that exists to this day.

In 1928 the Mallorys built the grand hacienda style home which is surrounded by twisted iron wood beams carved with various brands.  They planted sycamore trees along the main entrance which now tower over 100 feet in height.  These sycamores provide shade all over the ranch, along with the abundance of native cottonwoods, mesquites, and elderberry that follow the Santa Cruz river through the property.

Following the Mallorys, the Merryweather family purchased the ranch in the late 1930s.  A handsome, social and politically active family, they continued the Santa Gertrudis cattle operation as a working ranch.  So did the Day family in the 1960s.  The two families were featured in the Town and Country magazine and Arizona Highways, with pictures shown of the ranch itself.  Also, about this time, a movie was filmed in the area with shots of the ranch house.  It was titled BOTTOM OF THE BOTTLE, starring Ruth Roman and Van Johnson and was based on an novel written by a guest of the ranch.  The movie still airs occasionally on late night television.

Perhaps the most famous of all owners of the ranch were the Reeves.  Richard and Josephine (Seth Thomas) Reeve owned the ranch for almost thirty years.  Richard's grandson, Christopher Reeve, we know as "Superman".  They came from the famous Bellota Ranch northeast of Tucson.  They purchased the ranch to raise registered Quarter horses, and eventually they began to board horses. George Hemminger, bought the Ranch in 2004 and has turned it into the premier horse boarding facility that it is today.