Sabino Otero
Arizona, The Youngest State, 1913

Sabino Otero, now deceased, was a descendant of one of the 
early Spanish settlers in Arizona and was a representative 
of the fourth generation of his family, his great-grandfather 
having located here when this section of the southwest was 
still the property of Spain.  He was born on the old historic 
family ranch at Tubac, in the vicinity of Nogales on the 29th 
of December 1846, a son of Manuel Otero.  This old family has 
but one surviving representative, Teofilo Otero, the brother 
of our subject.

The boyhood and youth of Sabino Otero were passed on the home 
ranch which formed one of the Spanish grants and when little 
more than a boy he participated in the Indian wars.  He 
subsequently acquired some land six miles south of Tubac 
on which he installed a crude system of irrigation and 
raised corn.  He sold his crops to the U.S. Military post 
established nearby for the protection of the settlers, 
whose safety was constantly menaced at that time by the 
Indians.  For a number of years he also engaged in 
freighting for the government to Fort Bowie but the 
Indians gave so much trouble that he disposed of his 
outfit and invested the proceeds in a herd of cattle 
from Texas.  He was still troubled by the Indians, who 
drove off his cattle and finally obtained permission 
from the Mexican government at Sonora to drive his 
herds across the border and for five years ranged his 
cattle on the prairies of Mexico.  He then brought 
them back to his ranch, ranging them on the old home 
place, which comprises three hundred acres.  For many 
years, Mr. Otero resided in Tucson which was an old 
Spanish settlement when he first came here and 
contained but few settlers.  He related many 
interesting experiences of the early days, when 
the U.S. government maintained a military post in 
Tucson in order to protect the inhabitants from the 
Indians.  He watched with interest the growth and 
development of the city which with its many beautiful 
residences, fine hotels and large shops bears little 
resemblance to the Tucson of fifty years ago.





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