In 1528, Spanish explorersÁlvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca,Estevanico, andFray Marcos de Niza[3] survived a shipwreck off the Texas coast. Captured by Native Americans, they spent eight years finding their way back to Mexico City, via theSan Pedro Valley. Their journals, maps, and stories led to the Cibola,seven cities of gold myth. The Expedition of Francisco Vásquez de Coronado in 1539 using it[clarification needed] as his route north through what they called the Guachuca Mountains of Pima[4] (Tohono O'odham) lands and later part of the mission routes north, but was actually occupied by theSobaipuri descendants of theHohokam. They found a large Pueblo (described as a small city) between modernBenson andWhetstone, and several smaller satellite villages and smaller pueblos including ones on Fort Huachuca, Huachuca City, and North Eastern Fry. About 1657,Father Kino visited the Sobaipuris[5] just before the Apache forced most from the valley, as they were struggling to survive due to increasingChiricahua Apache attacks as they moved into the area ofTexas Canyon of theDragoon Mountains. In 1775,Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate[6] was founded on the west bank of the San Pedro River to protect the natives and the Mexican settlers who supplied the mission stations. The presidio was chronically short on provisions due to raids, however, and lacked personnel to adequately patrol the eastern route due to wars with France and England, so the main route north shifted west to theSanta Cruz Valley, farther from the range of the Chiricahua Apache, who almost exclusively controlled the area by 1821.[5][7]
Cochise County in 1881
Cochise County was created on February 1, 1881, out of the eastern portion ofPima County.[8] It took its name from the Chiricahua Apache war chiefCochise.[9][10] The county seat wasTombstone until 1929, when it moved toBisbee. Notable men who once held the position of countysheriff wereJohnny Behan, who served as the first sheriff of the new county, and who was one of the main characters during the events leading to and following thegunfight at the O.K. Corral. Later, in 1886,Texas John Slaughter became sheriff. LawmanJeff Milton and lawman/outlawBurt Alvord both served as deputies under Slaughter.
J.A. Jance'sJoanna Brady mystery series takes place in Cochise County, where Brady is sheriff.
Beginning in the late 1950s, the small community ofMiracle Valley was the site of a series of bible colleges and similar religious organizations, founded by television evangelistA. A. Allen. In 1982, Miracle Valley and neighboringPalominas were the site of a series of escalating conflicts between a newly arrived black religious community and the county sheriff and deputies that culminated in theMiracle Valley shootout.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 6,219 square miles (16,110 km2), of which 53 square miles (140 km2) (0.9%) are covered by water.[11] Cochise County is close to the size of the states ofRhode Island andConnecticut combined.
Cochise County, Arizona – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 125,447. Of the residents, 20.8% were under the age of 18 and 24.2% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 44.0 years. For every 100 females there were 100.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.7 males. 63.2% of residents lived in urban areas and 36.8% lived in rural areas.[22][23][24]
There were 50,936 households in the county, of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 26.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[23]
There were 58,648 housing units, of which 13.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 68.8% were owner-occupied and 31.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.0%.[23]
As of thecensus of 2010, 131,346 people, 50,865 households, and 33,653 families resided in the county.[25] The population density was 21.3 inhabitants per square mile (8.2 inhabitants/km2). The 59,041 housing units had an average density of 9.6 units per square mile (3.7 units/km2).[26] The racial makeup of the county was 78.5% White, 4.2% Black or African American, 1.9% Asian, 1.2% American Indian, 0.3% Pacific islander, 9.9% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 32.4% of the population.[25] The largest ancestry groups were:[27]
28.3% Mexican
16.2% German
11.6% Irish
9.8% English
4.5% American
3.7% Italian
2.6% French
2.1% Scottish
2.0% Dutch
1.9% Scotch-Irish
1.9% Polish
1.5% Norwegian
1.1% Puerto Rican
1.1% Swedish
Of the 50,865 households, 30.4% had children under 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.8% were not families, and 28.2% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age was 39.7 years.[25]
The median income for a household in the county was $44,876 and for a family was $53,077. Males had a median income of $42,164 versus $31,019 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,010. About 11.8% of families and 15.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 23.2% of those under 18 and 10.7% of those 65 or over.[28]
As of thecensus of 2000, 117,755 people, 43,893 households, and 30,768 families were residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 19 people per square mile (7.3 people/km2). The 51,126 housing units had an average density of 8 units per square mile (3.1 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 76.7% White, 4.5% African American, 1.2% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 12.1% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. About 30.7% of the population were Hispanics or Latino of any race. Around 25.4% reported speaking Spanish at home, while 1.3% spokeGerman.[29]
There were 43,893 households, out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% weremarried couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 101.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,105, and the median income for a family was $38,005. Males had a median income of $30,533 versus $22,252 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,988. About 13.5% of families and 17.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 25.8% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
Cochise County leans strongly towards the Republican Party in presidential elections.[31][32] AlthoughBill Clinton carried the county narrowly in 1992, it has supported the Republican nominee by large margins in every other election since 1968, except for 1996 and 1976 when Clinton andJimmy Carter each lost only narrowly. Although the county includes the relatively liberal town ofBisbee, as well as the city ofDouglas which has a large Latino population, this is outweighed by the heavily Republican tilt of the more populousSierra Vista, which is adjacent toFort Huachuca and thus has a heavy military presence.
United States presidential election results for Cochise County, Arizona[33][34]
Sierra Vista Municipal Airport (IATA: FHU, ICAO: KFHU, FAA LID: FHU), a joint-use civil-military airport which shares facilities with Libby Army Airfield, is located on the U.S. Army installation Fort Huachuca in the city of Sierra Vista. The airport has three runways and one helipad. It is mostly used for military aviation for the surrounding military base.
No commercial flights occur at Cochise County; the nearest commercial airport is atTucson, about 70 miles fromSierra Vista.
The Rucker Elementary School district, in 2002, operated no schools and sent its elementary students to the Elfrida district. The Rucker district had a bus driver and an administrator as employees. The residents liked the arrangement as they could pay less tax.[39]
^"Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived fromthe original on May 31, 2011. RetrievedJune 7, 2011.
^A pictorial history of Sierra Vista, Arizona : more than a city, a way of life. Tritz, Judith. [Place of publication not identified]: Pediment Pub. 2006.ISBN1597250589.OCLC74175599.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
^Smith, Cornelius C (1981).FORT HUACHUCA: The story of a frontier post. U.S. Government Printing Office: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.
^abJackson., Price, Ethel (2003).Sierra Vista : young city with a past. Charleston, SC: Arcadia.ISBN0738524344.OCLC53882709.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^"Journey to Cochise County: Explore the lives and Stories of those who have make Cochise County their home".The Cochise County Historical Journal.45 (1). Cochise County Historical Society along with the Smithsonian Museum to accompany the Main Street traveling exhibit "Journey Stories" February 22 – April 5, 2014. Spring–Summer 2015.
^"Reminiscence of Early Days"(jpg).Tombstone (AZ) Weekly Epitaph. October 27, 1912. p. 4. RetrievedJuly 28, 2015 – viaNewspapers.com.I feel a paternal pride in Cochise County, for one Sunday 31 years ago, in the little law office ofWill Hunsaker and myself in Tombstone, the committee selected the name, and I was one of the godfathers at the christening. Harry Wood, editor of theTombstone Nugget, suggested the name in honor of the territorial Apache chief as a fitting companion to the dismal name of its county seat.
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