Two area ranchers, James O’Haco of Winslow and the late J. Charles Wetzler, will be honored as agricultural pioneers when they are inducted into the Arizona Farming and Ranching Hall of Fame in the spring. All of the individuals or families selected have made a substantial contribution to agriculture in the state of Arizona.
Those contributions may have been in the fields of farming, ranching, agri-business, education or science. Periodically an individual is selected because of other efforts they have made to improve agriculture in Arizona.
Inductees for 2017 will be introduced at the Arizona Farming & Ranching Hall of Fame Dinner on March 4, 2017, at the Wigwam. They are Terry and Ramona Button, Gila River Community-Sacaton; Jesse W. Curlee, Scottsdale; Peter Andrew “Andy” Groseta, Cottonwood; O’Haco; and Roberta (Bobbi) Stevenson McDermott, Yuma. Being inducted posthumously are Wetzler and Radius A. (Ray) Hudson, Laveen. Rich Lavis of Tempe is this year’s Special Contributions honoree.
O’Haco comes from a ranching family. He was born and raised in Winslow on the Chevelon Butte Ranch, a property that has been in the family for over 100 years. He attended the University of Arizona, graduating with a degree in animal science and a minor in range management. He was accepted into veterinary school, but returned home at his father’s request to handle the daily operation of the family’s four ranches and small farm.
He remembers the big snowstorm of December 1967 when drifts were as high as the roof and snow covered the top of the fences. All highways and railroads were closed. Fighting the weather day and night for over two weeks, they were able to save about half of their herd. Planes came in from as far away as Oregon to make hay drops to the cattle.
In 1973 James and Jeanne were married, and in 1978, he went into partnership with his father MJ and his brother Michael to buy a cow/calf operation known as the Hutchison Ranch south of Holbrook.
He continues to operate the Chevelon and North ranches, running mainly Angus and Black Baldy cattle. Through conservation practices with the Arizona State Land Department, U.S. Forest Service, Arizona Game and Fish Department, and the National Resources Conservation Service, O’Haco has implemented vast improvements to the ranch over the past 25 years. Water is provided for the cattle and wildlife on the range. He restored approximately 14,000 acres of grassland through mechanical mastication of invasive Juniper to enhance grassland and restore habitat by at least 30 percent. The Arizona Lottery did a television documentary on him and his story was written up in Range Magazine.
Wetzler played an important role in Arizona agriculture. He was a rancher, cattle feeder, farmer, agricultural scientist, highly successful businessman, school board member and civic leader.
Born in Los Angeles in 1907, he moved to Arizona when he was 16 to help his father on his sheep ranch in Northern Arizona. A few years later he struck out on his own to go into the cattle business.
In the 1930s he developed a homestead near the Petrified Forest. In the thirties Rans Spurlock and Charles started working together and established Spurlock and Wetzler Cattle Company, combining their ranches in Navajo and Apache counties. Also in the late 1930s Charles helped organize the Northern Arizona Cattlemens’ Association and served as one of its officers.
In the mid ‘40s his family moved to Phoenix to begin feeding cattle. Spurlock and Wetzler brought a parcel of land that quickly became known as Lizard Acres. Charles’ wife Catherine took one look at the place and commented that nothing could grow there but lizards. In the early to mid-1950s, the Spurlock and Wetzler partnership was dissolved. Charles took the Phoenix area operations and Spurlock took the Northern Arizona ranches. A corporation known as Circle One Livestock Company Incorporated was formed by Charles to operate the Lizard Acres feedlot, which became one of the biggest feed lots in Arizona.
In 1948 Wetzler became one of the fathers of the Phoenix Stock Show, later known as the Arizona National Livestock Show, and for many years was a member of its board of directors and vice president.
Because of his commitment to the industry, he was named Man of the Year in Arizona Agriculture in 1959.
Wetzler was very active in his support of Arizona State University and served on the board of directors of the ASU Foundation. He was president of the foundation board for many years. In 1964 ASU awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree for distinguished contributions to the community, state and industry.
In 1967 he was elected chairman of the Central Arizona Project Association and continued in that capacity until his death in 1983. He played an important role in bringing the Central Arizona Project to Arizona.
In 1969 he became a member of the board of directors of Boswell Hospital in Sun City. In 1972, the Webb Corporation bought Lizard Acres, but did not need the properties right away, so Charles continued running his feed lot there for several years.
Over his lifetime Wetzler received a number of awards. He passed away in Phoenix in 1983.
The honorees will be memorialized in Volume Two of the book Arizona Farming and Ranching Hall of Fame, 2013-2017, which will be published next year.
