 An outlaw cowboy, Ike Clanton | |
| Named after | Cowboy |
|---|---|
| Years active | 1870s–1880s |
| Territory | Cochise County |
| Membership | apprx. 200-300 |
| Activities | Criminal organization |
| Rivals | Earp Brothers |
The Cochise County Cowboys is the modern name for a loosely associated group of outlaws living in Pima and Cochise County, Arizona in the late 19th century. The term "cowboy", as opposed to "cowhand," had only begun to come into wider usage during the 1870s. In that place and time, "cowboy" was synonymous with "cattle rustler". Such thieves frequently rode across the border into Mexico and stole cattle from Mexican ranches that they then drove back across the border to sell in the United States. Some modern writers consider them to be an early form of organized crime in America.
In response, the Mexican government eventually lowered tariffs and added forts along the border making cross-border rustling and smuggling less attractive. The Cowboys then began to steal cattle and horses from neighboring American ranches, reselling them to unscrupulous butchers. They held up stagecoaches, stole the strongboxes, and strong-armed passengers for their valuables. In some instances they killed drivers and passengers.