The Lawmen of old-time Maricopa County


Since territorial times, Maricopa County has been a bad place for bad men. Sheriffs, including Carl Hayden, pictured above, had reputations for being tough to the point of being overly belligerent. And if you know your Arizona history, you know why.

Territorial Phoenix was a vulnerable place. There were shipments of gold moving around all of the time, and there were banks. And that meant buildings, and stagecoaches, filled with wealth that could be easily stolen, and which attracted criminals. But the reputations of lawmen like Enrique "Henry" Garfias, who was very quick with a gun, made the bad guys think twice.

Phoenix has always been a city of wealth. It's a great place to run a business, or raise a family. But if you're a criminal, you'd be wise to just keep moving along.

Henry Garfias in the 1880s (at left)


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