Historian to discuss life and times of Tom Jeffords

One of the Southwest’s most distinguished historians will give a presentation on one of the area’s most significant 19th century figures to guests of the Maricopa Historical Society in August.[quote_box_right]IF YOU GO
Who: Doug Hocking
What: The Life and Times of Tom Jeffords
When: Aug. 7, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Maricopa Public Library, 41600 W. Smith-Enke Road
How much: Free
Info: DougHocking.com[/quote_box_right]

Doug Hocking, an American historian and ethnologist, will grace the halls of the Maricopa Public Library to deliver a 90-minute presentation on the famed Tom Jeffords, a man who almost single-handedly ended the 19th century Apache Wars.

“For folks in my generation, the name Tom Jeffords tends to stand out,” Hocking said. “Jimmy Stewart, in the movie Broken Arrow, was the fella who road alone into Cochise’s camp to make the peace. That was Tom Jeffords.”

To help people understand the significance of Jeffords’ role in calming tensions between natives and the federal government, Hocking will discuss the interesting and storied life of a Yankee who set out for fortune in the Wild West and along the way helped created unity in an otherwise lawless land.

Jeffords’ life, according to Hocking, was varied and fruitful and took him from his birthplace in southeastern New York to Yuma, and then Mexico.

He skippered sailboats on the Great Lakes, mined for gold at Pikes Peak, negotiated peace between Cochise and U.S. troops, and eventually found fortune mining gold, silver and copper throughout the region.

His final days were spent on his homestead in the Tortolita Mountains north of Tucson.

“He was quite a guy,” Hocking said. “Tom Jeffords was a man of courage who perfected skills in getting people to immediately trust and respect him.”

This ability, Hocking said, was one of the primary factors contributing to his success brokering peace with the Chiricahua Apache.

“While he was a captain on the Great Lakes he learned to accept people of other cultures,” Hocking said. “And so ultimately, he and Cochise became good friends, a friendship based on mutual respect.”

Hocking is a “Road” Scholar for Arizona Humanities and a board member for the Arizona Historical Society.

His newest book “Tom Jeffords: Friend of Cochise” can be found on Amazon.com and through his website.