uc son , ▁but ▁her ▁husband ▁lived ▁and ▁worked ▁at ▁C ano a ▁R anch , ▁south ▁of ▁present - day ▁Green ▁Valley . ▁C ano a ▁R anch ▁was ▁owned ▁by ▁Bill ▁Kirk land . ▁Page ▁lived ▁there ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁only ▁ ▁east ▁of ▁Mad era ▁C any on ▁and ▁the ▁Santa ▁R ita ▁Mountains , ▁where ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁partner , ▁William ▁Rand all , ▁had ▁a ▁small ▁l umber ▁mill ▁at ▁the ▁can y on . ▁There ▁they ▁processed ▁p ine ▁trees ▁to ▁transport ▁to ▁T uc son ▁by ▁w agon ▁for ▁sale . ▁ ▁L arc ena ▁was ▁employed ▁as ▁a ▁teacher ▁for ▁Kirk land ' s ▁eleven - year - old ▁w ard , ▁Mer cedes ▁S ais ▁Qu iro z . ▁Event ually ▁L arc ena ▁moved ▁to ▁C ano a ▁R anch ▁with ▁Mer cedes , ▁but ▁she ▁became ▁ill , ▁possibly ▁with ▁mal aria . ▁Page ▁decided ▁to ▁move ▁his ▁wife ▁and ▁Mer cedes ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁desert ▁and ▁into ▁a ▁cabin ▁near ▁the ▁" Big ▁Rock " ▁at ▁the ▁l umber ▁mill . ▁He ▁thought ▁that ▁the ▁higher ▁elev ation ▁would ▁help ▁L arc ena ▁recover . ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 8 6 0 , ▁Page ▁and ▁Rand all ▁picked ▁up ▁L arc ena , ▁Mer cedes ▁and ▁their ▁dog ▁for ▁the ▁trip ▁to ▁the ▁cabin ▁by ▁w agon . ▁They ▁head ed ▁west ▁through ▁the ▁Santa ▁R ita ▁fo oth ills ▁toward ▁Mad era ▁C any on .