▁settlement s ▁near ▁Hor se head ▁Cross ing ▁on ▁both ▁the ▁Little ▁Colorado ▁and ▁Rio ▁P uer co ▁rivers . ▁During ▁ 1 8 8 1 ▁and ▁ 1 8 8 2 , ▁rail road ▁tracks ▁were ▁laid ▁down ▁and ▁a ▁rail road ▁station ▁was ▁built ▁to ▁supply ▁wood ▁and ▁water ▁and ▁to ▁fre ight ▁supplies ▁south ▁to ▁Fort ▁Apache . ▁The ▁community ▁was ▁then ▁named ▁Hol bro ok ▁after ▁the ▁first ▁engineer ▁of ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁and ▁Pacific ▁Rail road . ▁The ▁rail road ▁sold ▁a ▁million ▁acres ▁to ▁a ▁Boston ▁invest ment ▁group ▁which ▁established ▁the ▁Az te c ▁Land ▁and ▁C attle ▁Company , ▁better ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Hash kn ife ▁Out fit . ▁It ▁le ased ▁another ▁million ▁acres ▁of ▁government ▁land ▁and ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁cattle ▁ran ches ▁to ▁ever ▁exist . ▁Hol bro ok ▁became ▁its ▁headquarters ▁and ▁quickly ▁grew ▁into ▁a ▁cow - town . ▁ ▁Wild ▁west ▁cow - town ▁ ▁The ▁Hash kn ife ▁Out fit ▁h ired ▁cow bo ys , ▁many ▁of ▁whom ▁were ▁wanted ▁men ▁hiding ▁from ▁arrest . ▁ ▁R ust ling ▁of ▁cattle ▁and ▁horses ▁over ▁two ▁million ▁acres ▁pl ag ued ▁the ▁Hash kn ife ▁Out fit . ▁With ▁cow men , ▁sheep men , ▁far mers , ▁rust lers ▁and ▁out la ws ▁compet ing ▁for ▁the ▁same ▁land , ▁a ▁range ▁war ▁en su ed , ▁called ▁both ▁the ▁Ple asant ▁Valley ▁War ▁and ▁the ▁T onto ▁Bas in ▁War . ▁It ▁likely ▁killed ▁as