Barnes, Will C. (Will Croft), 1858-1936

Pioneer Indian fighter, cattleman, legislator, conservationist, and author; Barnes worked for the U.S. Forest Service, in Arizona and New Mexico, for 21 years. Barnes was Secretary of the U.S. Geographic Board in Washington, D.C. and published Arizona Place Names in 1935.

Pioneer Indian fighter, cattleman, legislator, conservationist, and author; Barnes worked for the U.S. Forest Service, in Arizona and New Mexico, for 21 years.

William Croft Barnes was born in San Francisco on June 21, 1858, but his family soon relocated to Gold Hill, Nevada. When he was seven he moved to Indianapolis, where he was educated in the public schools concentrating in music. He returned to San Francisco and worked for a time as a sheet music salesman.

Barnes joined the Signal Corps in 1879 and was assigned to Fort Apache in February 1880 as telegrapher and operator of the meteorological station. In September of 1881 Barnes assisted in the defense of the fort from an Indian attack and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery.

In 1883 Barnes left the Signal Corps and began cattle ranching near St. Johns, Arizona. He was elected to the Arizona Territorial House of Representatives as a Republican in 1895 and accomplished the formation of Navajo County through the subdivision of Apache County. In 1907 he became Assistant United States Forester and Chief of Grazing. Barnes was a member of the United States Geographical Board from 1920-1930. His later years were spent traveling and writing short stories and monographs. His best known work is Arizona Place Names, which was originally published by the University of Arizona Press in 1935. William C. Barnes died in Phoenix in 1936 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Will Croft Barnes (1858-1936) came to Arizona in 1880 as a telegrapher at Fort Apache and won the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1881 for escaping to get help when the fort was under siege. In 1883 he left the army and became a successful cattle rancher, after which he served on the Livestock Sanitary Board for eleven years. Barnes also served in the Territorial Legislature as a delegate from Apache County. He introduced the bill which created Navajo County in 1895 and has been referred to since as the "Father of Navajo County".

In 1907, Barnes joined the U.S. Forest Service and held the position of Chief of Grazin until 1928. He successfully increased cooperation between cattlemen and the Forest Service and was instrumental in improving management of timber, grazing and water resources.

After retiring from the Forest Service, Barnes spent three years with the U.S. Board of Geographic Names and authored a number of books, including "Arizona Place Names". Barnes wrote until his death in 1936. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.