author
Will C. (Will Croft) Barnes
1858–1936
A Medal of Honor recipient, Arizona pioneer, and writer, he turned a life of frontier service into books that still help readers picture the Southwest's early days. He is best known for preserving Arizona history and place-name lore in a direct, practical voice.
1 Audiobook
Tales from the X-bar Horse Camp: The Blue-Roan "Outlaw" and Other Stories
by Will C. (Will Croft) Barnes
About the author
Born in San Francisco in 1858, he came to Arizona in 1880 as a telegrapher at Fort Apache. During the fighting there in 1881, he carried a message through danger to bring help and later received the Medal of Honor for that act.
His life in Arizona was wide-ranging: he worked as a rancher and cattleman, served in public life, supported conservation efforts, and became closely identified with the territory's early history. Those experiences fed naturally into his writing, which drew on firsthand knowledge of the land and the people who shaped it.
As an author, he is especially remembered for Arizona Place Names and for his reminiscences of frontier life. He also served as an associate editor of the Arizona Historical Review, helping record stories and local knowledge that might otherwise have been lost.