Q Ranch, P. O. Box 299, Young, AZ (2026)

07/23/2023

Q RANCH 2023: CERAMIC RECONSTRUCTION & REPAIR WORKSHOP
On Labor Day weekend, Sept. 1-5, Q Ranch will host a workshop on ceramic reconstruction and repair. Students will study techniques used by archaeologists and museum personnel to repair, restore, and preserve ceramic artifacts.
Participants will learn the skills of repair and restoration, types of data acquired by such work, and how to document the reconstruction process. Students will also learn about prehistoric ceramics of the area and will reconstruct artifacts recovered from the excavation of the Q Ranch Pueblo.
The workshop will be taught by Peg Davis-Hohmann. An archaeologist for 40 years, Peg specializes in bioarchaeology, combining disciplines of archaeology and osteology. She has a Masters degree in Anthropology and has worked at Q Ranch since 1990 along with her late husband, Dr. John Hohmann, who led the Q Ranch study.
Plan to arrive Friday afternoon. Check-in time is 3:00 PM and students will get right to work washing sherds. The workshop will conclude early Tuesday, permitting those who drove to escape Labor Day traffic. The all-inclusive fee for the workshop is $775 per person. This includes a shared room ($1075 to reserve a single room), four nights lodging, all meals, and all workshop tools and materials. Enrollment is limited to 7.
There will be an optional field trip to Young on Saturday, to visit the Pleasant Valley Historical Society (which has dozens of artifacts from the Q Ranch pueblo on display) and the historic Hoghland General Store, established in 1920 and now a museum. A $10 donation is requested.
Register online at qranch.com (click “Reservations & Deposits”). Reservations require a $150 deposit, with the remainder due on or before arrival. The Q accepts personal checks made out to Q Ranch Lodge, cash, or credit cards (you must register online to use a credit card). Deposits will be refunded for cancellations made 15 days in advance, minus a $25 processing fee.
Local residents who wish to attend the workshop but do not require lodging may register for $275. Lunches will be provided.

05/11/2018

You are invited to assist in an Archaeological Site Preservation/Stabilization Weekend, June 16-17, 2018. Please join the archaeological staff in preserving and stabilizing a portion of the Q Ranch archaeological site. Preservation is an ongoing project to prevent the few prehistoric rooms that have been left open for educational purposes from ongoing deterioration. The stabilization team appreciates your time and assistance and will teach you techniques that have been proven to work best in this unique climate.
There will be opportunities for anyone who wishes to participate, though much of the undertaking involves physical work. Volunteers meet at Q Ranch at 10 AM Saturday, June 16 and work until 4 PM. On Sunday, work will start at 8 AM and finish at noon. This weekend we'll prepare walls identified for stabilization before the wall stones can be re-laid with mortar.
Lunch is provided to local volunteers. A special reduced rate of $95, plus all meals, is offered for volunteers wishing to stay at the Q Ranch lodge.
RSVP to Joan Clark, [email protected] or (480) 488-9793, before June 1. We need to gauge the number of participants so we can estimate the amount of work we can complete and determine what supplies are needed.
Please bring the following equipment if you have it or desire to have it in the field (we will have some equipment that participants can borrow):

1. Mason Trowel
2. Whisk broom
3. Large brush that you could sling water with
4. Gloves
5. Kneeling Pads
6. Hat
7. Sturdy shoes
8. Water bottle
9. Lawn Chair

02/04/2017

Our dog, Lucy, has been a fixture at Q Ranch since 2004. Jonathan found her at the Humane Society, freshly arrived from a ranch in Gallup, NM. She was then 1 1/2 years old and had recently had a litter of pups.
Half Border Collie and half Australian Shepherd, her freckles, red hair and blue eyes inspired cousin Joan to insist she be called Lucy. Though wild at heart, Lucy quickly adapted to a dual life as a city (Phoenix) dog and a ranch dog. She became the official greeter and welcomer to all Q Ranch visitors.
Lucy developed arthritis with age, and a routine x-ray taken in 2016 revealed a surprise: shrapnel in her right hip. We've no idea where it came from or how long it was there. Medication helped her deal with pain and declining agility.
On Tuesday of last week she was especially active and attentive. She wanted to go for a walk, and she wanted to cuddle and be petted. Although I hate to anthropomorphize the behavior of animals, I can't help but wonder in retrospect if that was her way of saying thank-you and goodbye.
Wednesday, she never got out of bed. She stopped eating, refusing not only her meds, but also her favorites: cheese, peanut butter, bacon, raw hamburger. She was unable to fully stand, and barley able to drag herself to the door when she needed to go out. A couple of accidents ensued. Friday, she collapsed in the back yard, unable to control her bowels and bladder. We called the vet and scheduled the visit that no one wants to make.
Lucy was a champ in every respect. She was unafraid to challenge coyotes or javelinas that encroached upon her territory, and she was adept at keeping unwanted livestock, and elk, out of the yard. She was friendly to all human visitors and liked few things better than to plop down atop the feet of some unsuspecting person at the dinner table. We miss her terribly.
Lucy will be cremated and her ashes scattered in her favorite places at the Q.

01/03/2017

Martha Wheeler, the sister of Jonathan Rogers, offers this correction on yesterday's story of the fire: "Umm, don't think it was an electrical fire, I believe it was started in the house next to it by sparks from the fireplace. Then our house caught on fire. I remember it, I was there."

01/02/2017

Happy New Year from Q Ranch. We expected to be completely solar by now, but there has been a problem getting the correct solar batteries delivered to the correct address. Tune in next month. Mother Nature gave the ranch a white Christmas: 6-8 inches of the stuff on Christmas Day. This photo was taken looking southeast, towards Gentry Creek and Shell Mountain. More snow fell on New Year's Day, so it will be very white up here for a while … unlike Christmas 1963, which also saw snow on the ground. A couple of days after Christmas, an electrical fire broke out and the ranch was completely gutted, leaving only what you see here. And yes, this crispy shell, window frames and all, is the same Q Ranch you will see the next time you visit. But lots more comfy.

11/26/2016

Q Ranch has undergone major transformations in 2016. Summer saw the installation of new, double-glazed windows on the upper story, plus new siding, sheathing, insulation and a fresh exterior coat of paint. By year's end, the entire facility will be solar. Three massive sets of solar panels have been erected in the field to the east of the barn. Work began early in November and is about a week from completion. Solar power will replace the current generators, which have become less reliable as they age, though they will remain on site for backup, and to keep the solar batteries charged in the event that there's insufficient sunshine from time to time. The ranch is now closed for the winter, but we're taking inquiries and reservations for when it reopens in 2017.

09/08/2016

In its heyday, nearly 1,000 years ago, the Q Ranch was the site of a thriving culture. The pueblo consisted of several hundred dwellings, some of which were two and three stories tall. It was also a brisk trading hub. Artifacts unearthed there represent indigenous cultures from all over the west, including Mexico. In October, ranch owner Jonathan Rogers and Tucson potter Andy Ward will collaborate to offer a 5-day, 4-night residential workshop that recreates how the prehistoric occupants made pottery. Under Ward's tutelage, participants will collect clay, use it to form pots, decorate those pots, and fire them. Rogers will keep everyone deliciously well fed, and offer looks at some of the priceless pottery, tools and other artifacts archaeologists have found at the site. The remote location of Q Ranch has side-benefits that include abundant wildlife and spectacular views of the night sky. You can fall sleep under the Milky Way while listening to elk bugling. To download a brochure for this unique workshop, which contains dates, a complete schedule, pricing, and registration information, go to qranch.com. Click the link that says "2016 Calendar" and scroll down to October.

07/26/2016

Andy Ward to Offer Unique Pottery Class at Q Ranch

From October 1-4, Tucson potter Andy Ward will offer an exciting and intensive, four-day pottery workshop at Q Ranch. The class focuses on recreating the beautiful polychrome pottery made by the indigenous people of the Q Ranch Pueblo, nearly a millennium ago. During the workshop, participants will explore how these people lived and worked, examining ruins and artifacts they left behind; collecting clay, minerals and other raw materials; and making pottery authentic to ancient traditions.

Ward began reproducing prehistoric pottery in high school. He teaches workshops throughout Arizona and New Mexico. He has led workshops for the Silver City Clay Festival, Archaeology Southwest Preservation Archaeology Field School and Old Pueblo Archaeology Center. You can view photos of how he creates pottery and gathers raw materials at his website, www.palatkwapi.com. Visit the calendar page of qranch.com to download a complete brochure for the pottery course, including the schedule and registration details.

05/31/2016

Work began today to renovate the exterior of the main house. The siding is warped and cracked and the paint is peeling off. Renovations will include stripping off all the siding, replacing the windows with new, double-pane thermal windows, adding insulation, installation of all new siding, and a new coat of paint for everything. Due to the remote location, workmen will reside at the ranch during the work week. The lodge will be closed to guests until the work is completed, which is estimated to be three weeks. The rooms will get an interior sprucing-up as well.

05/03/2016

April Is the Cruelest Month

"April is the cruellest month" (yes, it is spelled with two L's) is one of the most often-quoted lines of poetry in the English language. We have poet T.S. Eliot to thank for it; it is the opening line of The Waste Land.

Eliot's assertion was borne out earlier this week, when April exited the 2016 calendar, leaving behind torrential rains and 4-6 inches of snow above the 6,000 foot level. Pretty to look at, maybe, but not fun if you have to drive on unpaved roads or if you had planned to do yard work.

Not so unexpected, maybe, if you recall that the ranch got blanketed with a similar snowfall down to 5,000 feet on May 16, 2015.

Major renovations commence at the end of May, when the entire second story will get new siding, insulation and windows.

04/26/2016

Q Ranch is looking for a housekeeper and a grounds person. Applicants must be able to travel to the ranch and stay overnight one night. They will be given a travel allowance, lodging, all meals and an hourly wage. All tools and cleaning equipment will be provided. This opportunity will probably repeat itself several times through October. References required. If interested, call 928-970-0219 and ask for Jonathan.

04/22/2015

Burglary at Q Ranch

Q Ranch was burglarized last month. The culprit(s) seemed to be familiar with the premises and its contents, and they also knew when the owner, Jonathan Rogers, would be away. Doors that were not broken into were apparently entered with keys, suggesting that the thieves knew where to find hidden keys to various storage closets and outbuildings.

The severest loss was a priceless collection of prehistoric ceramics, lithics and other artifacts from the Q Ranch Pueblo. Rogers has detailed records, including photographs, of most of those artifacts, and they have been provided to the Young Police Departments, as well as to pawn shops in Young, Payson and Globe.

Also taken was a significant collection of 18th- and 19th-century heirloom sterling silver. Photographs of most of these pieces also exist and were provided to the authorities.

The thieves also took several early 20th century Navajo rugs, liquor, a large telescope, 50 gallons of diesel fuel, kitchenware, cutlery, fi****ms, and miscellaneous tools — as if they cherry-picked items they might find personally handy to have at home.

The Gila County Sheriff has been in contact with the FBI about the burglary, because the theft of prehistoric artifacts is a federal crime.

Anyone who may have knowledge or information about the break-in is urged to contact Jonathan Rogers, at 928-970-0219 or [email protected], or to call the Gila County Sheriff's Department, 928-474-2208. The case number is DR-150400178.

Q Ranch

07/23/2023

05/11/2018

02/04/2017

01/03/2017

01/02/2017

11/26/2016

09/08/2016

07/26/2016

05/31/2016

05/03/2016

04/26/2016

04/22/2015

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category