Description

Gravestone of Phil Koontz (b. 1885 - d. 1907).

James Willard "Bill" Stewart (b. 1855 - d. 1930) arrived in the Arizona Territory in 1875 and had various jobs as a cowhand on many of the ranches in the Williamson Valley area, as well as in Coconino County.  He returned to the Williamson Valley area, Simmons, Arizona, in 1886 and established the Cross Triangle Ranch, which later became a dude ranch.

Since 1886, this ranch has been bought and sold many times.  Over the years, various people and families have made this ranch land their own and some have had family members died.  The cemetery is small, with marked graves, but undoubtedly numerous unmarked graves.   Dates on the headstones range from 1880-1922.   Originally, it may have been a family or ranch area cemetery, as many of the names are limited to the same family names such as Allen, Harris, Koontz, Young, etc.  Charles “Lon” Young, who died in 1913, was a Yavapai County Deputy.

Today (2018), this ranch is known as the Las Vegas Ranch Cemetery, but has been known by a variety of other names over the years, including Williamson Valley Cemetery, Granite Mountain Cemetery, Long Meadow Ranch Cemetery and Pierce Cemetery. This cemetery is on private property, and cannot be visited without permission from the current ranch owners - the Pierce Family.