I met an old cowboy,
I saw the look in his eyes,
Something tells me he’s been here before,
Because experience makes him wise.
– Guns N’ Roses
The main reason that I got into photography was because of my father. My dad has always enjoyed photography, and he likes traveling and exploring. That’s pretty much his only real hobby, and so I finally broke down and bought a Nikon D200 in order join him in that.
For a while there we’d take short (and long) trips throughout the Southwest looking for interesting places and landscapes to photograph. That became one of the fun parts of photography for me – having a plan but being open to seeing what would develop if you were willing to let it happen.
Not long ago, I saw a picture of a couple standing on a playa. I immediately wanted to try and find it. I enlisted my dad and we headed off down toward Wilcox, AZ, to see if we could get out there and take a look.
Once we arrived we searched everywhere for a way onto that stupid playa and never did find what we were looking for. One of those failed attempts led us by chance down a long dirt road that ended with a sign that said “Museum Ranch – No Trespassing.”
We turned around and I noticed a house on the left with a man standing out back. Dad pulled up and I got out, waved at the guy, started walking toward him, and introduced myself. The gentleman’s name was Rick and I asked him how we could get to the playa. His response was, “Well that ain’t goin’ to happen from here.” When I asked him for directions, his response was not reassuring since it was basically take the next 2 lefts and then look for the playa on the left.
I thanked him and was about to leave when Rick ventured the following comment. He said, “I don’t know, but yous being a photographer, Museum Ranch would be the place to go. They have a lot of real interesting stuff down there.”
I perked up and said, “Really, like what?” He responded, “Well, Fargo has worked in the movie industry for a long time. He’s 84 or so and he’s running a bunch of cattle down there, but he’s got a chapel, stage coaches and all kinds of stuff down there. Hell, the TV show ‘American Pickers’ came out there last year and he charged them $500 just to look around. Fargo don’t do nothing for free.”
I said, “Well that sounds real interesting. How do you get to Museum Ranch?”
“You don’t, not without an invitation.”
“How does one get an invitation?”
“You have to talk to Fargo.”
“Well, can I e-mail Fargo?”
“Hell, no, he ain’t got no computer.”
“Can I call him?” I asked.
“No, ain’t got no cellphone either.”
“Well,” I asked, “how do you talk to Fargo?”
“Oh, he comes up here every three or four days and eats some of our food and drinks some of our beer,” Rick replied.
“Well, the next time you see him, you let him know I’d like to talk him,” I said and peeled off a business card and gave it to Rick.
I got back in the car and figured that would be the end of it. About five days later at work, I got an e-mail from Rick telling me that I could call Fargo at a number he had attached as long as I did it before 7:00 am.
So, I called Fargo the next day and was surprised to have a very friendly (and lucid) conversation. We set a date to visit the following Saturday.
Dad and I left for Wilcox early on Saturday morning. I was dressed and in my normal exploring clothes – cargo shorts, hiking boots, t-shirt and a baseball hat. We arrived at the end of the same dirt road we’d stumbled upon earlier. As promised, the gate was open and we drove on up to the ranch.
Getting out of the car, I was confronted with an old man, who was still thin, hard and weathered. He wore a black cowboy hat, bandanna, a light blue Western shirt, jeans and a fancy pair of cowboy boots. I knew this had to be Fargo.
He looked at me with measured gray eyes that I imagine at one time had to be a bright blue and said without preamble, “God d***mit, you come down here wearing that sh*t! You’re on a ranch now, you need to dress like it.” Then he paused and said,”You’re six minutes late. Well I guess you better come up to our place and have some coffee.”
And just like that, I knew that the effort of getting down here was going to result in a great day. My dad and I sat and talked with Fargo and his right-hand man Cuatro for about an hour.
Fargo shared stories of all the movies he’d worked on, the actors he’d met and the things they had done. Everywhere you looked, there were small pictures of Fargo with famous people, riding horses or signed memorabilia. He sold John Wayne a horse. He worked with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, and the list just goes on. In fact, if you’ve seen a Western movie from the 70s, 80s or early 90s, chances are good you’ve seen some of Fargo’s stagecoaches, wagons, horses and other Western gear.
It was a fascinating conversation with a guy who took a road less traveled, was better for it and had reached a stage in life where he has the freedom to call it like he sees it and could care less what others think.
We toured his place and the memorabilia there was simply amazing. In the end, I took a few quick pictures of Fargo and one of Cuatro. They have become some of my favorite portraits and really symbolize to me all that I love about photography — which is that you need to connect with people in order to get a great photo and that means you have to enter into their world, and I’m always richer for it.
I plan on going back and when I do I’ll take more pictures – and I won’t forget to wear jeans this time.

Paul Davis
Paul Davis is a commercial and portrait photographer based out of Tucson, Arizona.
I wouldn’t wear the baseball hat either. Cowboy or none and never wear sun glasses Fargo wants to see your eyes
😂😂 He calls me fat Mamma 😂😂
Fargo was my neighbor growing up. These pictures are great and look forward to seeing more. Just don’t go down there if the wind is blowing!
😂😂😂 or after 4 now
I saw Fargo on American Pickers he made such sn impression on me i still wonder about him and if he is still given people a hard time
I would love to just sit down and hear his stories !! Thank You for your story and pictures
He still is there is a little bar called TJ’s he come in sometimes.
My uncle Fargo passed away recently. This was nice to read about the uncle I never met. He was born in Cobourg, Ontario, Canada. He left at 16, and even my father only saw his brother a few times over the past couple of decades. RIP Fargo.
I met Fargo at a bar in Wilcox. We traded beers for a few hours and I found myself completely amazed that such a man was created! He was in fact a very rare breed. When it’s story telling time amongst friends I’m always proud to tell about Fargo. I was fortunate enough to meet him around June of 2001. As years passed after meeting him I would stop at the same bar and leave a $20 at the bar for him to get a beer, he called me Big Al the Crane Guy. His stories were that of legend and or movies. His stories were also corroborated by those who knew him. Glen Davis was also a genuine cowboy and having them both there telling me stories was incredible. I pretty much just listened and laughed for the few hours we spent together.
RIP Fargo, your legend lives on.
The bar was called the Palace Saloon.
I worked at the Safeway in Willcox and you could Always here Fargo coming, boots and spurs! What a wonderful human being with a lot of character And a great smile! I moved to Cali and offen wonder about him! I enjoyed the pic’s! Thanks
Sorry to tell that Fargo has passed away, He was a great Cowboy and a good friend.
I just found out, to, that he had passed away last Sunday. Arizona has lost a true treasure.
I met Fargo many years ago while filming on the Triangle T Ranch near Dragoon. He an Cuatro had brought out wagons ad cowboy props for a feature we were making. I knew immediately this was a special man. I but together a film crew a few months later and we were granted the opportunity to film and interview this gentleman and other elderly cowboys for my feature documentary “Pure Cowboy”. Fargo had some amazing stories of his past since leaving his grandfather’s Montana ranch at age 14. I am honored that I can call him a friend. Cheers to Fargo, Pure Cowboy!
I’ve known Fargo for 37 yrs and I call him “Dad” I tell everyone hes my dad, because he has always treated me like a daughter. He has watch my daughters grow from babies to beautiful young women. He is one of the kindest men, and has alittle trashy side if you ask him. He is a warm, loving and generous human beings I’ve ever known. I cherish every moment spent with him and My husband Richard loves to
Him too.
Greetings:
Or howdy all, as maybe Fargo would say. I was a young City boy from Oakland Ca when my parents moved us to Tucson AZ.. We bought a house near Manzanita Park and this is where a little boys cowboy adventure first started. You see, while spending many a summer day stomping through our new desert surroundings, we soon heard from some of the other neighborhood kids that there was a real life western Cowboy named Fargo that lived right there in our new neighborhood,
(Cardinal / Nebraska area) well it didn’t take long for us to hunt down this supposed legend to see if it was true. Being from the City I never met a real life cowboy and I was jumping out of my skin in hopes that it was true. One day we got a little crew of kids together and found ourselves peeking over an old weather beaten plank wood fence, we were on the edge of a small ranch with various old western style out buildings beckoning us to explore. If there really was a legendary Cowboy named Fargo then this place absolutely had to Be where he lived. After a good while of daring each other to jump the fence we finally built up the nerve to do it. It was amazing on the other side! Just like walking into a made for filming old western movie set. We immediately got so lost in the excitement of exploring that we forgot all about the mythical cowboy named Fargo until this happened…. He must of heard this little gang of kids squealing with delight as they rummaged and stomped through his property because as we rounded the corner of one of the out buildings we ran head on into him! Frozen in fear can’t even describe it! There stood Fargo, bigger than life! Us kids were about waist high to him and we looked up to this tall, slender, leather beaten skin cowboy with pants tucked into spur clad-den boots. We were at the doorstep of certain death! We had earlier seen a makeshift cemetery complete with tombstones and all right there on his property and I was now convinced that that cemetery must be where the other neighborhood kids (who dared to jump the fence) were buried. We ran for our lives, but to our surprise Fargo called out to us…”Its ok kids come back, don’t run away.” After we gathered ourselves and the convulsive breathing subsided we sheepishly walked back up to him. To our surprise he said; “Howdy kids, my name is Fargo, you certainly are welcome to come out here and play if you want to, but you got to find me first so’s I could know you’re here. Theres a lot of stuff you could get hurt with out here and I’d like to know your safe”. He was now our friend…the Willy Wonka of everything cowboy! We spent many an adventure filled blistering summer day out on his little ranch. Finally a sad day came upon us… Our old cowboy broke camp and up and moved to Wilcox. I’ll always miss that kind old legend of a cowboy, and am greatfull for the childhood memories that come stampeding back – every time I pass by what’s left of that old plank wood fence (now surrounded by houses) I simply hear…” Howdy kids, my name is Fargo”.
Fargo is my uncle. A man I never met in person and have only seen in movies, tv shows and photos that my dad had from his visits from Canada to Arizona. The only conversation I’ve had with Uncle Fargo was to tell him his [half] brother, my father, passed away over 20 years ago. Thank you for capturing a bit more of my family history.
Lisa can you contact me at laurieslittlehouse@icloud.com
I have.kmow Fargo for over 40yrs,he knows my kids and grand kids and great grand kids and I have alot of love and respect for that man my husband Elden Solien Were great friend, almost like father and Son is how Elden and Fargo were with each other they had alot of love for each other, it hit Fargo really hard when Elden got sick and had Brain Cancer,hell.it hit us all pretty bad,When we loss Elden to cancer it was hard on Fargo and myself,He was my rock and I would go to willcox to see what he was doing and if he was ok,I loved Fargo like a Dad and he knew it .Fargo is and always will.be the greatest Cowboy yjeir every was, my husband ashes are bury put at Fargo with a lot of other great cowboys that are out yheir and it Sad that Fargo will be their with them, because now we have lost Fargo.and he is among the other Cowboy up in Cowboy Heaven, it has sadden my hear that he gone, love you both Elden and Fargo..
I was first introduced to Fargo in 1987. The stories I had heard about him from, my then Boyfriend ,while traveling across the U.S. from Pa. to Az . had my son and I thinking he was someone like “Gabby Hayes” from the movies. What a surprise to meet Fargo and find out he was the most interesting person I’ve ever known. I bought his property on Cardinal/ Nebraska in 1990, when he moved to Willcox. I owned it for 10 years (what I would give to have it back again. There will never be another Fargo in my life and I will always remember the many lessons I learned from him. My son and his family (wife Jess and my 5 yr. old Grandson, Adrien )came from Switzerland this past Christmas (2019) and my daughter,Diane her husband Louis and my grand daughter Amanda spent several hours at the ranch. I am so thankful we had that time together and took lots of Memory pics. Every time we went to the ranch I always took Subway sandwiches , Lord you would think I fixed a 5 course meal. He loved them.
Thanks for the Memories Fargo
Used to stay at Fargo’s ranch when we were hunting javalina. Coupla Marines from the Yuma Air Base, he was always a gentleman. His only rule was not to shoot on his land. This was the early 90s. A wonderful time, in the company of a wonderful man. The cantina he had on property was legendary. Buddy of mine shot a hole in the floor one tequila soaked evening….all of us still laugh at that. A place where time stood still.
Digger Rotelli
Colonel, United States Marines, retired.
Rest Fargo….you earned it.