Tom Mix Memorial – Florence, Arizona
Tom Mix was a silent-movie cowboy who died in 1940 but his legend still goes on today. He told a great story about himself, most of it not true, about his life prior to entering the movie business. He claimed to have been a Texas Ranger, to have fought in the Boer War and other wondrous adventures. He was a working cowboy, a night marshal in Dewey, OK and a peace officer in mining camps in Colorado so there was a little bit of reality in his exaggerations.
In more than 300 silent movies, Mix swooped over rivers hanging from ropes, jumped on and off moving trains, leaped from an airplane into tumultuous waters at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, hung on ledges and plopped down into the saddle of his patient and proficient steed, known as Tony the Wonder Horse.
When Tom Mix died it was just as bizarre as his life. He had just left the Santa Rita Hotel in Rucson and headed north to visit friends in Florence before heading on to Hollywood. He stopped off at a bar0restaurant in Oracle Junction and had something to eat, played cards and probably, knowing his history, had a few drinks, but wasn’t drunk by any means.
When he left the restaurant he got into his 1937 yellow Cord Phaeton convertible and took off at a high rate of speed (considering the speed available at the time). At about 2 p.m. he encountered road construction on route Arizona 79 which had him slam on his brakes and lose control of his car. The Cord swung into a dry wash, onto rough ground that jolted the vehicle and caused a suitcase that was in the backseat to fly up and hit him in the head.
Mix got out of the car, took one step and fell dead of a broken neck.
Although Tom Mix was not a sound star, he was a silent movie star that was considered to be the real thing. He was an expert shot, understood the life of a cowboy, took terrible risks doing his own stunt work and thrilled the ladies with his handsome face and great build.
The Tom Mix Memorial is just a clumpy mortared-cobblestone pile surmounted by a two-foot-tall metal horse with its head sagging and the reins hanging loose. This is supposed to represent Tony the Riderless Horse, Tony was the horse that Mix rode in the movies.
The memorial is 20 miles south of Florence. Something to bring back a little cowboy history and have you wondering about this cowboy from the 40′s.
There is a museum dedicated to Tom Mix in Dewey, Oklahoma, just 40 miles north of Tulsa so if you find you want to learn more about this dashing cowboy you can stop in there and see a whole bunch of artifacts from the life of Tom Mix.
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Enjoyed your article but need to correct a few things. Mix did do a talkie…The Miracle Rider.
He was coming from Tucson. The riderless horse on the monument is replacement for the original which had been stolen. The original turned up later and is on display at the Pinal County Historical Museum in Florence along with a great collection of Mix memorabilia and a lot of info on him in their archives. Its a great little museum that displays artifacts and history of the area that includes prison items such as cactus furniture, the actual nooses used to hangs folks, a double execution chair from the first Arizona gas execution and a doll made by the famous trunk murderess WInnie Ruth Judd.
Thank you for the update, Chris. It is wonderful to have readers add information to help the visitors know more about the different activities and attractions in Arizona.
We appreicate your taking the time.
Pat Watson
Editor
FYI, the highway where he crashed, known as the Pinal Pioneer Parkway, is one of the most cactus-ey areas on earth… including stands of 30-feet-high chain fruit cholla! It’s a very unusual scenic detour offf the interstate.
To the north, on the Pima Indian reservation, is the town of Sacaton, home of Ira Hayes, made famous in song by Johnny Cash, and Matthew B. Juan, first Arizonan killed in WWI. There’s a nice park there.
Tom Mix also made 9 sound films for Universal Studios in the early 30s (1932-33). They are available to the general public today,
Thanks for posting the Tom Mix memorial site!