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Haught name a big part of Payson history

By Teresa McQuerrey, Roundup staff reporter

Friday, September 28, 2007

No look at the history of the Rim Country can be complete without a look at the large Haught family. Brothers, cousins and uncles let family members know what a great area this was and the call was heeded.

Courtesy of Pearlene and C.B. Haught Boy Haught (left) and his son C.B. (or Jr.) did a lot of cowboying on ranches all over the Rim Country. The Haughts operated Green Valley Ranch, and C.B. also worked at neighboring ranches.

Columbus Buford (C.B. or Jr.) Haught, 84, is one of the older members of the family now. He and his wife, Pearlene McNeeley, live out of the immediate area, but come into town twice a week to go to the gym. C.B.'s father was Boy Haught and his mother was Flora Hunt (a Texas Hunt, not a Pine-Strawberry Hunt).

C.B. grew up near Bear Flats and went to a variety of schools over the years, Gordon Canyon, Green Valley and Payson. He played basketball, did ranch work and competed in rodeos in calf roping and team roping. "I won quite a bit of money. I tried to do riding, but I was not too good," he said.

He was also one of the best men working for Owens Brothers Lumber, according to Ella Lee Owens, widow of Keith, who ran the lumber company.

C.B. went into the Navy during World War II and was stationed in Washington. He was with the Navy Air Corps and made many flights across the Pacific to spy on the Japanese. He worked as an electrician on the plane, but did other jobs as well.

Courtesy of Pearlene and C.B. Haught There has been a fish hatchery operating in the Rim Country for quite a few years -- one of the people who helped build and operate it was Boy Haught.

"I was on a ship moving stuff around when it was shot out from under me. I was hanging onto a board with another guy and this shark was swimming around near us. I have never been so afraid of anything in my life," he said.

Fortunately, the shark wasn't interested in C.B. or his companion and the two were rescued that same day.

C.B. was a deputy sheriff for several years and did a lot of rescues. He dropped food and supplies from a helicopter to people stranded by the big snow of 1967 and spent 13 days looking for people who had died in one of the area's big floods.

He also cut timber for Reid Smith.

"One of the best guys I ever knew was Reid Smith," C.B. said.

He also helped put in the golf course for Bill Miller and built all the roads up to the airport.

Courtesy of Pearlene and C.B. Haught C.B. Haught and many other Rim Country young men left the area during World War II. C.B. joined the Navy and served as an electrician in the air corps.

C.B. is also an artist. He has been doing artwork since he was in the fourth grade and started by painting on glass. One of his paintings is in his cousin Pat Haught Cline's living room. It features a meadow and mountain, a stand of trees going gold and a rustic, split-rail fence that draws the viewer into the scene.

"I'm just a dauber," he said.

His main occupation was working as a cowboy. He learned the trade from his father, Boy. Pat Cline said Boy Haught was the best cowboy that ever was.

C.B.'s family had Green Valley Ranch, which was hundreds of acres stretching from just this side of Young and down to Gisela. He worked it with his father, uncle, Sam Haught and Sam's four sons. One time, they drove 1,100 head of yearling cattle to Winslow for shipping.

He worked other ranches in the area as well, the NBs, Doll Baby, for the Chilsons and George Cline.