Finding Comfort in History: The Southwestern Charms of The Cochise Hotel

(c) K. Arrington 2016

In a quiet corner of Arizona, south of the bustling, growing cities of Phoenix and Tucson, sits the small, peaceful town of Cochise. Anyone that travels there today will find one main road, with low-lying buildings settled on either side. Many of them still have the boxed and wooden appearance of the old frontier settlements that we have all become so familiar with through Western movies. Dry grasslands wave golden and yellow in the breeze, and there are mountains in every direction. At the end of the street, on the edge of human habitation here, sits the Cochise Hotel, a stark white historic jewel.

(c) K. Arrington 2016

In 1882, the hotel was founded by John Rath, who built and ran the town’s train station, bank, and well. Connected to the man at the center of everything in Cochise, the hotel was said to have become the heart of the settlement. It is even believed that at one point, none other than Big-Nosed Kate (see more discussion of this historical female entrepreneur here ran the place. However, when the mining industry began to falter, Cochise shrunk, as did many of its compatriots in Arizona’s southern valleys. As the town’s population dwindled, the Cochise Hotel began falling into disrepair, and it is likely that the hotel would have continued on this path to oblivion, but for the interest of one, Phillip Gessert.

(c) K. Arrington 2016

Gessert’s family had moved to southern Arizona when he was younger, and he developed a passion for the area’s history. In fact, he previously ran an antique gambling museum in Tombstone, and his expertise was even sought after for HBO’s Westworld series. He found himself inspired by the Cochise Hotel, and it was this love for Arizona’s history that led him to purchase the hotel. For the past five years, he has been working on renovating the Cochise Hotel, hoping that he can bring life back to Arizona’s oldest, still-functioning hotel.

(c) K. Arrington 2016

The Cochise is still a work in progress, but visitors will now find this place to be a cozy inn. Each room has its own character, and Gessert has not only repaired the building itself, but has used his own collections to create authentic spaces for travelers to experience for themselves. While Tombstone has taken on the spirit of an attraction, Cochise and its hotel offer a more quiet, and contemplative look at the past. It is a place for inspiration as well. In fact, it’s hard not to be inspired by the views, the story and soul of this place.

(c) K. Arrington 2016

The Cochise Hotel is sure to be a wonderful experience for anyone interested in the history of the old west, but also for artists, and outdoor enthusiasts seeking to trek through Arizona’s southern wilderness. It is a gateway to an older way of life, to a night sky unmarred by city lights, and hopefully new stories of exploration and self-discovery.

(c) K. Arrington 2016

To learn more about the Cochise, please visit its website here. I would highly suggest calling the hotel, rather than trying to email. If you plan on staying at the Cochise, also consider stopping at the Cochise Stronghold, the Chiricahua Mountains, and/or Kartchner Caverns. Cochise is also the first stop on Southern Arizona’s Ghost Town Trail, so you may want to check that out as well.

(c) K. Arrington 2016