Gunfight In The Galiuros

Questions remain about Arizona’s worst shoot-out—even outdoing the O.K. Corral gunfight.

- Mark Boardman

A lot of Old West gunfights were quick, bloody affairs that left more questions than answers as each side had its own version of events. The Powers shoot-out is one of those. And it was bloody—the worst in Arizona history, even outdoing the legendary Gunfight Behind the O.K. Corral.

In early 1918, the Powers men were working a gold mine in the remote Kielberg Canyon, located in the Galiuro Mountains of Graham County. Father Jeff, sons Tom and John, and hired man Tom Sisson lived in a shack on site. World War I was going on, and Tom and John were both of draft age. That’s where the stories diverge.

The boys claimed they tried to register for the draft, but were turned away. The federal government claimed Jeff told his sons to avoid service.