History of Nichols Ranch and Orchards

Welcome to Nichols Ranch and Orchards!

Nichols Ranch and Orchards is owned and operated by Bob and Sue Nichols.

Pioneer Days and Homesteading

The Nichols Family first homesteaded in New Mexico near present-day Cloudcroft in 1882. Part of their original cabin is still standing today! Over the ensuing years, the Nichols would establish various farm and ranch enterprises in and around the Sacramento Mountains.

The Early 1900s, The Great Depression, and New Beginnings

W. W. “Bonnie” Nichols was born March 9, 1914, in the La Luz Canyon area to Walter Scott and Icey Izena (Stockman) Nichols.

Bonnie grew up on the family ranch in La Luz Canyon. He attended a one-room adobe schoolhouse that was situated under some large trees just east of the present-day location of the Coronado Lodge. He and his sisters went to this school with a number of other local children. At age 12, when his mother passed away, he left with his father to begin a goat ranching operation in the Telegraph Mountains near Red Rock. It was also during his twelfth year, while hunting wild pigeons, that he lost his right thumb in a shooting accident when the cartridge exploded. Despite this early hunting accident, he never lost his enthusiasm for hunting. He hunted mule deer, cougars, and black bears locally and made trips to the Pagosa Springs, Colorado area to hunt elk.

During his teenage years, Bonnie worked for the Civil Conservation Corps, as many young men did to survive the Great Depression. While working for the CCC he became an avid amateur boxer and participated in boxing matches held at the camps. When not working for the CCC, Bonnie made his living and enjoyed working as a cowboy. In his early twenties, Bonnie started his own cattle ranch on the Gila River. He married Genevieve F. Lacy in Lordsburg in 1940. After the devastating floods of 1941 on the Gila River, he and Genevieve moved back to the family ranch in La Luz where they continued ranching but also planted cherry and apple orchards, shipping fruit to El Paso.

A Lasting Legacy

After returning to Otero County in 1941, Bonnie and Genevieve planted down lasting roots that are the orchards that you visit now. These roots also included a family, two daughters, Virginia and Bonnie Lee, and a son, Bob. Bonnie and Genevie established 30 acres of fruit trees and maintained a small herd of cattle. The family lived in one of the old buildings still standing today, a two-room cement house.

After finishing high school and a short stint at NMSU, Bob returned to the ranch to continue the family business. He married his high school sweetheart, Sue Bohannon in 1968. Together theY raised two sons, Brad and R.B.

Today

Nichols Ranch and Orchards is the home to one of New Mexico’s oldest and largest cherry and apple orchards still actively operating.  It is still a totally self-contained operation, with growing, harvesting, processing, and marketing their fruit directly to the consumer.

Our Brand

When you look at our logo you will notice a symbol inside the center of the Zia symbol. That symbol is our cattle brand, the bar backward KF.