The Empire Ranch Collection presents digital surrogates of various documents, photographs, and maps located in Special Collections at the University of Arizona Libraries which chronicle the early years of one of Southern Arizona's largest cattle ranches. The pioneering effort to build the Empire Ranch and Cattle Company got underway in 1876 when Walter Vail arrived in Tucson. The Empire Ranch located about 50 miles southeast of Tucson is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This collection presents information about the ranch's early years.