Marked by a large boulder on the side of a roadway, it is the site where former Army Sergeant James C. Cooney was interred in 1880 after being killed by a group of Apaches.

While on duty as a scout, he discovered silver-bearing rock in the nearby Mogollon Mountains, but did not disclose his findings.

Shortly thereafter, Sergeant Cooney's brother Michael and miners from nearby Pinos Altos drilled, blasted and chipped a sepulcher for his remains in a large boulder.

Four graves in front of Cooney's Tomb were enclosed in a low wrought iron fence.

Fish and Wildlife Service acquire 40 acres, including the tomb, from a private owner.