USA > Arizona > History of Arizona, Vol. VI > Part 10
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The Dutch Ditch, which ran westward and down the river.
The Extension, which ran northwest for about a mile and then turned westward, and was, in reality, the main canal.
The North Extension, which ran northwest about three and a half miles and then turned westward, being divided there again into smaller ditches.
The first two supplied the farms nearest to the river for something like two miles from its banks, while the last was intended to furnish water to farms out on the plain in the direction of Wickenburg. It was hoped in 1872 that crops would be raised as far away as five miles from the river, on the plains to the northwest. Farms had already been located in that section, and the owners were engaged in clearing and putting their ground in condition for the plant- ing of corn and sorghum during the season of 1872.
The Dutch Ditch was the principal lateral to the south from the main Swilling Canal, and was so named on account of the large number of per-
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
sons of German descent who helped in its con- struction. It left the main channel about a mile above the old Hellings Flour Mill, and carried water upon those ranches situated along the river. Its construction was commenced in the year 1868, and, when completed, it passed along the southern boundary of the original townsite, ending upon the ranch of John Montgomery; what is now known as the Montgomery Addition to the City of Phoenix.
The Extension Canal was the main stream of the Swilling Canal, which ran almost parallel to the Dutch Ditch and about a mile to the north of the latter. It is now known as the Salt River Valley Canal, and flows in a westerly direction passing in its course through the City of Phoenix where it is called the Town Ditch. This ditch flowed near the northern boundary of the origi- nal townsite, but as the growth of residential Phoenix has been northward, it was not many years before the canal was flowing through the most populated districts, often underneath dwelling houses, and across private yards. In the early seventies it furnished the residents of Phoenix with water for domestic purposes, "sending a rippling stream through every street, so that, instead of the usual gutter seen in eastern cities, there was a running rivulet between the sidewalks and the roadways."
Years after the stockholders of the old Swill- ing Company decided to divide their interests, and this branch became known as the Salt River Valley Canal. On the 16th day of Sep- tember, 1875, articles of incorporation for the Salt River Valley Canal Company were filed in
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PROGRESS OF SALT RIVER VALLEY.
the office of the Territorial Secretary. The incorporation papers stated that this company proposed to take water from the river near the head of the old ditch of the Swilling Company; that it had a capital stock of $20,000, divided into forty shares, valued at $500 each, and that the headquarters of the company would be located at Phoenix.
The North Extension Ditch was the north lateral of the Swilling Canal, and carried its waters on a parallel and about a mile to the north of the Extension, or main canal. This branch canal was constructed in 1872 by stock- holders of the Swilling Canal Company, who had become dissatisfied with the management of the company's affairs. On the 19th of Feb- ruary, 1872, the following was written from Phoenix.
"Some of our honest farmers, among them Dr. Alsap, William Osborn, Tom Barnum, Cap- tain Hancock and others, are taking out what is called 'The North Extension of the Swilling Canal.' It runs to the east of Swilling's Castle, and to the north of Barnum and Alsap, and covers a large scope of country heretofore with- out water. The extension is twenty feet wide, so, you will see, it will carry some water."
Shortly afterwards the relations between the shareholders of the old company became strained, and their difficulties were adjusted through the formation of two separate com- panies, the North Extension calling itself "The Maricopa Canal Company," and carrying its waters on a parallel one mile north of the Swill- ing Company, and, on the 14th of September,
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
1875, the Maricopa Canal Company was incor- porated. By their papers on file in the office of the Secretary of Territory, the company pro- posed to take water from the river near the head of the new ditch of the Swilling Company. Its capital stock was given as $25,000, divided into fifty shares valued at $500 each, and its principal place of business was designated as Phoenix.
The officers of the Swilling Company were, at first, elected for six months, and its first sec- retary was Darrell Duppa, whose career has been fully treated in a previous chapter. Duppa was followed by James B. McKinnie, who came into the valley in the early part of 1869, and following Major McKinnie as Secre- tary of the Company came John T. Alsap, one of the most popular residents of the valley, uni- versally conceded to be a man of honesty and fairness, ever ready to lend his support to any worthy cause. On September 2nd, 1872, the Swilling Company elected the late Francis A. Shaw as "Ditch Overseer for the ensuing year," in place of Dan Twomey, later killed by Indians near Camp McDowell. The "Ditch Overseer" of the early period has now been supplanted by the Water Commissioners of the valley and a band of individuals known as "zanjeros" who attend to the distribution of irrigation water throughout the valley.
In time a large lateral was constructed as a north branch of the old North Extension, or Maricopa Canal, that took in higher land still further to the north. This lateral was known as the "Big Maricopa Canal" while from the
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PROGRESS OF SALT RIVER VALLEY.
point of division, the first lateral was known as the "Little Maricopa Canal."
Next came the Wilson Ditch, which was the second large acequia to be built and constructed by the early settlers of the valley on the north side of the Salt River. It headed a little be- low the original Swilling head, and irrigated lands to the south of the Phoenix Settlement near the river. It was owned and used entirely by four farmers in 1872, for the delivery of water upon their several farms. These farmers were Gordon A. Wilson, Benjamin F. Patter- son, Charles Davies and John Aversch, the lat- ter known to his neighbors as 'Go John' and noted for his generosity. The ditch was named for Gordon A. Wilson, who had taken up a ranch in the valley about the middle of 1868, and who was among its most prosperous and enter- prising citizens. In 1872 this ditch carried about four thousand inches of water, and it cost up to that time about $2500.
The next ditch down the river was the Juan Chiavria, which covered some of the best mes- quite lands in the valley, and carried about 2,000 inches of water. This ditch was named after Juan Chiavria, a noted chief of the Pima and Maricopa tribes, and a man of great in- fluence among his people. The ditch, however, was most commonly known among the settlers as the Griffin Ditch, and headed at a point on the river about where the Centre Street bridge now spans this stream. It is said that this ditch was started in 1869 by a rancher known as Frenchy Sawyer, to whom reference has been heretofore made, who had a section of land
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
to the west of the Underwood ranch, about two miles further down the river. He failed to obtain water for his first crop, and had to de- pend upon the Swilling Ditch, which was about one mile to the north of him. In 1870 Martin P. Griffin bought in with Sawyer, and the fol- lowing year the ditch was completed and in- corporated by Griffin and A. Barnett. About the middle of 1872 it was enlarged from a ditch with a four foot bottom, with twenty shares, to one with a twenty-five foot bottom, with sixty shares. When this work was completed in the early part of December of that year, the canal proper was extended into the valley for some miles further. A year or two afterwards Michael Wormser came into the valley and pur- chased the local interests of Barnett, and thus became interested in the Griffin ditch. The company was reorganized and was composed of the following stockholders: William D. Fenter, Michael Wormser and Martin P. Griffin. This ditch was about three and a half miles in length, and after the early eighties was much of the time idle on account of shortage of water in the river.
Further down the river came the Salt River Ditch, partly owned by persons living in Wick- enburg, among them were A. H. Peeples, J. M. Bryan, more commonly known as "Crete" and George Bryan. It was, at the time of its con- struction, the largest ditch in the valley, being twenty-five feet wide on the bottom, and could supply, in the early part of 1872, about twelve inches of water. At that time this ditch was about three miles long and had cost about
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PROGRESS OF SALT RIVER VALLEY.
$22,000. It was the intention of the company to extend the ditch some eight or ten miles further during the season of 1872, or, more definitely speaking, to the Agua Fria river, in order to cover the large body of fine land in that locality.
In the "Miner" of June 29th, 1872, the fol- lowing about the Salt River Ditch appeared: "Phoenix, June 21, 1872.
"Captain Hancock, J. A. Chenowith, Mr. Cavaness, I. L. Dickinson and E. Irvine, made an excursion to the lower part of the valley, along the surveyed route of the Salt River Irri- gating Canal. This country is very level, not having an eminence a foot high for miles around, except old adobe ruins or ditch bor- ders, remains of the works of a people who cul- tivated this valley in ages gone by, and who have passed away, their history shrouded in oblivion, their noble braves, fair women, and noble deeds forgotten. The farthest point reached by the party was about ten miles from the present terminus of the ditch, and must have been at least twenty miles from the near- est foothills. Salt River Valley lay to the east; the Gila Valley, above the junction of Salt River, lay to the southeast; the Agua Fria Val- ley lay to the northeast, and the apparent uniting of these three valleys into one, lay to the west, following the course of the Gila to the Gulf. The soil is rich, yet, for the lack of water, the country, at present, looks very much like a desert, but no worse than the land around the lower part of Mesquite did last December,
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
that is now loaded down with grain, some of which will pay, at least, $40 per acre this year above all expenses. This immense tract of land will support a large population when properly irrigated, but while Salt River will supply a great deal of water, artesian wells will be needed.
"This Salt River Ditch is a grand affair, and the Company is greatly benefitting the public while making a private fortune. The ditch has a width of 25 feet on the bottom, with very slanting sides, and a sufficient depth to carry, at least, ten thousand inches of water, which will be divided into two hundred water rights, one water right being considered sufficient to irrigate one-quarter section.
"The Company, last year, at an expense of $22,000 made three miles of ditch, and now have six teams at work, intending to increase this number to twenty after harvest; they will have completed ten miles farther in a few months, which will give it a length of thirteen miles in all. The first six miles constitute the ditch proper, one right in which is valued at $350. The other seven miles constitute an 'Exten- sion'; parties wishing to use it, will have to purchase a right in it also. Then each person will have to convey his water to his own ranch in a private ditch or, perhaps, two or three will unite and carry their water together. As all this part of the valley inclines slightly to the southwest, the water can be made available on one side only. The land on the northeast side of the ditch will have to be irrigated by ditches taken out further up."
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PROGRESS OF SALT RIVER VALLEY.
This canal was later referred to as the "Farm- ers" Ditch, and left the river at a point south of what is known as Hurley's Slaughter House, the main portion of the canal taking a north- westerly trend after leaving the river. It was completed in July, 1872, and during the second week of August, the stores, tools, etc., remain- ing at the breaking up of the camp, were sold at public auction and brought the' sum of $1089.00.
The Monterey was one of the smaller ditches, and in 1872 carried about a thousand inches of water. It left the river but a very short dis- tance downstream from the head of the Salt River Company's Canal, and flowed practically due west for its entire length, about four miles. It was dug deeper and extended half a mile further in 1872.
The Mexican Ditch was also small, and like the Monterey its capacity was about a thousand inches of water.
The acreage under cultivation and watered by the ditches above mentioned, according to Mr. Barney, was as follows:
Swilling Irrigating Canal 4,000 acres
Wilson's Ditch 700
Juan Chiavria Ditch 1,300
Salt River Ditch
600 66
Monterey Ditch 150
Mexican Ditch 250
making a total of seven thousand acres, which was the entire acreage of land under cultivation on the north side of the river in 1872.
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
The following is a brief summary of irrigat- ing conditions in the valley in the latter part of 1872.
Frank Rowe was engaged in taking a ditch out of the Verde above the McDowell reserva- tion. This was the second ditch in that vicinity.
A new ditch, named the Buffum Ditch, had been taken out of the Salt River on the south side, near the Miller Ditch.
The Tempe Ditch had been dug out deeper, and a new dam had been put in, and it had other- wise been permanently improved.
The Prescott Ditch on the south side was re- paired by the building of a new dam, and its channel was thoroughly cleaned out, and it could carry at that time much more water than formerly.
In the fall of 1872 the Mexicans living on the Mexican Ditch enlarged the same, were clearing land and preparing to put in a much larger crop than they had sowed the previous year.
A new dam had been constructed at the head of the Swilling Ditch, which had been thor- oughly cleaned out, and which then carried an abundance of water.
The Watson Ditch, Maddox Ditch, Van Arman Ditch, and Mexican Ditch No. 2 had each been cleaned and improved, more or less, in preparation for the spring season of 1873.
All of these were main ditches which were fed directly from the river, some of which had several extensions and side ditches, through which the water was distributed over the coun- try. These extensions and side ditches were all in good repair in the latter part of 1872.
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PROGRESS OF SALT RIVER VALLEY.
The Miller Ditch, Savory Ditch, Rowe Ditch and California Ditch were not yet completed at this time, and were not ready for service until the following year.
The completion of the Barnum Ditch was de- ferred in 1872 until additional capital could be raised.
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
CHAPTER VIII.
PHOENIX AND SALT RIVER VALLEY.
PHOENIX LOCATED AND SALE OF TOWN LOTS- SALT RIVER VALLEY ASSOCIATION FORMED- MEMBERS OF-SURVEY OF TOWN OF PHOENIX -FIRST BUILDING IN PHOENIX ERECTED BY CAPTAIN HANCOCK - OTHER BUILDINGS - FIRST COUNTY COURTHOUSE - WILLIAM
SMITH FIRST MERCHANT IN PHOENIX - OTHER EARLY MERCHANTS-RISE AND DE- CLINE OF BICHARD BROS .- DESCRIPTION OF PHOENIX IN 1871 - BUSINESS CONDITIONS IN PHOENIX IN 1872 - TOWN COMMISSION FORMED.
When the first Government Surveys passed over the valley, a few months after the arrival of the Swilling party, as has been before noted, they found a cluster of houses made of rude adobes, and cottonwood poles with mud roofs, comprising what was then known as the Phoenix Settlement. The first houses of a permanent character to be built by white settlers in the valley were erected near the Swilling Ditch at a point about a mile from the river. Among these were the houses of Charles S. Adams, P. L. (Jack) Walters, Lodovic Vandemark, Frenchy Sawyer, and John Hoague, standing but a short distance from the place where the lower road from Wickenburg to Camp Mc- Dowell crossed the Swilling Ditch, in the north- east part of section 12, Township 1 North, Range 3 East. With the advent of pioneers and settlers, the agricultural capabilities of the
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PHOENIX AND SALT RIVER VALLEY.
valley having been fully proven, it was evident that somewhere in this immediate section there was destined to be a large city. The task of selecting the best location for the future metropolis became quite a difficult one, and required patient effort on the part of the set- tlers before a satisfactory site could be agreed upon. The first written information regarding such efforts is contained in some correspondence from the Phoenix Settlement, under date of August 13th, 1870, appearing in the "Miner" from which is taken the following:
"Two towns have been laid off within a week, but of the particulars I am not advised."
This reference to the laying out of two towns could only relate to the preliminary plans, and was really the commencement of the contest be- tween what was known as Mill City, or East Phoenix, and West Phoenix, where the town was finally located.
In a letter from Phoenix under date of Octo- ber 17th, 1870, we have the following definite information.
"Phoenix, A. T., Oct. 17, 1870.
"Editor 'Citizen' :-
"The citizens of this place had a meeting on the 15th instant, for the purpose of deciding the location of a townsite. A regular election was held and the place occupied by Messrs. Mc- Kinnie and Carpenter was selected. It is the intention to proceed at once and obtain a title to the land from the Government, and dispose of the lots to actual settlers."
The above relates to a site chosen by a large number of settlers, which later proved unsatis- factory to many of those interested. Further
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
meetings and conferences were, therefore, held for the purpose of coming to some more har- monious agreement.
The site spoken of above was about a mile east and a little north of the present location of Phoenix on ground occupied by James B. Mc- Kinnie and Cromwell A. Carpenter. After much discussion the McKinnie-Carpenter site was given up, and a final selection made of the present Phoenix town site by popular vote. It was charged by the East Phoenix people that the majority in favor of the present location was obtained through fraud, an account of which has been previously given in an interview with Neri Osborn. However, the result of the elec- tion was acquiesced in, and the new town was located on the present site of Phoenix.
In a letter from the Phoenix Settlement, under date of December 26th, 1870, which ap- peared in the "Arizona Citizen" of the 7th of January, 1870, is the following :
"As you do not seem to have a correspondent in this section of the Territory, I will write you sometimes when anything occurs worth noticing and making a short letter acceptable.
"We are a growing community, and we like to have the people know it. Our population has nearly doubled in two months, and the immigra- tion does not seem to be on the wane at all. Several families came in during the last month, and the gentler sex is becoming quite well repre- sented.
"Our townsite has been selected after con- siderable discussion, and with few exceptions the people seem to be satisfied.
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PHOENIX AND SALT RIVER VALLEY.
"Judge Berry and other strangers who have examined it, are much pleased with it, and com- mend the judgment of the people in selecting the townsite. The sale of town lots occurred last Friday and Saturday, Dec. 23rd and 24th, and was a great success. Sixty-three lots were sold, at an average of forty dollars, the highest paid for one lot being $140.00. Judge Berry had the honor of bidding off the first lot, after quite a spirited contest. Several buildings will be commenced within a few days. Wm. A. Hancock & Co. have the adobes nearly made for their store and will soon have a house up. Other merchants will erect buildings and move to the townsite in the spring."
During the year 1870 the location of the site for the town was continually under discussion, and the settlers were divided into two camps. Major McKinnie, Carpenter, Jack Swilling and others, were in favor of having it laid off as previously noted, while the Starar Brothers, Columbus H. Gray, John B. Montgomery and others favored the present site. Hellings & Company wanted the town located around the flouring mill. The letter above noted was writ- ten about this time. To adjust difficulties, and after two or three informal meetings at McKin- nie's saloon, the center for the community gatherings, a meeting was finally called at the house of Mr. John Moore, which brought order out of chaos, and also brought forth the town of Phoenix, now the capital of Arizona.
At this mass meeting of citizens of the valley, which was convened on the 24th of October, 1870, VI-11
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
for the purpose of selecting a suitable spot of un- occupied land for a townsite, a committee was appointed to choose such a site. This committee was composed of Darrell Duppa, John Moore and Martin P. Griffin, all well known residents of the valley, and all of whom favored west Phoenix. After due deliberation the committee recommended the north one-half of section eight, township one north, range three east, as the most suitable location for a town, and that said town be called Phoenix.
After the proceedings of the mass meeting were closed, this gathering resolved itself into an association called "The Salt River Valley Association, " of which John T. Alsap, the father of A. Guy Alsap, of the National Bank of Ari- zona, James Murphy, father of former Deputy Sheriff James T. Murphy of this county, and J. T. Perry, were elected Commissioners. The articles of the Association were signed by the following citizens of the Phoenix Settlement : Darrel Duppa, James McC. Elliott,
Wm. B. Hellings & Co.,
J. P. Perry,
Barnett & Block,
Wm. Rowe,
Thos. Barnum,
Michael Connell,
James Murphy,
Daniel Twomey,
John T. Dennis,
Charles C. McDermott
Wm. A. Holmes,
Edward Irvine,
James M. Buck,
John P. Osborn,
Jacob Starar,
Andrew Starar,
John T. Alsap,
Paul Becker, and
Columbus H. Gray,
James D. Monihon.
Martin P. Griffin,
The new town was called Phoenix at the sug- gestion of Darrell Duppa, and the name is not
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PHOENIX AND SALT RIVER VALLEY.
only singularly appropriate, but even prophetic, for a new and flourishing civilization has here sprung up on the ashes of the old. This name was given by Duppa to the settlement along the Salt River Valley a year or two before. The name was applied to the townsite and was first officially used by the Board of Supervisors of Yavapai County, when that Board formed an election precinct here, designating it as Phoenix Precinct. This was at a special meeting of the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors, com- posed of John G. Campbell, Chairman, Gideon Cornell, member, and Follett G. Christie, clerk, held on May 4th, 1868, and at this meeting elec- tion precincts were established for the purpose of holding the County election on Wednesday, June 3rd, 1868. At that time Phoenix Precinct first appears upon the official county records with John W. Swilling as Inspector, and J. H. Davis and J. Burns as Judges, the voting place being located at Swilling's house.
When the commissioners appointed by the Salt River Valley Association received their instruc- tions, they employed in the month of November, Captain Wm. A. Hancock to survey and plan the townsite upon the half section selected for that purpose, and by the 23rd of December, 1870, a sufficient number of lots had been surveyed to enable the Town Commissioners to hold a sale and so procure funds enough to prosecute the work of surveying. This work was necessarily slow, and frequently lagged for the want of funds, as money was very scarce, but by Autumn of 1871, the last lot had been surveyed and the Hancock map furnished, showing a town site one
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HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
mile in length by half a mile in width, divided into ninety-eight blocks. These city founders laid out the original townsite of Phoenix so as to provide for a large and populous city in the future. Washington, the main street running east and west, was one hundred feet wide, as was also Jefferson, the first parallel street to the south, and Center, the principal cross street, while all other streets were made with a width of 80 feet. With few exceptions blocks were laid out three hundred feet long, 12 lots, 50x1371/2 feet each, to the block, with a 25 foot alley run- ning through most of the squares.
The first lot sold was that on the southwest corner of Washington and Montezuma (now First) streets. It was bought by Judge William J. Berry of Prescott, for $104, while the adjoin- ing lot to the south brought $40. The opposite corner, where Berryhill's store is now located, was sold to Captain Hancock for $70. It was resold to Ellis & Company a few years later for $8,000. The two lots first mentioned, Nos. 1 and 2 in Block 22, which at one time also belonged to George D. Kendall, an early contractor and carpenter, are to-day covered by a portion of what is called the Irvine Block, built in 1879, by Edward Irvine, an early resident of this city, but lately deceased, while upon the Han- cock lot, No. 2 in Block 21, on the opposite side of Washington street, was erected in 1889 the Anderson Building, which is now occupied by the Berryhill Stationery Store and the Bas- witz Cigar Company.
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