1918 Flu pandemic

Another view of a pandemic The original Armistice Day arrived at 11 a. m. on November 11th, 1918. It was a 30 day temporary cessation of the horrors of World War I. Every 30 days, the Armistice was renewed until the signing of the Versailles Treaty. The news of the signing of the Armistice reached Phoenix at 12:45 a.m., three minutes after word had reached Washington, D.C. The news was quickly relayed to the City of Phoenix and “the big whistle at the gas plant took up the joy scream and passed the word on to the cotton gin and to the Arizona Eastern shops and the Santa Fe round house. Every locomotive…joined in and helped the peace celebration with all the steam in their boilers. Church bells rang, guns and revolvers were fired and the people who quickly filled the down town streets cheered and yelled and cheered again for the good news that ended the war…and the boys are coming home.” After the raucous celebration, it was reported “there was no pest of blackbirds in the vicinity of Phoenix yesterday…the supposition is that these allies of the Huns were frightened by the racket in this vicinity…wherever the noise of the great whistles reached in the country it brought out responses in the discharge of revolvers, shotguns, sticks of dynamite and whatever else would make a reverberation.” The war had lasted 1,587 days. More than 12,000 men from Arizona went into the military. At that time, Arizona had a population of around 250,000. 9,025 were drafted. The rest enlisted in the National Guard and the Marine Corps. In March of 1918 at Fort Riley, Kansas, a soldier reported to the camp hospital complaining of a fever, sore throat, and a headache. By noon, more than 100 soldiers were sick. What became known as the Spanish Flu had begun. The virus had moved from birds, to pigs, to humans and became a world wide pandemic that ultimately killed somewhere between 10 and 100 million people. The Spanish Flu began arriving in Arizona by September of 1918. It rapidly spread to all areas of the state. “In Seligman, where a moving picture theater was turned into an emergency hospital one afternoon, and by nightfall was filled with railroad men, cowboys and others who had been lying sick in rooming houses and even in box cars.” Influenza hit the Indian communities hard. Reports indicated that the death toll among the Indians who contracted the flu was higher than other communities. There was no medicine to combat the flu. It was estimated that about six percent of those that developed the flu died. Most succumbed to pneumonia that was contracted as a result of a severe case of the flu. The Department of Health of the City of Phoenix issued rules to stem the spread of the Spanish Flu. These included “1. Do not assemble in crowds or groups…2. Remain three feet away from the person with whom you are conversing. 3. Do not spit on the sidewalk, street or floor. Use water-flushed gutters or spittoons. 4. Hold a handkerchief before your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. 5. Stay at home if you have a cough…6. Wear a gauze mask…” Violation of the rules “…may mean a fine of $300 or 90 days imprisonment or both.” John Minter, a porter on the Southern Pacific Railroad, was arrested for selling a pint of whiskey to a passenger who said it was a cure for the flu. Minter admitted he made a small profit on the whiskey. Minter was convicted of violating Arizona’s prohibition law. He was fined $200 or he had to serve one day for every dollar of the unpaid fine. The Sheriff put together a special group of deputies that were placed on all the major roads that came into Phoenix. Their job was “…to stop all travelers and to ascertain (their) business…if the person…is merely coming to this city for a visit or on pleasure, he is to be turned back.” Schools were closed. Events were cancelled. It was even difficult to deliver the newspaper since many of the carriers were sick. Yet, even as the flu was creating a pandemic, the State Fair was entertaining the public. A Captain Bennitt did a parachute drop from 3,000 feet. He also exploded a bomb as he descended. Edward Dooley drove an Oldsmobile around the 1 mile State Fair Racetrack at 45 miles per hour with his hands handcuffed behind his head. The State Hospital for the Insane had a display of the handiwork done by their patients. The newspapers had many obituaries of people that expired from the flu. Sometimes, most of the members of a single family were killed by the epidemic From September to November of 1918, it was estimated 82,306 died in the Untied States from the Spanish Flu. In the nearly 1,600 days of war, only 40,000 to 45,000 Americans were killed in combat. Before the pandemic disappeared in 1919, it was estimated that some 500,000 Americans died from the Spanish Flu

Let's try the fair again....and again....and again

In early 1905, the Arizona Legislature created the Arizona Territorial Fair Commission. The purpose of the Commission was to find a city that would establish a fair site and rent it to the Commission for one week per year. The Legislature also appropriated $15,000 for fair buildings and $7,500 a year for maintenance of the fair. The fair Commission was composed of 3 members appointed by the Governor. No one volunteered for the fair for several months. Finally, J. C. Adams gathered a group of prominent citizens at the Hotel Adams and put up $1,000 to organize a company to start the Territorial Fair. People from Phoenix and around the Territory quickly contributed $40,000 ($865,000 when it is converted to the present day) to capitalize the company. An 80 acre tract was purchased at what would become 19th Avenue and McDowell which was a very rural area northwest of Phoenix. The site was surrounded by a high board fence. A grandstand with seating for 3,500 was built overlooking race tracks of 1 mile and ½ mile. Looking east from the grandstand, the view was described as “…here and there the trees surround a thousand happy farm homes that dot the plain for a dozen miles. Next rises gray old Camelback…to the right of Camelback are the red sand hills made famous by the Hole in the Rock, while between the two rock ranges in the back ground a hundred miles to the east, rise the snow capped summits of the Four Peaks.” Before the fair began, a special trolley line was built along Grand Avenue from downtown Phoenix to the gates of the fairground. The trolley ran every few minutes and cost a nickel ($1.08 in current dollars). Special trains with special rates were scheduled to bring passengers from all parts of the Territory. The daily running of the fair was divided into three divisions. The mining division highlighted the mining industry. This included the construction of a mining building on the fairground site so tourists in Phoenix and visitors to the Capitol could see how mining affects Arizona. It was noted that highlighting mining “…will give the industry confidence in itself and promote co-operation rather than selfishness, boosting rather than knocking…” The second division was the racing division which promoted daily horse races at the fair. For the first fair, more than $12,000 was guaranteed for purses. The races were successful, but it was noted “we are displeased to learn that an outburst of profanity greeted the termination of each race much to the disgust of the ladies who had seats in the grandstand.” The final division was the general exhibits that included all the wonders of the fair that people still flock to see such as paintings, homemaking practices, bee keeping, furniture building and curios. Among the curios was an autographed letter from George Washington at Mount Vernon in 1797. There was also an Eskimo rain coat made of walrus gut. Also included in the curios was a set of toy chairs made in France during the time of Louis XVI. Of course, there was a dairy, creamery department and livestock. A livestock parade was held during the fair and it was more than ½ mile long. One dairy cow produced 9 gallons of milk a day. Another cow at the fair produced 21 pounds of butter in 7 days. What is now called the midway was know as the Hassayamp. The name was considered suggestive and distinctly Arizonan. The Hassayamp included confections, refreshments, tobaccos, games of chance with cash prizes, parachute jumping, captive balloon rides, side shows, gymnasts, freak features, vaudeville, panoramas, and exhibits of skill. One skill that was showcased was rifle shooting demonstrations which occurred several times a day on the midway. Several special days were reserved throughout the fair for groups. One day included a military tournament with competitive drills and trophies. A Gatling gun demonstration was popular with fair goers. There was a mining day that included drilling contests. The person with the best prospectors outfit got a special prize. Hassayampa Day gave recognition to Arizona pioneers. Prizes were given to couples married the longest, oldest native born son and daughter, the prettiest baby boy and girl under 2 years of age, and the ugliest man. Finally, one day gave free admission to “Aborigines” or Native Americans that came to the fair. More than 3,000 Indians attended the fair. There were several Indian foot races including one mile and two mile relay races, a quarter mile foot race, and an Indian wagon race. Upon its completion, the first Territorial Fair was declared a grand success. Its traditions, food and exhibits carry on today at the Arizona State Fair.

Arizona State Fair

By the 1880’s the Territory of Arizona was the Wild West. With a total population of around 60,000, the Territory was just starting to get organized through the 13th Legislature which became known as the “Bloody Thirteenth” or “Thieving Thirteenth” because of its spending habits. At one point, acting Governor H. M. Van Arman stated “…the territory is quite poor in purse although rich in mineral wealth. All the citizens have a holy horror of being assessed, or paying taxes…” The “Bloody Thirteenth” gave out many of the institutions that still thrive in Arizona today. They kept the capital in Prescott for the time being. The Legislature left the prison in Yuma. Even though it only cost $6 per week to send patients to California, the Legislature authorized $100,000 ($2.1 million in current dollars) to built an insane asylum near Phoenix. Tempe received $5,000 to start a teacher’s college. Tucson was granted $25,000 to start the University of Arizona. One reason for the smaller allocation for the University was “…who ever heard of a professor buying a drink?” Yet, Territorial Governor Frederick Tritle was concerned about several other issues. Cowboy lawlessness was a big concern for the Governor. One editorial writer indicated “…a lot of loose, marauding thieves are scouring the country killing good, industrious citizens for plunder. The officials are out in every direction, but nothing is accomplished.” Governor Tritle was also worried about the Indian situation. He felt that the San Carlos Reservation was being used as a terrorist training ground. Indians there were clothed, fed, and drilled on tactics. They used their knowledge to leave the reservation and murder citizens before the military could restrain them. At the 1885 Arizona Industrial Exposition in Phoenix, Governor Tritle stated, “I have urged repeatedly that these Indians should be removed from our Territory and their lands opened to occupation…the life of one industrious white settler…is of infinitely more value than the lives of all the non-producing Apache vagabonds in our Territory.” The Industrial Exposition of 1884 and 1885 was the precursor to the modern Arizona State Fair which sprang to life in 1905. It was hoped that the Exposition would showcase the products of the Territory. However, early editorials pointed out “…the total lack of an agricultural exhibit…will convey the idea that the valley has nothing in this line worthy of exhibit.” The Territory was experiencing a business depression during these years. Getting to the fair was a daunting commitment of time and resources for everyone that lived outside the confines of the City of Phoenix with a population of less than 3,000. Plus, there was that question of the Cowboys and Indians. Governor Tritle spoke at the Exposition. He praised the fair as a way to “…promote knowledge, stimulate industry, develop resources and increase commerce.” The Governor also looked into the future of Arizona. He could see “…a major proportion of our Territorial area can be only used for grazing purposes…” and “…mining will for many years remain one of the chief industries of Arizona…” Governor Tritle tried to encourage the expansion of the railroads in Arizona. He felt that easier access to and from the mines would make Arizona ore more valuable to industry. More railroads would also encourage farmers and ranchers to market their products to the mining industry. The Governor naively predicted “…the miner would work as readily for three dollars per day as for four now providing his cost of living were proportionately less.” Governor Tritle even spoke of the need for money to expand the infrastructure of the Territory. He said “…the people are often afraid of taxation, but it does not necessarily follow that because the rate of taxation is high that financial interests are depressed…or that there has been useless and reckless expenditures of either private or public moneys.” The two year run of the Territorial Fair was not considered a success. The Exposition was abandoned after 1885 with little fanfare for 20 years until the Arizona Territorial Fair was revived in 1905.

Life on the bus

Lost on the bus Lost On the bus. Belongings, Riding Alone. Unable To arrive At a Destination. Relying On the Kindness Of strangers. To return Home.

Star Daley

The death penalty by hanging for first degree murder was part of the Arizona Statutes at Statehood in 1912. In 1914, there were 19 ballot propositions including one by initiative petition to abolish the death penalty. The proposition was defeated on a vote of 18,129 for and 19,381 against. In 1916, the citizens again gathered enough signatures to place the abolishment of the death penalty on the ballot. The death penalty was abolished by a vote of 18,936 for and 18,784 against. The death penalty was officially abolished on December 8, 1916. In May of 1917, Star Daley murdered James Gibson at a campsite east of Mesa. After a road chase, he was taken from the authorities and lynched by a group of 50 vigilantes at the scene of his crimes. Daley blamed his mother for what he became. He confessed: “I was raised in or near Bartlesville, Oklahoma. My stepfather who is Red Melvin, is known all over that state as a bank robber. He and my mother, who killed my little brother by putting boiling water on him, brought me up. “They used to make me go out and get girls for my mother’s brothel. On several occasions I helped my father to rob banks, and at the robbery of the bank at Glencoe, Oklahoma, I think I killed a man. I know I emptied a box of shells at the posse chasing us and am pretty sure I got one of them. I pulled off a lot of hold-ups there and was finally sent to the reformatory.” Daley eventually came to Arizona and was working at a ranch near Florence. On a Wednesday evening he attacked the rancher’s wife, but she succeeded in defending herself. He was ordered to leave the farm and stole a horse and saddle and fled into the night. On Thursday night, he came upon the camp of the Gibson’s who were camped in the desert about 23 miles east of Mesa. The Gibson’s had been visiting relatives in Globe and were on their way home to Tucson. They set up camp for the night and were preparing supper when Daley rode into camp. The Gibson’s offered Daley food and water and he suddenly pulled out a gun and shot James Gibson 6 times in the back. Daley indicated that “When he told me his name was Gibson, I thought he was the man who had ruined my sister I shot him in the heart.” Daley indicated that his sister was working at a brothel in Juarez when his sister was ruined by a man named Gibson. It appeared that these Gibson’s only shared a name with the man that had ruined Daley’s sister. Daley then told Mrs. Gibson “…there is no capital punishment in this state, so all I would get is a prison sentence. I won’t stay there long, and then I will come and get you.” Daley then made Mrs. Gibson disrobe followed by hours of “incredible horror.” The next morning, they loaded Gibson’s body into the car and headed toward Mesa. The car ran out of gas and Daley went to get gas. A bicyclist came along and talked to Mrs. Gibson and went and informed the Town Marshall. Daley was captured and taken to the Maricopa County Jail in downtown Phoenix. As the story of the crimes circulated, armed mobs began to gather in downtown Phoenix with the intention of lynching Daley there. The Sheriff decided to send Daley to Florence and slipped him out of the jail and into a car around midnight on Saturday night. Once the crowd realized Daley was gone, “…three cars swung out at a terrific pace started on a mission which they heartily believed would be applauded by the people of the country, and which would avenge at least one woman’s honor.” The chase went through Tempe and Mesa. The chase was going at well above 60 miles per hour and “…everything on the road gave it the right of way.” News reports indicated while the chase was on “…all the while at Florence was gathering the expectant mob – waiting, waiting.” The sheriff’s car was stopped near Florence and the deputies gave up Star Daley without a fight. Masked vigilantes took Daley to the scene of the crime. At about 6 a.m. on Sunday morning, a rope was thrown over the cross arm of a telephone pole and Daley was asked if he had any last words. “Yes, I hope this will be a lesson to all men like me. I am not to blame, it is the result of having a mother who worked in a brothel.” Press reports indicated “It was one of the most coolly handled hangings in the history of the state and there was no disorder.” Star Daley then became the last known man to be lynched in Arizona. That morning, a coroner’s jury was convened in Mesa and went to the site of the hanging to investigate. After hearing testimony from Mrs. Gibson and the lawmen involved, the coroner’s jury ruled “Justifiable homicide, by hanging, at the hands of unknown parties.” The body of Star Daley was cut down after the inquest and buried at the site of the crime. It was reported that “Governor Campbell, who had spent the entire night in an effort to find the crowd which had Daley in custody, arrived in time to witness the burial.” In the general election of 1918, a petition initiative was proposed to restore the death penalty. It was passed on a vote of 20,443 for and 10,602 against. Death by hanging in Arizona was restored on December 5, 1918.

The surveys of Arizona

On race weekends, it is the Hillside seating on turn four of Phoenix International Raceway. During the festivities, a few people climb to the top of the hill and probably wonder about the origins of the concrete cross that rests there. Fewer still appreciate that this point could have been along the border of Mexico and the United States, and signifies the point where almost all private parcels of land in Arizona are surveyed from. In late 1851, a group of surveyors climbed the hill, undoubtedly admired the view of the pristine Salt River Valley, and built a circular monument with an eight foot base made of rocks lying nearby. The monument tapered upward eight feet to a four foot diameter on top. A center wooden pole, six feet high was marked “United States and Mexico Boundary Commission, 1851.” The monument was set by Andrew B. Gray, United States surveyor and Lieutenant A. W. Whipple leading a large survey crew. The monument was set to fulfill the agreement known as the Guadalupe Hidalgo treaty of 1785. In January of 1867, William Pierce again climbed the hill with his 7 member survey crew. His crew crossed the Gila River that was over 200 feet wide and 3 to 4 feet deep to get to the point that would become the intersection of 115th Avenue and Baseline Road. His field notes indicate “I proceeded to perpetuate this corner (the center of the monument) as follows: I squared the post and marked it as a TP (township) corner.” Pierce had a contract for the first rectangular survey in what would become Arizona. His job was to set up township lines for the rectangular division of the land into 36 square mile townships so that they ultimately could be sold to settlers. His contract was “for the survey of certain lands in Arizona for the sum not to exceed seventy-five hundred dollars.” Pierce’s first order of business was to establish a line 36 miles to the east, or 6 townships. Much of this would later become Baseline Road, named after the baseline they were establishing for future surveyors. Pierce and his crew were able to establish this line in five days using rudimentary equipment including a solar compass, a chain of 33 feet made up of 50 links and a covered wagon and horses as transportation. They had to measure levelly over uneven terrain, had to cross the flowing rivers, and had to cut there way through the brush and obstacles they encountered. Their efforts took them from 115th Avenue to Power Road in five days. Pierce described the area: “Salt River, at this season of the year is a large stream…which renders it especially valuable for irrigation. I consider this valley…as containing some of the best agricultural land I have yet seen in the Territory, and would recommend that it be subdivided at an early day.” Pierce probably could never imagine the thriving metropolis that would occupy the land some 140 years later as he chained across Phoenix, established in 1870, Tempe, established in 1870, and finally Mesa, established in 1878. Pierce then returned to the initial point and began a survey of the Prime Meridian for Arizona, a line that was to run 96 miles, or 16 Townships, north of the Initial Point. For the next few weeks, Pierce worked carefully to set up the backbone of the structure that would be used to establish the greater Phoenix area. In late February of 1867, Pierce asked for and received a release from his contract due to an expected Indian uprising and fearing for the safety of his survey crew. Over the years, the Initial Point fell in disrepair through age and vandalism. Even though more than 62 million acres of Arizona had been surveyed from this point, it was largely forgotten. In 1984, a statewide group of surveyors took it onto themselves to refurbish the monument as it appears today. In trying to reflect on the history of this truly remarkable point, they placed a plaque on the monument that reads “Dedicated to all land owners in Arizona by the Arizona Professional Land Surveyors.”

Papago Saguaro National Monument - Now Papago Park

Shortly after Statehood in 1912, the Phoenix and Maricopa County Board of Trade began an effort to have what is now Papago Park declared either a National Park or a National Monument. Originally, the committee recommended the creation of a “…National Cactus Park…as Yellowstone National Park, the Yosemite National Park, and the Mount Rainer National Park.” The General Land Office (GLO) was not interested in the proposal and replied to Representative Carl Hayden that “…topographic conditions seem to offer nothing but scenery and the National Monument Act of June 8, 1906, does not provide for reservation of public land for the purpose of protecting scenery.” More information was submitted to the GLO including 7 dime store postcards showing Hole in the Rock, giant cacti, and yucca palms. After further review, President Woodrow Wilson signed proclamation No. 1262 in 1914 creating Papago Saguaro National Monument saying it contained “…splendid examples of the giant and many other species of cacti and the yucca palm…are of great scientific interest, and should, therefore, be preserved…” Almost 2,100 acres were included in the monument. In 1916, it was estimated that the National Monument had almost 5000 visitors a year. Commercial pressures were an immediate concern for the keepers of the monument. Local merchants were known to paint advertisements on the rocks within the Monument. Once the National Park Service took over the area, they received requests to develop portions of Monument into enterprises such as a golf course, construction of a community hospital for soldiers suffering from tuberculosis, building a large auto camp ground, an air field, waterfalls, tennis courts, ball fields, and a convention facility in order to make it a “world attraction.” The National Park Service rejected all these proposals. In the 1920’s, oil companies wanted to drill for oil within the monument. These requests were rejected. Meanwhile, James Reed had claimed 160 acres that included Hole in the Rock as a mining claim. More than 20 years prior, Charles Poston, the father of Arizona, had also claimed ownership of Hole in the Rock. Reed eventually wanted to trade his claim for 270 acres. He claimed “…in making this exchange I am practically giving the park to Arizona.” The GLO called Reed “…a shrewd land swindler.” The Department of Justice finally rejected Reed’s claims. By the early 1930’s, the demands of the nearby communities spelled the end of the Papago Saguaro National Monument. The employees of the National Park Service noted there were many unemployed homeless living in the monument. Also, parts of the park were being used as illegal dumping sites. The Papago Saguaro National Monument become one of only three National Monuments ever turned back to local control. The State of Arizona quickly built the Hunt Bass Hatchery which released more than 175,000 bass and perch every year into streams and lakes around Arizona. News reports indicated “Arizona’s newest industry is commercial fishing, the market being New York and even Los Angeles; fish are being hauled 3000 miles across the continent and sold on the eastern seaboard.” In 1932, Del Webb constructed the pyramid known as Hunt’s Tomb overlooking the Hunt Bass Hatchery. Along with the State of Arizona, the City of Tempe, the Salt River Project, and the War Department received lands from the Saguaro Papago National Monument for other uses.