Tag Archives: Fort Whipple

Arizona Territory Santa Fe Trail

Governor Goodwin’s Expedition

June 7, 2011 – 3:25 pm


While the Arizona Territory formed in February, 1863, it was not until December 29, 1863, that the governor was inaugurated into office on the territory’s soil.  The journey from the east took many months of planning and several more months of travel.

In my book, A Dream Unfolding, my fictional characters, Drew and Hannah Anderson, arrive at Fort Larned in Kansas.  Their wagon train stops and waits for the governor’s arrival.  From that point in the journey forward, the Andersons travel with the governor’s party all the way to their final destination.  The route the wagon train took was accurate, inspired by letters written by Jonathan Richmond, one of the men in the governor’s expedition.

From Fort Larned, Kansas, the group traveled west to Fort Lyon in Colorado, following the Santa Fe Trail.  Once in Colorado, the group turned south making brief stops in Picketware, Trinidad, and Raton.  Once inside the New Mexico Territory, they stopped at Fort Union before heading on to Santa Fe.  From Santa Fe, the expedition traveled through Albuquerque and Laguna before camping at Fort Wingate, the last western fort before the vastly desolate Arizona Territory.  Traveling on Pishon’s road, the group headed almost due west along the 35th parallel.  Stopping in the San Francisco Mountains (near present day Flagstaff), the party was delayed two weeks due to a blizzard.  Once leaving the San Francisco Mountains, they headed south towards Fort Whipple, arriving on January 22, 1864.

The journey was long.  The governor’s party left Cincinnati, Ohio, in late August, 1863.  For five months the group traveled the great distance to their new home, often stopping for a week or two at the major forts.  Accompanied by the military and part of a large group of nearly 55 wagons, the group stayed safe through the journey.  The encountered many strange sights, such as a fandango dance in Santa Fe, and the native dances of the peaceful Laguna Indians.

For an account of some of the more colorful things they experienced along the way, pick up a copy of my book, A Dream Unfolding, now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks, and more.

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Arizona Territory Prescott

Fort Whipple in 1863-64

February 26, 2011 – 8:56 pm

On October 5, 1863, a group of soldiers left Fort Union in New Mexico headed to Fort Wingate.  Once at Fort Wingate, they met up with two companies of the First California Volunteers, as well as Major Willis, Captain Pishon, and Doctor Charles Lieb and his wife, Mary (the first white woman to settle in Northern Arizona).  The group set out from Fort Wingate on November 4, 1863 to establish a new fort in Northern Arizona—Fort Whipple.

On December 23, 1863*, the group arrived near present day Chino Valley.  Major Willis, the commander of the fort, decided to stop there, despite the 25 mile distance to the placer mines on Granite Creek (present day Prescott).  The fort would provide protection for the territorial government and civilian settlers.

Nearly a month passed before Governor Goodwin and his party arrived at the fort on January 22, 1864.  Once they arrived, Major Willis ordered a 18 gun salute and small celebration.  For the next few months, the government of the territory officially resided at the fort.

Conditions were less than perfect for these brave souls.  Supplies had to be freighted from Albuquerque, New Mexico across the desert plains of Northern Arizona.  Often food was in short supply.  No permanent structures were erected until after the fort moved on May 18, 1864, to one mile northeast of Prescott on the bank of Granite Creek.  A small group of men stayed behind at the original site which became known as Camp Clark.

During Prescott’s early days, the fort kept settlers safe from Indian attacks and served as a base of operations for military campaigns throughout the area.

 

*There are conflicting accounts as to the exact date.  It was sometime within a few days of the date listed.

 

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Arizona Territory Prescott

The Birth of a Territory

February 26, 2011 – 8:55 pm

On February 24, 1863, the Arizona Territory was born.  President Lincoln then appointed John A. Gurley as governor.  When Gurley died in near his home in Cincinnati in August of 1863, before ever setting foot in the territory, President Lincoln appointed John N. Goodwin as the governor.

Goodwin and his party began the long trek to the territory from Ohio, crossing miles of land.  My book, A Dream Unfolding, follows a couple who is on the same wagon train as the Governor from Kansas to their final destination of Fort Whipple in the Arizona Territory.

The official inauguration of the territorial government did not take place until the governor’s party reached a small watering hole a few days ride inside the territory.  On December 29, 1863, at Navajo Springs, the governor’s party held an inauguration ceremony.  In the midst of a snowy afternoon, the ceremony began with a prayer by Reverend Read.  Then Goodwin and the other government officials took the oath of office.

Following the oath of office, Secretary Richard McCormick read the Governor’s Proclamation which announced a census for the territory, the organization of judicial districts, the governor’s stance on the Indian situation, among other key political points.  The temporary capitol was announced as Fort Whipple, which was later moved to Prescott.  After the speech, Secretary McCormick hoisted a flag.

The governor’s party did not reach their final destination of Fort Whipple until January 22, 1864, almost eleven months after the territory was formed.

 

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Arizona Territory

Drama Selecting Arizona’s Capital

February 26, 2011 – 9:41 am

When John N. Goodwin was appointed Governor of the Arizona Territory, following the untimely death of the first appointed governor, selecting a site for the capital became one of his primary concerns.  Many factors weighed into the final decision.

In January 1864, Governor Goodwin arrived at Fort Whipple, north of present day Prescott.  He announced the fort would be the temporary government headquarters.  Throughout his journey to the territory, and during the subsequent tour of the vast wilderness, he considered three options for the capital:  Tucson, La Paz, and what eventually became known as Prescott.

Tucson and La Paz were both rather large towns at the time.  Some sources site La Paz at nearly 5,000 people, the largest town in the territory.  However, the gold mine town of La Paz sat on the far western edge of the territory along the Colorado River, making it a poor choice simply based on location.  Tucson provided a better alternative, located in the south central area of the territory.  However, the population of Tucson was comprised mostly of southern sympathizers and Mexicans during the height of the Civil War.  This made Tucson unattractive for a Union governor trying to encourage northern sympathizers to settle in the new territory.

Then, there was a little cluster of gold mine camps along the Hassayampa River—modern day Prescott.  With a population of less than 100, the settlement did not become a town until after being selected as the capital.  What made Prescott so attractive?  It sat near the geographic center of the territory.  It was situated next to Fort Whipple, where Union troops from the California Column were stationed.  The climate was milder than both La Paz and Tucson.  After touring the territory, Goodwin ultimately selected Prescott, spurring a flurry of growth for the newly born town.

However, the drama of the capital site was not finished.  The first legislative session started in September 1864, where they voted on a proposal to move the capital from Prescott to Tucson.  The measure was defeated by a very small margin.  Eventually, the capital did move to Tucson in 1867, during Richard McCormick’s term as governor.  Then, in 1877, the capital returned to Prescott for twelve years before moving to its final location in Phoenix in 1889.

Related Notes:

  • In 1868, La Paz vanished after the Colorado River shifted course.  The town moved to present day Ehrenburg, which is why you will not find the town of La Paz on modern maps.
  • Though Jack Swilling “discovered” the area that would become Phoenix in 1857, no significant population resided in the area during the initial discussions regarding the capital location.  It wasn’t until the 1870’s that Phoenix started to grow.
  • The Confederate States also tried to claim the Arizona Territory during the Civil War, setting the capital in Tucson.

 

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