Arizona citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Pima County, A.T. [i.e. Ariz.]) 1870-1880, 1876-07-15


e ments were in steady progress up t
5 this day. Maj Steene having arrives
d with his soldiers and established III
T military post then called Fort Buchan
e an, the southern part Of the count
& commenced TO receive constant add
;, tons of American settlers who brough
+ with them their families and animals
r. and commenced building houses il
e the valleys of the Santa Cruz and So
e noita, culIivating the ground and rails
J ing herds of cattle. Mr.. Warner state
e that although 10 1858, hardly 1900 acre
f Of land were under cultivation beside
+ the Papago fields, yet as early as 1861
. very little forage and flour had to b,
; imported from Sonora for the use o
f the troops.
Ever since the purchase from Mexic,
+ Of this country, gold and silver mining
5 has been carried on to a considerable
f. extent; and | find in work entitled
| Travels in the Interior of Mexico" by
P Lieut.. r. w. II. Hardy, r. n, 1926
.-1-S, published in London in 1929
that the Santa Rita, San Xavier and
, other mines IN the vicinity of Tucson
and Tubac are mentioned as once ia
NOUS for their riches and marked on
o the maps accompanying the work. Al.
ter the purchase, the attention of capl.
taliSts was attracted here and consider
able money invested with fair pros
poets of success. About this time, the
great Rebellion broke out and the Con.
tederate forces took possession of and
confscated or destroyed all property
known TO belong to Union men, and
soon after the Union forces re-took
the country and confiScated or destroy.
ell all property known to belong to
those in sympathy with the Rebellion,
and the Indians and marauding bands
took what was left irrespective of creed
or parties. This effectually destroyed
for the time being all mining enter
prises, and it is only until within the
last five or six years that efforts have
been made to revive the mining in
terest. During this time considerable
prospecting has been done and mum
Der of patents to mines have been APP
piled for and obtained. Sufficient deyel-
iOpments have been made to warrant
/ the belief that with capital well direct
ed, very extensive mining field would
/ soon be opened in this county, although
! as yet our sister county of Pinal seems
+ to possess richer ores than Pima.
+ In 1866 the California volunteers
who had been sent out to garrison this
section of country, were relieved by
+ regular troops and | would here remark
/ that the limited space afforded in this
paper Will not allow me to dwell upon
any military operations which, until
lately, were constantly made necessary
by the hostili;ies of the savages. Alas ,
too well do we all remember the sad
fate Of so many hardy pioneers, who
paid with their life blood for the daring
courage with which they attempted to
open the country to civilization.
With the year 1866, it may be said
the golden era of prosperity commenc-
cd for Arizona and especially for
/ Tucson Mercantile firms came one
after the other and brought stores OF
goods innumerable Buildings sprang
into being almost daily and the old
novels began 10 disappear The thrifty
farmer ploughed the virgin soil where
no one had before set a foot; and where
dire ignorance had held full sway, the
light of civilization came pouring in
The Sisters of St Joseph arrived and
established an academy for the instruc-
ton of our youthful female population;
andi in April, 1871, the public schools
sprang into life after the continued ef-
forts of Governor \. 2. K. Stafford.
Hundreds Of good, substantial build
ings have risen, where ten years ago
empty space or an Ungainly hut exist
ed and they are now furnished with
comfort and luxury; whereas in 1858,
Mr.. Hughes says chairs were very
scarce articles. A fine public school
house has been built, handsomely fur
nished aud turned over to the school
authorities. The rooms are airy and
provided with everything necessary to.
make learning easy and pleasant The.
school is now attended by los boys
under the supervision of two excellent
male teachers who report the average
daily attendance to be SO. The num-
Der of girls on the school list, is 40
with a daily average attendance of 81.
The progress made by these children
is astonishing even to the most san
guine.
The Catholic school under the SUI
perviSion of three teachers gives in .
struction to $50 boys with an aver
age daily attendance Of 40, and the
Sisters Of StJoseph teach in their acad-
envy 70 young ladies
The telegraph now transmits our mes
saCes to their destination with the
speed OF lightning. \ fine library is
open to the inquirIng mind
\ delicious park with an extensive
hop plantation and brewery offer shelter
against the heat Of noon day Ice
= T.. ..s|