Salt River herald., 1878-05-18
MARlC0?A COUNTY.
\ U N B E VE.
PHENIx SETTLEMENT.

retarded by the d,.viliry of the Apach s. The same cause has kept the whole territory in alarm, aud upon iis every rnad ar mOun- tain trail etc nal vigilance WIS inc price of life for several y ars. Tha'ks to the vigorous pulcy If General Crook these irouEl-s are pas:. Yet tn. trav Ter in Aiizmra upon its every Highway, is sh wn the spOs $ wh'Ie Ihe early pioneers met torture or bl"o lv death as re- wand fir their hmdy enterprise.
 c, NTiNUi ID IMPROVEMENT.
 During the f.w yra,s that sue c: eded the opening ofthc fIst ditch many new ei,terpris $ of the sam :. nature were nrnj -cted some of them on tho g,arde-t scale when we COL s;d,,r the number of iaborers, their limited resources and the mag itude of the works undertaken. Severa of these were carried Gu', and con du, ting tEe Wat some miles fiom the river, large bodies of land was red timed and the desert wast.. be- came fruitful f'lds under the all prevailing hand of human int ellige,.t industry. a
 COUNTY ORG
 The act creating the county of Maricopa was approvel by the Gay crnor February fl. 1871, and the first election of couatv officers nas held es the first Mnnddy in May of that year. The officers lect d W r.. John T. Alsap, Probate Judge; W. A. HamcOcA, Sheriff; J. l.. Mercer, Rcco der: Geo. F. MoSrv, TIe,su- rcr. r. A. Shaw. M. P. Griffin and c. II. G.ev, Supervisors. F. A. Shaw. cle. k of the District Court.
 THE COUNTY SEAT.
 Phenix was named aS ihc county seat in the law providing for it. for nation. It WIS at first d'ciled ;o build rhi@ town on the tract of land immediately north of the rcsid, nee Of George Robe ts, (about q mile enst O. our present town s:te) and ther,: the fir building was erected by M"jar McKcnny, and occupied as saloon aud dance Eou-e. This building is new owned by Mr. Rob ertS and usrd as q smoke house and sorghum factory, C. rlai ly great improvement upon its fist oprri. tiOns. Our own town of Phcnix soon established its claim of sra.er merit as the site of the future city, and although a vigorous contest was made to wrrst the county seat away from this loc ton and brsinw it upon East Pherix (the site ot ". B. H.llings & Cos mill), ma jo.iy against the movement pre- walled.
 THE COUNTY SEAT ELECTION.
 The clrc'ion hy which it was sought to change the county seal was h. ld in the litrle adobe bui ding rear the corner of Mnniezuma anC Washi' gtnn streets, just east of IhC building occupied by II. Morgan X Co. This clcc ion WIS an exec d ingly bitter nte>t, and had not iht law a4d order putty h' en la. z, l, in the ma io. ty there would n i've been blcodsled during the pnlli;.i Of inc vote. As it was ann wer in readiness anl a suliic ,mt f,rce ol the alert to suppr ss hostile dem1n striIiOn> oL tie pa t of ihe rough amOng the minority.
 MAXIM PERM ANENT HOMES.
 The great diffe; ence between tl.i and the h'r counties of Arizona in point of ttleme l.esin ih. flc that leopl. came her. t. stay. Tn setrled upon and enterrd the lani under the United $ es land llw , By al exam naiior nf the records q the various l ,nd offices in the Tei ritoiy it vii adilv be seen tha D tie number of entities by ac;u; setil rs, who have proved title b occupation and cultiv rtion in Mar copr county erceedS hat Qf all H OtIer cOunt'eS united The rcasn l for this peImancncy of impr"v, ment is found in the great prnduc ivenrss of inc snl. tie geni:l maie and the abundance of walt for irrigation. In these facilities ou county is blessed beyond any pal of Arizona.
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