Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-06-07
The Settlement of St. Johns.
St. Johns Herald.

HID OCiAAS OCASuS J SdI, d lCW relating to the settlement of St. Johns, etc., etc, may not be uninteresting, more particularly so to some of our "tender-footed" citizens The village was first started in the year 1874, in the erection of little stone cabin by Juan Sedilla; and this same stone cabin Is now q part of the J. b. Hub bel residence. forming the southwest corner of that building and facing Commercial street. The first real adobe building erected within the vil- lage limits is the house now belonging to the widow Brown, and was put up by Major Melchoir Werner, for many years an old resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and where he occupied the position of postmaster for twelve years.
 In November, 1875: a petition sign ed by Col. Jas. c. Hunt, John Walk CT, w. R: Milligan and others, was transmitted 10 the board of superyis- ors of Yavapai county, requesting that body to establish precinct here, to be known as the St. Johns Precinct of Iavapai county, Arizona Territory, and that the undersigned be appoint ed justice of the peace for the said pre- cinct. Accordingly, at meeting of the board of supervisors held at Pres colt February 7th. 1876, the prayer of the aforesaid petition was duly grant ed.
 The first store established at St. Johns, or Fl Badito, as it was known at that time, was owned by John Brophy, in the old house now stand ing near the dam, and at present own ed by La Crucita MT. Brophy did very well at his business until he be- gan dabbling in grain contracts with the government, but in this sort of thing he got beyond his business depth and was soon swallowed up by the wave of bankruptcy.
 The next parties to venture in this line of business were w. E. Talbot and E. s. Stover, with Doc CD North as their chief clerk and Col. J. Harry Monroe as principal book-keeper. However MT. Talbot soon tired of the "fun, and shortly thereafter, selling out his interest to his partner, return ed to Albuquerque, having had, in SO short Swhile, his complete fill of Fl Badito.
 Subsequently J. Lorenzo Hubbell and E. 5. Stover pooled their issuss,' '' and whilst this co-partnership existed they did very heavy business.
 Sol. Earth, always with an eye to the main chance, whatever that may be, was the next to shy his castor in- to the mercantile arena of St. Johns, and within two years time had sue cessfully knocked all his competitors hors du combat. Sol managed to cor ral and control tho bulk of the trade and did exceedingly well, until the Mormons jumped in with their CO., operative system, which W'as too much for Sol, and he too was forced into the mercantile bone-yard.
 MoTFis Earth had previously, how ever, in sort of perfunctory way. at- tempted to try his prentice-hand at the business, at which he did slash ing trade, as he said himself, "so long as my pencils and goods held out" But Morris, being good natured and unable to say Nol his stock of mer- chandise was soon exhausted, thus bringing his mercantile venture to an inglOrious end.
 The next to follow Hubbell & Slower was Don Rosalio Colomo, who after trying several partnership arrange ments, still holds the fort at his old stand on Water street. Don Rasalio has experienced many ups and downs, but like many of Us the downs" were more numerous aud seemed to stick much longer than did the scattering "ups," However. Don Rosalio is still olnging to the ragged-edge of the tremnlous and somewhat shaky outel wall of the mercantile fort. Death y 'tis said, cloves shining mark and if tenacity of purpose. coupled with bulldog -hanging-oA constitutes A "shining mark, aarely will Don Ro- salio Colllomqpo, when the time shall have come for surrender to the inev. ltable, go down surrounded by mag nlhcent halo of celestial light which he will have so deservedly earned. At this writing the mercantile busi ness of St. Johns is prospereuaAy eon. ducted by the following gentlemen and firms, viz: Rosa&iQ. Aired Ruia. the A. c. and M 1, of St. Johns, and c P, Anderson. the latter dealing ir dlngs and notions, There is now
 within the precinct limits of St. Johns
 about fifteen hundred souls. Also one
 hotel, one lunch counter, two black F smith shops, two boot and shoe shops , one harness and saddle shep. one car , penter and buildeE's association. out saloon. two fed eQ1ra4s, one tithing of ' flee, tive qAF,urrchges, qAF,urrchgeess, two school houses
 one blaming mill and but one post :, office,
 2 Of the professions, we have one doc
 tor and such an array of legal talen as doth astonish the natives and tn, ? other fellows"
 2 The early architecture os Ss. John I was Of the most pTiHsitive style o ! structures. eQm,n4oAly called the Mex p loan 5acaA; but in time these jacal ' gave way to more pretentious adobe 2 and tue latter are slowly but surel, 2 giving place to more elegant bricl 3 and stone buildings.
 q The first postmaster for this place l. (Salem2), was one Sextus B, JohaSoa j. but the Postoface department at Waah , ington. learning tAat 2 little chicaner, l had been aesoTted to by Johnson an,
 his friends in ogder to get the appoint 2 nent. his appointment was immediate ly revoked. and immediately thezeafte e st the request of the postmaster a f Springerville, E. S. Stover received th .- commission as postmaster at St Jeh4s : The next postmaster, ANa s9, suecee' l. E. s. Stoveg, was p, E. F. N. Blake V the appointes under pln1Yddle the Cleveland ad : nlnistfation, DT, Blake subsequent e ly resigned, and ". ', Platt filled tn l. post very satisfactorily to the peopl e and. until relieved by Serafn Apodaca V our present postmaster.
 il Antedating the coming of the Mol d mons, the village of St. Johns was, i O architectural appearance typical of sI e interior towns of like si7e in Il8 Mex icO b,1t xr,fh 4ko oT.tGoo NFo.