The Florence tribune., 1901-09-14
ARIZONA "REMINISCENCES.
Differences that Existed Between Early Settlers on Account of Intense Feel Ing Over the Civil War Soon For gotten When Hostile lns
 dlans Began Their
 Expectations.
IFrom the Prescott pro .pect. l

In 1863 Bob Groom, the man whom the now famous Groom creek was named for-piloted U. $. Surveyor General Clark and party into Yavapai county from Fort Union, New Mexico. Groom aud two other men, Lew Thrift and one Mcintyre, who were southern sympathizers, had expressed their opin- ions freely and were incarcerated in the guard house at Fort Union by the federal officials; but Groom had an in huential friend in congress and mau- aged to get letter through to Wash ington, which resulted in his release, and he was shortly afterwards chosen to lead the government surveying party into Arizona. They landed at Sim mons springs, about mile and half from Prescott, and from there Groom journeyed farther south and found the Walker party, consisting of about thirty men, who were the discoverers of gold on Lynx creek, the Hassay- ampa, Big Bug and Turkey creek, and who formed hose districts.
 Thrift and Mcintyre were afterwards released from the prison at Fort Union and soon followed Groom to Yavapai county. A horseman and all-around sport by the name of Selby also came west about the same time and opened up the first saloon on Lynx creek, which Mcintyre and Louis St. James (who is now justice of the peace on the Verde and makes his headquarters at Kirwagen & Haslell's fruit ranch, about five miles below Jerome) con- ducted it.
 The U. s. government decided in 1866 to establish 8 territorial government in Arizona, and Governor Goodwin, Richard c. Mccormick, secretary of the territory, John Allen, district judge, and Coles Bashford, U. s. dis trict attorney, were the first officers appointed and sent to the territory. The general opinion among settlers was that the capital would be estab lished on the Verde river, at'a point thirty miles above Phoenix, which was the most central and favorable point, and was afterward selected as the site for Fort Mcdowell, so a party consist ing of Judge N. D. Griffin, Bill Sniffen, Jim shelton, John Forbes, a man named Benedict aud others, started from what was then known as Jeff Davis ranch, where Major Pickrells mill is now situated on the HassayampR, for the Verde river. They went by way of Bumblebee and when they arrived at Frog Tanks, on the Agua Fria, they met Bob Groom, Capt. Porter aud party, who united forces with them and proceeded to what is now Fort Mcdowell. Arriving at night they found many camp fires burning, but not soul in sight. However they dis covered several war clubs, weapons used by the Pima tribe of Indians which very much resembled an en- larged pattern of what is now common. ly known culinarily as potato masher and afterwards ascertained that the Pimas were waging was on ths Apaches.
 The members of the party eacl located 160 acres of land, the quarter section chosen by Judge Griffin being the exact spot on which is the presen site of Fort Mcdowell.
 But the government troops came tt Del Rio and instituted Camp Whipple then they came twenty miles farthe south and established Fort Whipple and the territorial officials came on t Prescott, built and occupied the gov ernor's mansion, which consisted of log structure that stands to-day O Gurley street opposite the old o. K store buildings in West Prescott, an was Arizona's first capitol. This wa in January, 1864. Bob Groom, Cap Porter, Judge Griffin and the others rt turned to Lynx creek, where grea activity in placer mining was in vogue
 As the civil war was in progres! considerable feeling existed betwee northern and southern sympathizer among the pioneers, many hundred of miles distant from the seat ( warfare though they were, and man fights and tragedies resulted in cons
 quence of their differences of opinio
 Considerable Gnimosity was show
 by some of the most impulsiV
 friends of the south toward tl
 men who composed the provo
 guard, as they were a part of u
 California detachment of unic
 forces. James Monihan, ex-may
 of Phoenix, Roy Jay and To
 Maher were members of the qua
 stationed at Prescott. One mornir
 Lew Thrift, who had been engage
 in row the night before over t
 sore subject of the war, declar
 himself, and said he would either k
 somebody or get killed himself tn
 very day. He proceeded to fill up
 the firswatsr that they called whiske