Williams news., 1911-06-24

Demas Yoder at the graduating exercises of Williams public school, June 15, 1911:
 Breathes there man with soul so dead Who never to himself hath said l This is my own, my native land, 1 Whose heart within him ne'er hath burned As home his footsteps he hath turned From wandering on a foreign strand
 Dear to our hearts is our country and dearer still is the spot we call home.
 Seventy-fve years before the English established themselves in North America, Francisco Coronado started from Mexico with 320 Span 1 ish soldiers, armed with crossbows, 300 Indian allies and 1U00 Negro and Indian servants to drive pack mules and carry luggage.
 l Soon after, Coronado with 200 picked men, leaving the main band to follow, started into the un- known. Following up the courses of the streams for two months, they finally came to the plains of south eastern Arizona, finding trails lead ing to the Seven Cities of Cibola, for which they were searching.
 On July 4, 1540, Coronado ar rived at the seven cities and after fight entered the, stronghold, whose ruins can still be seen near the Indian village of Zuni, M. M., about 190 miles east of Williams. A few weeks later Don Pedro Tovar found the Moqui tribe of
 Tusayan, where the Moqui village is now. The natives came out with
 bows and shields and the interpret CTS warned the Spaniards and drew dead lines they should not cross. | Suddenly the Spaniards gave their war cry and charged, the Indians | fleeing in confusion. They imme
 diately came out again with presents
 asking for peace. and headquarters
 for the Spaniards was established | in the village. Coronado sent an-
 other officer with party. who were
 the first Europeans to discover the IColorado river at that point.
 | In 1891, after two attempts, Co.,
 conino county was cut off from IYavapai county and officers ap.
 pointed to hold office until the Especial election, among them being
 Ralph Cameron, our present dele
 gate to congress.
 Among the oldest settlers of the
 county is MT. Simmons, now oi
 Prescott, who came across the plains ! in 1864 with oxen. He hunted over
 the present site of Williams when it was covered with timber and Igame was plentiful.
 II The first wedding in the county Twas the marriage of John Dixou and Mary Ehle in 1865, and theil
 son. born in 1866, was the first boy
 born in Yavapai county, and Alice Simmons, a half sister of Mrs. Thos : Smith, was the first girl.
 J, Flagstaff was named by soldier' !; who trimmed up small pine tre' :. and made a Flagstaff out of it
 trunk. Mrs. Emma Marshall, nov = postmistress there. was the frs
 school teacher at Flagstaff.
 Among those who may be con o sidered old timers in the presen C Coconino county are MT. Boyce $ the Holdens. Ashursts and Smiths Q MT. Boyce came here in 1875, be W fore there was a Williams. Ia 1S7 l. MT. Will Ashurst came and en 'l gagged in the sheep business, and il NH 1878 Mrs. Holden, then Mrs. John IS son, came to Johnson's canyon, nea d here. MT. Johnson built the frs 0 road to Ash Fork. Mrs. Colds ,e waite. daughter of Mrs. Holder 10 was the first girl born in Coconin of county.
 3. Tn 1881 the Santa Fe railroa 's was built. Before that time SUI
 plies came either from Californi
 or the Colorado river via Prescott
 by oxen or mule teams. which ( in course made the cost of living higl