The Parker post., 1914-01-10
STATE FIFTY
YEARS OLD
ENCOUNTERED BY
SMALL PARTY OF PIONEER
OFFICIALS IN SELECTING A
SITE FOR SEAT OF GOVERN
MENT.

Fifty years ago at sunrise, on
December 29, 1863, Arizona came in
to existence at Navajo Springs, when
the proclamation was read by Cover
nor Goodwin and the ceremonies of
organization were carried out by the
handful of officials and others who ac-
companied the expedition from the
eastern states.
In selecting this historic point,
SAYS the Prescott Journal-Miner, for
the observance of the congressional
act authorized a few months previous
.ly, the gubernatorial party was said
to be in grave doubts as to whether
they were on the soil to be included
within the boundaries of the zone
taken from New Mexico, and before
the matter was officially crystaliZed,
the pilgrimage hesitated in casting
the die to mould Arizona into exist
ance. The argument was made that
the divide had been undoubtedly pass
ed over the day before, but no in
struments being available by which
the metes and bounds were to be de-
lineated, the scanning of the hori-
zon from an elevated point proved
he 1it tn with in f1n c1Nbn rfX h b0f
was to be Arizona afterward. An
other feature of Navajo Springs be-
ing chosen was the abundance of
water for the official party and the
few troopers of New Mexico cavalry
who acted as an escort against pos
sible ambush of the Apaches.
The scene around the circle when
the ceremonies began was an in
spring one. The echo of the an
vii explosions, the raising of "Old
Glory" to the masthead, the mutual
rejoicing of the small party was
patriotic, simple and yet a glorious
one With Governor Goodwin was
R. G. Mccormick, secretary of Ari-
zona; Chief Justice Turner and not
over a half dozen other lesser Off
cials. There were only three freight
wagons, a score of followers on
horseback in civil life, who came to
grow up with the country, and
the military command under Col.
Frank Chavez of Santa Fe.
After two days of moulding the
future career of the old territory,
the customary legal matters were
partially placed in motion. A jul
dicial district was formed out of
the entire area, but where to locate
the permanent seat of government
had yet to be proclaimed On the
third day the treking westward
started and when a point near and
to the south of the Frisco peaks
was reached, detour over the
Mongollon mountains to the Verde
valley was decided upon. Reaching
the river, climatic conditions were
agreeable after wandering tortuously
through the snow, and finally Chino
valley was reached, where the party
went into a temporary camp to start
the machinery moving for the fu-
ture. In the meantime, the body
was in doubt as to where they were
at officially speaking Adobe walls
were slammed together as a bar
rier against being attaked by In
dians, a camp was crudely built,
and other requirements perfected to
begin business. Finally the curtain
was lifted and from Washington
came advices to- locate the permanent
seat of government of Arizona at
Prescott, and in accordance with
the survey made several months
before by Surveyor-General Clark
of Drum Barracks, Cal, now Will
mington, who had reported and gave
instructions as to the identity of
the locality he considered as a ia
vorable one. The official orler to
this end was made by Governor
Goodwin from his "office" in Chino
valley, accordingly, and early in
1854 the first contract of Arizona
was signed, sealed and delivered for
the erection of the gubernatorial
mansion in Prescott. The site
chosen was among the pines a few
hundred feet to the west of the
present Gurley street bridge, where
a log building was built and later
occupied. This historic edifice has
given way to the ravages of time,
and while it remains intact, it's old
markings have been effaced from
memory by being sheated with
touch of the modern abornment.
Dan Haltz, who resides in the city,