Arizona republican., 1916-04-02

including a bounteous lunch at an H. and 1t proved so enjoyable an affair that we decided to have an Illinois Society in Phoenix and Salt River Val-I ley, where there was already a large contingent of former residents of the Sucker state. accordingly after our return, and after several business meetings. we held the firstIannual pic ric on Apri! 23. 1887 at Phoenix Park, now known as Eastlake.
 As the history of a nation or a state is made up largely of the history of it's people and the places where they have assembled; so the history of this society is made up of the history oe it's members and the places where they have met. Most all of the meetings. have been annual picnics. held in the winter time in the open. contrasting our beautiful climate with that of the east. NJ. w. Messinger was the first president, and I think was the first secretary. Afterwards James McMillan, R. H. Greene, s. M Maccowan and probably others followed as presidents, and McMillan. Bruce Berley, Mr. Greene, W. c. Foster and others were secretaries.
 At our first meeting in 1887 the at tendance was about 275 men, women and children. and a very fine group picture was taken by A. F. Messinger, and that picture is about the only record we have of the early meetings, 1 at some of which the attendance was ! as much as 450. Our membership in- l ciuded many who became prominen. | in business and social circles and wbo 1. were active in the upouilding of this l community and gave substantial as- 1 sistance in the development of the re: sources of the Salt River valley, but who have now passed on. Some of these are Judge P. l.. Perley. who is still represented here by a daughter
 Mrs. Will Robinson; Edwin F. McEl- vain, who was the second oldest na- tive of the state. who attended ouI meeting. having been born in Menard county in the year 1880. and passed away here about eight years ago, after |' having lived in Tucson and Yuma Ht held many positions of trust and re. sponsibility as construction engineer and was a 'fortyniner" in California one of the first to strike gold
 Mir. Wm. Hanna was probably thu oldest native of the state who livei here ana attended the meetings H, was born iE Alexander county in 1S2 and was very. highly esteemed during , long residence near Glendale Nil Charles Baum, one of the first mem bers was the father of our Doctor Er
 nest Baum. William Kemp is repre- sented by Mrs. c. T. Walters of Eas Washington street and by Henry r
 Kemp who was, very prominent il
 business and all public affairs fo
 many years; George H. Clayson, farm CT and nurseryman, was one of Ou first hus.lers, and left his mark b.
 founding "Homeside" his home, Deser
 Inn, and the beautiful citrus grove tha
 bears his name. out beside the Cross
 cut Canal; Mr. F. Burtis is survive by George and D. H. Burtis. Charle w. Kay was the father of George an,
 William Kay. prominent farmers. am
 of Harry Kay. a leading real estat
 man.
 Other old members who hay
 'builded we'll" made good and are sti
 here are Mir. Walter Talbot. extensiv
 hardware merchant and ex-mayor 0
 Phoenix; Joseph Cope. ain extensiv
 former and mine owner, and at pres
 ent one of the city commissioners; W
 J. Murphy. the canal builder and or
 ganizer and packer of many of tn
 large enterprises that have brough
 about the development of the Sal
 River valley-it would he impossibl
 to say enough in one short essay
 even mention the great works he ha
 promoted here.
 Very prominent among the earl
 members was J. C. Adams, who bull
 the great Adams Hotel, that, was, fo
 So long the pride. of all Phoenix am
 of all the pioneers of, the territors who chanced to enjoy its hospitalit,