The Coconino sun., 1921-11-04
WHEN THE RAILROAD
 CAME TO FLAGSTAFF
By an, Old Timer

smith shopg, and going east, was J. R. Kilpatrick's general store, where Chet Black and the Western Mercan- tile Co. now are; George Hoxworth's tin shop, a meat market, the Flagstaff hotel, and several saloons, including the Vail saloon. Across San Fran. cisco street was the Brannen store and east of that on Front street James Marshall's and J. H. Hawks residences and restaurant. The office of The Champion Qater The Sun) was north about a block, but didn't es- cape the flames.
 After the fire rebuilding went on very rapidly and in few months the the town wa larger and better than before.
 The Water Wagon The great drawback, both as far as physical comfort and fires were con- cerned, was water. The main source of supply was Old Town Springs. Sometimes there wasn't eniough wa ter there, and other springs had to be used. The water wagon-ever an inn portant vehicle--was of vast import ance. Each store and residence had its water barrel. When water was wanted a white flag was displayed, and the man with the water wagon filled the barrel. The charge for the water was all the way from a dollar and more down to as low as 25 cents barrel, according to the plentitude of water in the springs.
 Whenever there was a fire there never was enough water. That is why the big fire of 1886 got away and | wiped out the town and also why other later fires always did lot of | damage.
 The first fire department was or ganized by John Sanderson, n merch- ant, who sent east and bought the "engine," which was barrel mounted on wheels, with a pump to force the water into the hose. It was a fine device, but there never was enough water. Later hook and ladder com pany wor organized, with a pump it took 12 ment to work. Then laways there were men enough but never wa ter enough.
 However, our people then were all of the pioneer class, and little incon- veniences like lack of water didn't make much difference.
 It was in 1898, the year of the Spanish-American war, that Flagstaff got a reservoir, with main, the first unit of the present system, and after that we had plenty of water to drink and bathe in--the best water in the world. Plenty of it for fires, too, though too good to be used for such a purpose.
 Our First Stockmen Ihave mentioned the beginning of great industries, farming, cattle grow ing and sheep and wool growing may be briefly mentioned. Farming be- gan here long after Flastagf was founded. The raisin of cattle and sheep on our plains and in our for ests began before the railroad came through. Before it did reach here, however, there were only few stock men here. Dow and Gray had big lot of cattle at Garland Prairie which they had driven here from Oregon. Twenty-six miles or so south were Al Doyle, John Woods, Howell and Koontz, all of whom had considerable herds of cattle and horses. The sheepmen here then were three Frank Hart, at Hart Prairie, Tom McMillan on the present John Clark place, and John Clark in Clark's val ley, the east end of what is now known as Lake Mary.
 South of the other Cattlemen, wm. Ashurst, father of the present Senator Ashurst, had cattle. At Mormon Lake, on the west side, at what are known as Mormon Dairy springs, was colony of Mormons, with lot of horses and big herd of fine dairy cattle from the milk of which they did big business in butter and cheese.