Arizona republican., 1921-12-10
DAVE TURNER DIES
 AT 87; THE FLOWERS WERE HIS FRIENDS

Dave Turner. pioneer of Phoenix, former gardner at the county court house and known to many hundreds of people in this county died at St. Joseph's hospital yesterday afternoon from injuries received about two weeks ago when he was knocked from his bicycle to the pavement by an automobile.
 The accident occurred near the cor ner of First avenue and Fillmore street. The automobile had nearly passed the intersection when Turner, misjudging the distance of the car from him, drove his wheel into the rear fender ot the car.
 Mir. Turner was in feeble condition and although his skull was not frac- tured by the fall, the resulting shock brought on fatal stroke of apoplexy. The body Is at the Whitney under taking parlors Funeral arrange ments have not been made.
 Dave Turner, who was S7 years of age, came to Phoenix about 1885 from California He brought with him many roots and bulbs, and securing a plot of ground close to the village started a nursery, the first to be started in the valley. He conducted this nursery until he accepted the position of gardner of the court house plaza
 Shortly after he had accepted this position a wealthy family from New York moved to Phoenix and MT. Tur- ner was engaged to do some land- scape gardening at their home Sev- eral years after this the head of the family died and the family moved back to New York. Prior to their l loo EhAor,fx- "a widow dPpda6 the property to Mir Turner who kept it 1 for a few years and then sold 1t. The | property stood on North Central ave- nue near Van Buren street and aft | CT Mir Turner sold 1t the property | advanced in price many times the amount Mir. Turner received for it. Mir Turner accepted the position | of gardner of the court house plaza | in 1894 and started to turn the ex- | panse of sage brush into grass, flow CTS and trees. At that time there were two double rows of ash trees | along the west and east sides of the court house under which stood dou- 1 bIe rows of benches which were al- ways filleG " tn people during the day.
 The first move MT. Turner made was to secure an order from the board l of supervisors permitting him to use l the prisoners in the county jail for
 laborers on the yard. Under the SUI
 pervision of Mir. Turner these men
 spaded up the entire yard and cut
 the sage brush. MT. Turner once
 said he had plenty of help in those | days because the jail was always
 filled with miners and cowboys serv-
 ing misdemeanor sentences.
 The row of stately palms at the l Op rala a 1 graw from very small plants which
 Dave Turner set out in 1894 for 8 palm tree hedge. Where the present . iron fence stands in the court yard
 MT. Turner put in a chicken wire
 fence and set out a row of umbrella 1 trees along the fence. Only one tret
 of the row is now standing and only
 three of the original ash trees re.
 main.
 Mir. Turner was the first to bring
 Bermuda grass to Phoenix and tn , first to grow flowers here. His sue
 cess with roses in the court yard ant
 in the valley was remarkable. H made good use of nearly every knowl
 variety of flowers in beautifying tn
 court yard which has become know
 throughout the state for its beauty While Mir. Turner was gardener a the court house he could be see ! working as soon as it was light i the morning and with the exception o
 Sundays he worked until 1t becam
 to dark to see at light. He expert mented with every variety Of Howe and through his experiments man
 kinds of flowers were brought to tn valley and used by the citizens | taking away the desert and barre aspect of their yardss. Mir. Turne
 was consulted many times each da
 during his regime at the court hous
 by people who were doing landscap f gardening in their yards.
 3 It has beer said that Dave Turne knew more about plants and flower
 than any other man in the valley } Every tree and most of the plant and shrubs in the court house plaz
 at the present time were planted an
 cared for by Mir. Turner during tn
 many years he was gardener there.
 When the present board of super
 visitors went into office in January
 1921. they removed MT. Turner a [ gardener of the court house yard ol Feb. l. Since then he has devote' his time to his nursery on Nortl Central avenue
 Famous Grand Canyon of the Colo