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The Miller Ditch, Savory Ditch, Rowe Ditch and California Ditch were not yet completed at this time, and were not ready for service until the following year.

The completion of the Barnum Ditch was deferred in 1872 until additional capital could be raised.

CHAPTER VIII.

PHOENIX AND SALT RIVER VALLEY.

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PHOENIX LOCATED AND SALE OF TOWN LOTS— SALT RIVER VALLEY ASSOCIATION FORMED SURVEY OF TOWN OF PHOENIX -FIRST BUILDING IN PHOENIX ERECTED BY CAPTAIN HANCOCK OTHER BUILDINGS FIRST COUNTY COURTHOUSE WILLIAM SMITH FIRST MERCHANT IN PHOENIX OTHER EARLY MERCHANTS-RISE AND DECLINE OF BICHARD BROS.-DESCRIPTION OF PHOENIX IN 1871-BUSINESS CONDITIONS IN PHOENIX IN 1872-TOWN COMMISSION FORMED.

When the first Government Surveys passed over the valley, a few months after the arrival of the Swilling party, as has been before noted, they found a cluster of houses made of rude adobes, and cottonwood poles with mud roofs, comprising what was then known as the Phoenix Settlement. The first houses of a permanent character to be built by white settlers in the valley were erected near the Swilling Ditch at a point about a mile from the river. Among these were the houses of Charles S. Adams, P. L. (Jack) Walters, Lodovic Vandemark, Frenchy Sawyer, and John Hoague, standing but a short distance from the place where the lower road from Wickenburg to Camp McDowell crossed the Swilling Ditch, in the northeast part of section 12, Township 1 North, Range 3 East. With the advent of pioneers and settlers, the agricultural capabilities of the

valley having been fully proven, it was evident that somewhere in this immediate section there was destined to be a large city. The task of selecting the best location for the future metropolis became quite a difficult one, and required patient effort on the part of the settlers before a satisfactory site could be agreed upon. The first written information regarding such efforts is contained in some correspondence from the Phoenix Settlement, under date of August 13th, 1870, appearing in the "Miner" from which is taken the following:

"Two towns have been laid off within a week, but of the particulars I am not advised."

This reference to the laying out of two towns could only relate to the preliminary plans, and was really the commencement of the contest between what was known as Mill City, or East Phoenix, and West Phoenix, where the town was finally located.

In a letter from Phoenix under date of October 17th, 1870, we have the following definite information.

"Phoenix, A. T., Oct. 17, 1870.

"Editor 'Citizen':

"The citizens of this place had a meeting on the 15th instant, for the purpose of deciding the location of a townsite. A regular election was held and the place occupied by Messrs. McKinnie and Carpenter was selected. It is the intention to proceed at once and obtain a title to the land from the Government, and dispose of the lots to actual settlers."

The above relates to a site chosen by a large number of settlers, which later proved unsatisfactory to many of those interested. Further

meetings and conferences were, therefore, held for the purpose of coming to some more harmonious agreement.

The site spoken of above was about a mile east and a little north of the present location of Phoenix on ground occupied by James B. McKinnie and Cromwell A. Carpenter. After much discussion the McKinnie-Carpenter site was given up, and a final selection made of the present Phoenix town site by popular vote. It was charged by the East Phoenix people that the majority in favor of the present location was obtained through fraud, an account of which has been previously given in an interview with Neri Osborn. However, the result of the election was acquiesced in, and the new town was located on the present site of Phoenix.

In a letter from the Phoenix Settlement, under date of December 26th, 1870, which appeared in the "Arizona Citizen" of the 7th of January, 1870, is the following:

"As you do not seem to have a correspondent in this section of the Territory, I will write you sometimes when anything occurs worth noticing and making a short letter acceptable.

"We are a growing community, and we like to have the people know it. Our population has nearly doubled in two months, and the immigration does not seem to be on the wane at all. Several families came in during the last month, and the gentler sex is becoming quite well represented.

"Our townsite has been selected after considerable discussion, and with few exceptions the people seem to be satisfied.

'Judge Berry and other strangers who have examined it, are much pleased with it, and commend the judgment of the people in selecting the townsite. The sale of town lots occurred last Friday and Saturday, Dec. 23rd and 24th, and was a great success. Sixty-three lots were sold, at an average of forty dollars, the highest paid for one lot being $140.00. Judge Berry had the honor of bidding off the first lot, after quite a spirited contest. Several buildings will be commenced within a few days. Wm. A. Hancock & Co. have the adobes nearly made for their store and will soon have a house up. Other merchants will erect buildings and move to the townsite in the spring.

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During the year 1870 the location of the site for the town was continually under discussion, and the settlers were divided into two camps. Major McKinnie, Carpenter, Jack Swilling and others, were in favor of having it laid off as previously noted, while the Starar Brothers, Columbus H. Gray, John B. Montgomery and others favored the present site. Hellings & Company wanted the town located around the flouring mill. The letter above noted was written about this time. To adjust difficulties, and after two or three informal meetings at McKinnie's saloon, the center for the community gatherings, a meeting was finally called at the house of Mr. John Moore, which brought order out of chaos, and also brought forth the town of Phoenix, now the capital of Arizona.

At this mass meeting of citizens of the valley, which was convened on the 24th of October, 1870,

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