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pose of securing evidence of the ownership of town lots or parts of lots," and "that the clerk post notices to that effect in three conspicuous places in the town, inviting all parties interested to appear and show their title, if any they have." Instead of consuming six weeks, the meetings of the commission stretched over a period of nearly a year.

On July 11th, 1874, the Commissioners caused the following notice to be published in the newspapers of the Territory:

"All persons interested are hereby notified that the Commissioners of the Townsite of Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona, will be in session on Monday of each week until August 3rd, 1874, for the purpose of trying titles of claimants to town lots on said town site. Parties living at a distance can send their certificates or other evidences of title to the Clerk of the Board."

Whenever a lot had been sold by the town Association after the laying out of the townsite, a "certificate of sale" had been given, with the understanding that this would be later superseded by a regular deed. Upon the regular session days of the commission, holders of these certificates, or their representatives, would present themselves before that body and claim ownership to the lots therein described. In many instances, however, the property described by the certificate of sale from the Town Association had been transferred to others, and, in those cases, ownership was determined to be in the holder of the last "transfer document.” John T. Alsap was the first to present a "cer

tificate of sale" to the commission, which had been issued by the Town Association to J. M. Williams for lots 3 and 4, in Block 34, and later assigned to Col. King S. Woolsey, who was adjudged the legal owner. A few instances of conflicting claims of ownership to some of the town property came to light during the sessions of the Commission, which contests were adjudged by the Commission and acquiesced in by all parties. When records of the titles to all the lots within the townsite were adjusted, the commissioners proceeded to fix the values of the improvements on the lots.

Block 21, bounded by Washington, Center, Adams and First Streets, was the first to be considered, on October 29th, 1874, and the improvements on Lot 2, being the northwest corner of Washington and First Streets, upon which "Hancock's Store" was situated, and now known as Berryhill's Corner, were valued at $800.00. The improvements on a portion of Lot 4, just to the west of Hancock's Store, and belonging at that time to H. Morgan and Co., where the Goldberg Bros.' building now stands, were valued at the same amount as Hancock's improvements. Then came Johnny George, who had valuable improvements on a portion of Lot 4 and on Lot 6, fronting on Washington Street, about where the Capitol pool hall is now conducted, which were appraised at $2,500. Next to Johnny George was established Heyman Menassee, on Lot 8, where the Anheuser rooming house and pool hall is now located, whose improvements were considered to be worth $200.00. Next to Menassee, on Lot 10, about

where the Casino pool hall is now situated, which belonged to C. F. Cate, there were no improvements of value in 1874; neither were there any improvements on Lot 12, now generally known as the Busy Drug Store corner, which belonged at first to James Murphy, and later to Miguel L. Peralta. James Grant, the stage proprietor, was the owner of lots 9 and 11, being the southeast corner of Center and Adams Streets, known to-day as the Heard Corner, but belonging to the Goodrich estate, and his improvements were valued at $2,000. Lot 7, which belonged to J. H. Pierson, had no improvements, while Lots 1, 3 and 5, being the southwest corner of Adams and First Streets, where the Vantilburg Block now stands, and which belonged at that time to Johnny George, had improvements thereon which were estimated at $800. On April 24th, 1875, the first assessment against town property was ordered by this set of commissioners, fifty per cent of the original price being levied against all town lots owned by private individuals. On March 15th, 1875, the Commissioners ordered the following notice to be published in the "Prescott Miner" and the "Tucson Citizen":

"Notice is hereby given to all persons concerned or interested in the Townsite of Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona, that on the 22nd day of April, A. D. 1875, the Commissioners of said Townsite will proceed to set off to the persons entitled to the same, according to their respective interests, the lots, squares, or grounds to which each of the actual or constructive occupants thereof shall be entitled."

Not long after the publication of this notice, the commission held its last meeting, on May 18th, 1875, when the following was entered in their minutes:

"And it is further ordered that, the business for which we were appointed being completed, we, this day, turn over, in accordance with law, the foregoing record, the accompanying list of lots with the names of the owners or occupants thereof, with the amount assessed upon each lot, and the plat of the Townsite with the value of the improvements upon the respective lots, and the names of the owners thereof, to the Probate Judge of Maricopa County, and this Board of Commissioners adjourn without day."

After the completion of their labors, the Commissioners transmitted their report to Probate Judge Alsap, who, in accordance with the information and data therein contained, proceeded to issue deeds to the various owners of town property.

The first deed given by him under town patent was to Jacob Starar, on May 18, 1875, and was for Lot 12, in Block 10, there being, on the same day, twelve other lots and parcels of town property deeded to various owners, among whom were Edward Irvine, James A. Young, C. F. Cate, Julius A. Goldwater, John Smith, Chas. W. Stearns and Morris Goldwater. In 1884, Starar's lot, on the northeast corner of Adams and Second Streets, was occupied by W. F. McNulty's private residence, while to-day, it is covered by the substantial brick building of the Arizona Republican Publishing Company.

CHAPTER IX.

EARLY HISTORY OF PHOENIX.

STORES -HOTELS FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION THANKSGIVING DAY-BIOGRAPHY OF J. J. GARDINER-BUILDER OF FIRST PLANING MILL, ALSO CITY HALL; VALLEY BANK BUILDING, ETC.-SALOONS BREWERY-MATT CAVANESS, BIOGRAPHY — BARBER SHOP — PHYSICIANS AND DRUG STORES - BUTCHER SHOP OTHER BUSINESSES- ANECDOTE OF WORMSER-CORRALS-FIRST LARGE WELL IN PHOENIX-BIOGRAPHY OF J. D. MONIHONTHE GOLDMAN BROTHERS-H. MORGAN & Co.-NUMBER OF SALOONS DANCE HOUSES AND GAMBLING PLACES - THE GOLDWATER BROTHERS-GRAND BALL-MARRIAGE OF CHARLES H. KENYON AND MISS MOORE-DR. W. W. JONES, JOE AND MIKE GOLDWATER ATTACKED BY INDIANS - JOE GOLDWATER WOUNDED· JOE GOLDWATER FIRST POSTMASTER OF EHRENBERG.

To give with perfect accuracy the early history of Phoenix is a most difficult task. The printed records are fragmentary and incomplete, and the historian must rely upon evidence given by the few old settlers remaining, and the descendants of others.

The year 1872 marked a new area in the development of the future capital, and again I wish to express my thanks, particularly to James M. Barney, who has placed at my dis

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