Anson P.K. Safford
Encyclopedia
Anson Pacely Killen SaffordVarious sources give multiple variations for the spelling of Safford's two middle names. Among these are Peasley, Peacely, Keeler, and Killen. (c. 14 February 1830– 15 December 1891) was the third Governor of Arizona Territory
. Affectionately known as the "Little Governor" due to his 5 foot 6 inch (1.68 m) stature, he was also Arizona's longest serving territorial governor. His work to create a public education
system earned him the name "Father of the Arizona Public Schools". Safford is additionally known for granting himself a divorce.
, on 14 February of either 1828 or 1830. When he was eight, his family moved to Crete, Illinois
, where they farmed. Safford was largely self educated, attending only five quarters at a county school followed later by six months at a different school. His father died in 1848 and his mother in 1849. Safford left the family farm in March 1850 as part of the California Gold Rush
.
After his arrival in California
, Safford began working a claim in Placer County
that produced from five to twenty dollars per day. His leisure time was spent reading from a set of books he had purchased to further his education. In 1854 he moved to a new claim and in 1855 was a Democratic party
nominee for a seat in the California State Assembly
, losing his race to a Know Nothing
candidate. Safford won a seat as an assemblyman in 1857 and was reelected in 1859.
Following his time in the state legislature, Safford moved to San Francisco were he operated an earthworks
business. When the American Civil War
broke out, he changed his political affiliation to the Unionist party
and later became a Republican
. Safford moved to Nevada
in early 1862 and was elected county commissioner for Humboldt County
in November 1862. After a month in office, he resigned as commissioner and later served as a mining recorder and county recorder
. Safford was secretary of the Nevada constitutional convention in November 1863 and President of Nevada's first Republican state convention. To add to his cultural experience, Safford took a two-year trip to Europe
and then returned to Nevada. He turned down a nomination to the US House of Representatives before being appointed surveyor-general of Nevada by President Andrew Johnson
in March 1867. Safford served as surveyor-general for two years before health issues forced him to resign.
Safford married Jenny (or Jennie) L. Tracy in Tucson, Arizona
, on July 24, 1869. The couple had a son who was born July 2, 1870, and died August 28, 1871. The couple quickly became estranged and their dispute escalated to the point where Jenny Safford had notices printed claiming her husband had engaged in infidelity and was suffering from a venereal disease. This marriage ended when Arizona's territorial legislature passed a bill granting a divorce to the couple. Governor Safford signing the bill into law in January 1873 and his ex-wife remarried on February 24, 1873. Safford's second marriage was to Margarita Grijalva on December 12, 1878. The couple had one daughter before Margarita Safford died in New York City
on January 7, 1880 Safford's third marriage was to Soledad Bonillas, sister of Ignacio Bonillas
, on September 10, 1881. During his life, Safford adopted two children.
, James W. Nye
, and William M. Stewart
petitioned President Ulysses S. Grant
to nominate Safford as Governor of Arizona Territory. This nomination was supported by Arizona's Coles Bashford
, John N. Goodwin, and Richard C. McCormick along with political figures from California. Safford was nominated on April 3, 1869, commissioned April 9, 1869, and sworn into office on July 9, 1869. His second term began in April 1873 and he declined a third term.
The Safford administration immediately faced the problem of hostile Indians
. To counter this threat he called for the creation of volunteer militia
and worked with Territorial Delegate McCormick to have General George Stoneman
replaced by George Crook
in June 1871. Safford was also forced to assign a military force to guard the road between Gila Bend and Fort Yuma
from Mexican outlaw
s. Other efforts to combat lawlessness included the governor petitioning the territorial legislature to make highway robbery
a capital offense and the building of a territorial prison
. As a result of these efforts Indian hostilities were largely eliminated, with only occasional outbreaks, and enough order was instilled into the territory to allow for ranching activities to move to Arizona.
Safford's passion while in office was the creation of a public school system. This effort was initially opposed by the legislature, but the governor was able to win passage of a new property tax
on February 17, 1871, to finance creation and operation of schools. As ex-officio superintendent of public instruction, the governor corresponded with educators across the nation and even used his personal funds to help build schools or bring new teachers to Arizona. Arizona's first public school opened during March 1872 in Tucson
. The one room adobe structure had a single teacher and, at its peak, 138 students. Other schools were built throughout the territory over the next few years. During his address to the territorial legislature in January 1877, Safford was pleased to report that at least 1450 of the 2955 children counted in the May 1876 census could read and write.
in January 1875 but did not work as an attorney. Instead, with the assistance of his friend, John S. Vosburg, helped finance several mines. When the first claims were filed in Tombstone
, the initial settlement of tents and cabins was located at Watervale near the Lucky Cuss mine. Safford offered financial backing for a cut of the Lucky Cuss mining claim, and Ed Schieffelin
, his brother Al, and their partner Richard Gird formed the Tombstone Mining and Milling Company and with Safford's backing built the first stamping mill. When the mill was built, the town site was moved to Goose Flats, a mesa
above the Toughnut 4539 feet (1,383.5 m) above sea level and large enough to hold a growing town.
In early March 1881, the Tombstone Mining and Milling Company was sold to capitalists
from Philadelphia, and Safford became president of the new Tombstone Gold and Silver Milling and Mining Company with Richard Gird was superintendent. Ed and Al Schieffelin soon sold their one-third ownership in the Tough Nut for USD $1 million and moved on, although Al remained in Tombstone for sometime longer. Gird later sold off his one-third interest for USD $1 million, doubling what the Schieffelins had been paid. In 1880, Safford was a delegate to the Republican National Convention
.
In the early 1880s, Safford sold his business interests for roughly US$140,000 and moved to Philadelphia and then New York City
. By 1882 Safford had moved to Florida
and become involved with building the new community of Tarpon Springs
. He was a candidate for Arizona Territorial Governor again in 1889, with support coming from Matthew Quay
, Leland Stanford
, and William M. Stewart, but was not nominated. Safford's later years were spent in Florida with his family and sister, Mary Jane Safford-Blake
. He died on December 15, 1891, in Tarpon Springs and was buried at Cycadia Cemetery.
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
. Affectionately known as the "Little Governor" due to his 5 foot 6 inch (1.68 m) stature, he was also Arizona's longest serving territorial governor. His work to create a public education
Public education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
system earned him the name "Father of the Arizona Public Schools". Safford is additionally known for granting himself a divorce.
Background
Safford was born to Joseph Warren and Diantha P. (Little) Safford in Hyde Park, VermontHyde Park (town), Vermont
Hyde Park is a town in and the shire town of Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for Captain Jedediah Hyde, a landowner. The population was 2,847 at the 2000 census...
, on 14 February of either 1828 or 1830. When he was eight, his family moved to Crete, Illinois
Crete, Illinois
Crete is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,346 at the 2000 census. Originally named Wood's Corner, it was founded in 1836 by Vermonters Dyantha and Willard Wood.-Geography:Crete is located at ....
, where they farmed. Safford was largely self educated, attending only five quarters at a county school followed later by six months at a different school. His father died in 1848 and his mother in 1849. Safford left the family farm in March 1850 as part of the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
.
After his arrival in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Safford began working a claim in Placer County
Placer County, California
Placer County is a county located in both the Sacramento Valley and Sierra Nevada regions of the U.S. state of California, in what is known as the Gold Country. It stretches from the suburbs of Sacramento to Lake Tahoe and the Nevada border. Because of the expansion of the Greater Sacramento,...
that produced from five to twenty dollars per day. His leisure time was spent reading from a set of books he had purchased to further his education. In 1854 he moved to a new claim and in 1855 was a Democratic party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nominee for a seat in the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
, losing his race to a Know Nothing
Know Nothing
The Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...
candidate. Safford won a seat as an assemblyman in 1857 and was reelected in 1859.
Following his time in the state legislature, Safford moved to San Francisco were he operated an earthworks
Earthworks (engineering)
Earthworks are engineering works created through the moving or processing of quantities of soil or unformed rock.- Civil engineering use :Typical earthworks include roads, railway beds, causeways, dams, levees, canals, and berms...
business. When the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
broke out, he changed his political affiliation to the Unionist party
Unionist Party (United States)
The Union Party was a fusion political party conceived by Republicans in 1861 to combine people of all political affiliations into a single movement committed to the preservation of the Union and to war. Republicans wanted to project an image of wartime nonpartisanship and they also expected to...
and later became a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. Safford moved to Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
in early 1862 and was elected county commissioner for Humboldt County
Humboldt County, Nevada
Humboldt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of 2007, the population was estimated to be 18,052. Its county seat is Winnemucca.The county was the site of an arrest in 2000 that led to the U.S. Supreme Court decision Hiibel v...
in November 1862. After a month in office, he resigned as commissioner and later served as a mining recorder and county recorder
Recorder of deeds
Recorder of deeds is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights over that property.-Background:...
. Safford was secretary of the Nevada constitutional convention in November 1863 and President of Nevada's first Republican state convention. To add to his cultural experience, Safford took a two-year trip to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and then returned to Nevada. He turned down a nomination to the US House of Representatives before being appointed surveyor-general of Nevada by President Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
in March 1867. Safford served as surveyor-general for two years before health issues forced him to resign.
Safford married Jenny (or Jennie) L. Tracy in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, on July 24, 1869. The couple had a son who was born July 2, 1870, and died August 28, 1871. The couple quickly became estranged and their dispute escalated to the point where Jenny Safford had notices printed claiming her husband had engaged in infidelity and was suffering from a venereal disease. This marriage ended when Arizona's territorial legislature passed a bill granting a divorce to the couple. Governor Safford signing the bill into law in January 1873 and his ex-wife remarried on February 24, 1873. Safford's second marriage was to Margarita Grijalva on December 12, 1878. The couple had one daughter before Margarita Safford died in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on January 7, 1880 Safford's third marriage was to Soledad Bonillas, sister of Ignacio Bonillas
Ignacio Bonillas
Ignacio Bonillas Frajio was a Mexican diplomat. He was a Mexican ambassador to the United States and held a degree in mine engineering from M.I.T....
, on September 10, 1881. During his life, Safford adopted two children.
Governorship
On March 13, 1869, the Nevada Congressional delegation of Thomas FitchThomas Fitch (politician)
Thomas Fitch was an American laywer and politician. He defended President Brigham Young of the Church of Latter-day Saints and other church leaders when Young and his denomination were prosecuted for polygamy in 1871 and 1872...
, James W. Nye
James W. Nye
James Warren Nye was a United States Senator from Nevada.-Biography:He was born in DeRuyter, New York, he attended the common schools and Homer Academy in Homer, New York; he studied law in Troy, New York, was admitted to the bar, and practiced in Madison County.Nye was district attorney in 1839...
, and William M. Stewart
William M. Stewart
William Morris Stewart was an American lawyer and politician.-Biography:Stewart was born in Wayne County, New York. As a child he moved with his parents to Trumbull County, Ohio. As a young man he was a mathematics teacher in Ohio. In 1849 he began attending Yale University but left in 1850 to...
petitioned President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
to nominate Safford as Governor of Arizona Territory. This nomination was supported by Arizona's Coles Bashford
Coles Bashford
Coles Bashford was an American lawyer and politician who became the fifth Governor of Wisconsin. His one term as governor ended in a bribery scandal that forced him to leave the state, but he was later instrumental in the government of the newly formed Arizona Territory.-Early life and...
, John N. Goodwin, and Richard C. McCormick along with political figures from California. Safford was nominated on April 3, 1869, commissioned April 9, 1869, and sworn into office on July 9, 1869. His second term began in April 1873 and he declined a third term.
The Safford administration immediately faced the problem of hostile Indians
Apache Wars
The Apache Wars were a series of armed conflicts between the United States and Apaches fought in the Southwest from 1849 to 1886, though other minor hostilities continued until as late as 1924. The Confederate Army participated in the wars during the early 1860s, for instance in Texas, before being...
. To counter this threat he called for the creation of volunteer militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
and worked with Territorial Delegate McCormick to have General George Stoneman
George Stoneman
George Stoneman, Jr. was a career United States Army officer, a Union cavalry general in the American Civil War, and the 15th Governor of California between 1883 and 1887.-Early life:...
replaced by George Crook
George Crook
George R. Crook was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.-Early life:...
in June 1871. Safford was also forced to assign a military force to guard the road between Gila Bend and Fort Yuma
Fort Yuma
Fort Yuma is a fort in California that is located in Imperial County, across the Colorado River from Yuma, Arizona. It was on the Butterfield Overland Mail route from 1858 until 1861 and was abandoned May 16, 1883, and transferred to the Department of the Interior. The Fort Yuma Indian School and a...
from Mexican outlaw
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
s. Other efforts to combat lawlessness included the governor petitioning the territorial legislature to make highway robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
a capital offense and the building of a territorial prison
Yuma Territorial Prison
The Yuma Territorial Prison was a prison in the Arizona Territory of the United States and now in present day Yuma, Arizona. The Territorial Prison is one of the Yuma Crossing and Associated Sites on the National Register of Historic Places in the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area.The site is...
. As a result of these efforts Indian hostilities were largely eliminated, with only occasional outbreaks, and enough order was instilled into the territory to allow for ranching activities to move to Arizona.
Safford's passion while in office was the creation of a public school system. This effort was initially opposed by the legislature, but the governor was able to win passage of a new property tax
Property tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
on February 17, 1871, to finance creation and operation of schools. As ex-officio superintendent of public instruction, the governor corresponded with educators across the nation and even used his personal funds to help build schools or bring new teachers to Arizona. Arizona's first public school opened during March 1872 in Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. The one room adobe structure had a single teacher and, at its peak, 138 students. Other schools were built throughout the territory over the next few years. During his address to the territorial legislature in January 1877, Safford was pleased to report that at least 1450 of the 2955 children counted in the May 1876 census could read and write.
After office
After leaving office Safford opened one of Arizona's first banks, with offices in Tucson and Tombstone. He was admitted to the barAdmission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
in January 1875 but did not work as an attorney. Instead, with the assistance of his friend, John S. Vosburg, helped finance several mines. When the first claims were filed in Tombstone
Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It was one of the last wide-open frontier boomtowns in the American Old West. From about 1877 to 1890, the town's mines produced USD $40 to $85 million...
, the initial settlement of tents and cabins was located at Watervale near the Lucky Cuss mine. Safford offered financial backing for a cut of the Lucky Cuss mining claim, and Ed Schieffelin
Ed Schieffelin
Edward Lawrence Schieffelin was an Indian scout and prospector who discovered silver in the Arizona Territory, which led to the founding of Tombstone, Arizona. He partnered with his brother Al and mining engineer Richard Gird in a handshake deal that produced millions of dollars in wealth for all...
, his brother Al, and their partner Richard Gird formed the Tombstone Mining and Milling Company and with Safford's backing built the first stamping mill. When the mill was built, the town site was moved to Goose Flats, a mesa
Mesa
A mesa or table mountain is an elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs. It takes its name from its characteristic table-top shape....
above the Toughnut 4539 feet (1,383.5 m) above sea level and large enough to hold a growing town.
In early March 1881, the Tombstone Mining and Milling Company was sold to capitalists
Investor
An investor is a party that makes an investment into one or more categories of assets --- equity, debt securities, real estate, currency, commodity, derivatives such as put and call options, etc...
from Philadelphia, and Safford became president of the new Tombstone Gold and Silver Milling and Mining Company with Richard Gird was superintendent. Ed and Al Schieffelin soon sold their one-third ownership in the Tough Nut for USD $1 million and moved on, although Al remained in Tombstone for sometime longer. Gird later sold off his one-third interest for USD $1 million, doubling what the Schieffelins had been paid. In 1880, Safford was a delegate to the Republican National Convention
1880 Republican National Convention
The 1880 Republican National Convention convened from June 2 to June 8, 1880 at the Interstate Exposition Building in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and nominated James A. Garfield and Chester A...
.
In the early 1880s, Safford sold his business interests for roughly US$140,000 and moved to Philadelphia and then New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. By 1882 Safford had moved to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and become involved with building the new community of Tarpon Springs
Tarpon Springs, Florida
Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 21,003 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 22,554....
. He was a candidate for Arizona Territorial Governor again in 1889, with support coming from Matthew Quay
Matthew Quay
Matthew Stanley Quay was an immensely powerful Pennsylvania political boss; "kingmaker" . "Boss" Quay's political principles and actions stood in contrast to an unusually attractive personality...
, Leland Stanford
Leland Stanford
Amasa Leland Stanford was an American tycoon, industrialist, robber baron, politician and founder of Stanford University.-Early years:...
, and William M. Stewart, but was not nominated. Safford's later years were spent in Florida with his family and sister, Mary Jane Safford-Blake
Mary J. Safford
Mary Jane Safford-Blake was a school teacher, a prominent nurse in the Union army and worked closely with Mary Ann Bickerdyke treating the sick and injured near Fort Donelson....
. He died on December 15, 1891, in Tarpon Springs and was buried at Cycadia Cemetery.