Solomonville, Arizona
Encyclopedia
Solomonville is a small unincorporated community
in Graham County
, Arizona
, United States
. It is part of the Safford
Micropolitan Statistical Area
.
In the early 19th century settlers who fit the modern term Hispanic
came to the region. They named the town they founded "Pueblo Viejo" because of the previous Native American settlement, the ruins of which were still visible.
In the 1870s Mormons moved to the region. The Solomonville Ward web site says no Mormons moved to Solomonville until 1884 They began large scale irrigation. The current name of the town is for Isadore Elkan Solomon, a German immigrant who came to the town in the 1870s. Solomon was Jewish. He moved to Solomonville with his wife and three children, the oldest of whom was three. His wife already had family members in New Mexico. Their first stop in the southwest was in Las Cruces, New Mexico
. Mrs. Solomon and the children lived there for four months while I. E. Solomon was searching for a place to start up business, and he eventually settled on the current town of Solomonville. When the Solomon's came to town there were only five residences in the town. The idea for the name was suggested by the local postman, William H. Kirkland.
From the 1880s to about 1910 Solomonville had over 1000 residents. In 1898 the town had a baseball team. From 1873-1915 Solomonville was the seat of Graham County.
In 1906 Frieda Mashbir, the sister of Solomon's wife Anna, was made the postmistress for Solomonville.
The Mormons never formed a majority of the town's population. It is the only town in this specific area besides Safford
that has not been historically dominated by Mormons. It was not until January 1920 that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organized a branch at Solomonville. It was made a ward the following year, with Elder George Albert Smith
presideng over the organizing of the ward. This first organization of the ward was extremely short lived, since it was made a branch again after less than three months as a ward. The branch was again made a ward on February 26, 1928. Leslie W. Layton was the bishop at this time. The ward had a membership of 182 in 1930 (counting 44 children who were under the age of eight and so not actually baptized church members). The town and immediate outlying areas had a population of 1,283 people in 1930.
In 1940 there were 753 inhabitants in Solomonville.
In 1952 a red brick ward building was dedicated. In the 1970s under Bishop Rex O. Barney the building was remodeled and added to, and was rededicated November 18, 1979.
In 1979 there were about 250 ward members. By some time prior to September 2007 the ward had over 450 members.
By the 1990s Solomonville itself only had a population of 250
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Graham County
Graham County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*72.1% White*1.8% Black*14.4% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.8% Two or more races*8.3% Other races*30.4% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of the Safford
Safford, Arizona
- History :Safford was founded by Joshua Eaton Bailey, Hiram Kennedy and Edward Tuttle, who came from Gila Bend, in southwestern Arizona. They left Gila Bend in the winter of 1873-74; their work on canals and dams having been destroyed by high water the previous summer...
Micropolitan Statistical Area
Safford micropolitan area
The Safford Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in eastern Arizona, anchored by the city of Safford....
.
History
The community's origins go back to the indigenous peoples of the region. Little is known of its history prior to the coming of Europeans.In the early 19th century settlers who fit the modern term Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
came to the region. They named the town they founded "Pueblo Viejo" because of the previous Native American settlement, the ruins of which were still visible.
In the 1870s Mormons moved to the region. The Solomonville Ward web site says no Mormons moved to Solomonville until 1884 They began large scale irrigation. The current name of the town is for Isadore Elkan Solomon, a German immigrant who came to the town in the 1870s. Solomon was Jewish. He moved to Solomonville with his wife and three children, the oldest of whom was three. His wife already had family members in New Mexico. Their first stop in the southwest was in Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, also known as "The City of the Crosses", is the county seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 97,618 in 2010 according to the 2010 Census, making it the second largest city in the state....
. Mrs. Solomon and the children lived there for four months while I. E. Solomon was searching for a place to start up business, and he eventually settled on the current town of Solomonville. When the Solomon's came to town there were only five residences in the town. The idea for the name was suggested by the local postman, William H. Kirkland.
From the 1880s to about 1910 Solomonville had over 1000 residents. In 1898 the town had a baseball team. From 1873-1915 Solomonville was the seat of Graham County.
In 1906 Frieda Mashbir, the sister of Solomon's wife Anna, was made the postmistress for Solomonville.
The Mormons never formed a majority of the town's population. It is the only town in this specific area besides Safford
Safford, Arizona
- History :Safford was founded by Joshua Eaton Bailey, Hiram Kennedy and Edward Tuttle, who came from Gila Bend, in southwestern Arizona. They left Gila Bend in the winter of 1873-74; their work on canals and dams having been destroyed by high water the previous summer...
that has not been historically dominated by Mormons. It was not until January 1920 that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organized a branch at Solomonville. It was made a ward the following year, with Elder George Albert Smith
George Albert Smith
George Albert Smith, Sr. was the eighth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-Early life:...
presideng over the organizing of the ward. This first organization of the ward was extremely short lived, since it was made a branch again after less than three months as a ward. The branch was again made a ward on February 26, 1928. Leslie W. Layton was the bishop at this time. The ward had a membership of 182 in 1930 (counting 44 children who were under the age of eight and so not actually baptized church members). The town and immediate outlying areas had a population of 1,283 people in 1930.
In 1940 there were 753 inhabitants in Solomonville.
In 1952 a red brick ward building was dedicated. In the 1970s under Bishop Rex O. Barney the building was remodeled and added to, and was rededicated November 18, 1979.
In 1979 there were about 250 ward members. By some time prior to September 2007 the ward had over 450 members.
By the 1990s Solomonville itself only had a population of 250
Geography
Solomonville is at 32°48′50"N 109°37′50"W, at an elevation of approximately 2970 feet above sea level.Present conditions
Solomonville has its own school district. The Solomonville Unified School District operates one elementary school, serving K-8.Popular culture
Legend holds that there is large amount of loot stored in the area of Solomonville.External links
- http://www.library.arizona.edu/exhibits/swja/v24solomonville.htm