Desert Messenger

June 13, 2012 Desert Messenger celebrates the Arizona Centennial with Voices from The Past in Quartzsite, AZ Excerpts from "In the Shadow of Saguaros" by Rosalee Oldham Wheeler George W. P. Hunt - The State of Arizona's First Governor of struggle and becoming a state was no exception. There were many who thought they knew what the untamed Territory of Arizona needed, especially a young man from Missouri. George W. P. Hunt had been born Arizona's early history was one in 1859 into an affl uent Missouri family. However, Civil War battles waged across the Hunt Plantation left it in ruins and before it could recover, the fi nancial panic of 1873 left the Hunt family destitute. George grew up with little formal education and at the age of 18 fol- lowed the "gold fever" West where he found work in Colorado as a dishwasher and waiting tables. In July 1881, he and a friend packed their burros and headed for Arizo- na Territory following a lead about the Lost Apache Gold Mine. Hos- tile Apaches altered their plans and the U.S. Army escorted the two lads to Globe where George took a job at the Old Dominion Mine shoveling ore. He also found work at night waiting tables in a Chinese restau- rant and washing the restaurant's dishes. He traded his shoveling job at the Old Dominion to become the delivery boy and later a clerk in a mercantile store that would be lat- er purchased by the Old Dominion Commercial Company where Hunt proved himself in many positions, becoming its president in 1904. On February 24th that year he married Helen Duett Ellison of Holbrook. Hunt had been a reluctant can- ran again for the Council being re- elected three terms. Hunt lobbied to the U. S. Congress for Arizona statehood. Congress authorized a Constitutional Convention and Hunt was selected to be the presi- dent of the Convention. The Con- vention put forward a controversial issue, the initiative to recall judges. President William Howard Taft, a former judge, threatened to veto statehood unless it was dropped. The delegates gave in and Arizona was admitted as the 48th state on February 14, 1912. After statehood Arizona put the recall of judges back into the Con- stitution and George W. P. Hunt was elected the fi rst governor over his Republican opponent, Edmund W. Wells. www.DesertMessenger.com he could remember about the visit. On his next visit he would get out his notes to refresh his memory and greeted locals like old friends. In 1913, with the gover- Page 13 nor's support, legislation passed giving women the right to vote seven years be- fore the 19th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution. In 1907 Hunt had fought for legislation to outlaw gambling. Hunt also worked to turn the deserts of southern Ari- zona into tillable farms with water from dams along the Colorado and other rivers. Following the 1916 election the vote count indicated Governor Hunt had lost his bid for re-elec- tion to Thomas Campbell, a Re- SEE HUNT PAGE 19 The folks in the photo are, Left to Right; an unknown man, Sharlot Hall, Mary Pease (of Quartzsite) Governor Hunt, and another unknown man. Mary Pease was a Quartzsite resident, who with her husband Sol, built the home where Frank Scott's mother now lives. Mary Pease was a dear friend of Viktoria Hagley's. Sunday Worship: 10am & 6pm Wednesday Service: 6pm Phone: 928-927-5035 the working man, devoted to the under dog and less fortunate. He won the common people's trust and, remembering his own lack of education, put through legislation that provided free schoolbooks for Arizona's children. He urged legis- lation to change the black and white striped prison uniforms worn at the state penitentiary to solid gray and offered prisoners an opportu- nity to work on highway and bridge projects to shorten their terms. Over the next 30 years George didate for the Territorial House of Representatives in 1892 but had won easily. In 1896 he ran for the upper house, the Council, and was re-elected in 1898. In 1900 he re- turned to business but by 1904 Hunt was elected governor seven times. He served from 1912 to 1919, from 1923 to l929, and then from 1931 to 1933. Governor Hunt endeared himself to the people by remembering the names of folks he had met all around the state. He had a habit of keeping careful notes of people's names and interesting facts. After visiting a community he would write down everything Governor Hunt was a friend to 375 E. Sunrise St. Quartzsite "Come join our Family where the Love of Jesus is preached" Quartzsite Coachworks On Site RV Repair A/C • Electrical • Plumbing • Roof Repair • All Appliances CALL TODAY! 760-799-2370 RV Specialist PO Box 5082 • Quartzsite, AZ 85359 www.QuartzsiteCoachworks.com Serving the RVing Community since1977

• Cover