Unsung Arizona Pioneer and Founding Father of Tempe

William Kirkland was instrumental in the establishment of Arizona. He was one of the earliest pioneers to enter Arizona after the Gadsden Purchase. He established or named Arizona cities, built the first graded roads, was an early government leader, built one of the first irrigation canals, helped establish schools, survived encounters with hostile Indians, and engaged in farming, cattle ranching, mining, lumbering, and freighting. Yet, little has been published about him. Bancroft, in his histories of the western states does not mention him. Other historians such as Wyllys, Lockwood or Farish devote only a few sentences to his accomplishments.

William Hudson Kirkland was born in 1832 to Hugh Allen and Polly Hudson Kirkland in Petersburg, Virginia.  The family moved several times during William’s childhood, finally settling in Camden Missouri. During this time William, in spite of often changing schools, obtained a good education.

William left home at the age of 17,  prompted by his mother’s death and his father remarriage. Lured by tales of the gold rush, he went to Independence, Missouri, the departure point for the California trail.  After several months, he found employment in a wagon train heading west, reaching California in September, 1850.  He mined and worked several jobs, making a good living until 1855 when he decided to return to “the states.” Steamship rates to the east had been steadily rising during the early 1850’s, so William decided to go east overland along the Gila trail. He and six companions entered Arizona in the New Mexico Territory on December 28, 1855.

Kirkland and his companions left Yuma and traveled for 14 days to Tucson, “expecting to meet Apaches every minute after passing Picacho Mountain….” They “found the Presidio (fort), garrisoned with two companies of cavalry troops, with paymaster Pesqueira getting ready to pay off, preparatory to taking up line of march and turn over the Gadsden Purchase to the United States.”

There were already several Anglo-Americans living in Tucson, such as Pete Kitchen, John “Pie”: Allen and Paddy Burke. They watched as Kirkland and two others fashioned a flagpole made of mesquite sticks and raised an American flag for the first time over the American territory of  Tucson as the Mexican troops marched out.

By 1857, Kirkland had moved south of Tucson to Canoa, near Tubac where he was the first Anglo-American to bring cattle into Arizona, although this herd was later stolen.  While living there, he often visited Tucson, where he met and married Missouri Ann Bacon in 1860. Their first child, Elizabeth Jane, born on Feb. 28, 1861, was the first Anglo-American child born in Arizona.

Kirkland noted the need in rapidly growing Tucson for wood. The nearby Santa Rita mountains had a ready supply, but there was no access. Kirkland remedied that lack by grading a road into the Ponderosa forest where he began a prosperous sawing operation.   Once returning from a sale of lumber he was surrounded by a band of Apaches led by Cochise. The Indians were hungry and they made Kirkland cook them a meal. Kirkland commented later, “I didn’t know  I could cook but I found out I could cook pretty well.” After being fed they let him go. What apparently saved William was that he did not try to run or escape.

In 1861 the Civil War resulted in the U.S. Army  troops leaving Arizona. The Apaches, led by Cochise, went on a rampage and Arizona became uninhabitable. Kirkland was forced to move to Tucson with his wife and daughter, but he soon left and moved to California where his son George was born.

In 1863 he returned to Arizona,  following the Walker party into the Bradshaw Mountains. While searching for the Walker party he found a beautiful small valley watered by a small stream. He purchased the land from Pauline Weaver and built a granite block house on the land.   While living there, Kirkland mined, running five arrastras, farmed, ranched and  freighted. He blazed the first road up Antelope Hill next to the Yarnell grade.   He remained there through 1870   when he moved to the new city of Phoenix. That valley is still known as Kirkland Valley.

In August, 1870, the citizens of the Salt River Valley met to decide where to establish a town site. An election was held and the site chosen was on James McKinnie’s property near what is today 24th Street and Washington.   However, this site proved unsatisfactory to the majority of citizens, and among charges of fraud, a new site was chosen that centered on today’s Washington Street and Central Avenue and the town named Phoenix.

On December 23rd and 24th the first lots were auctioned at the new town site. The most expensive sold for $140.   Shortly after, in February the Prescott Miner reported, “Mr. Kirkland, one of Arizona’s pioneers …has purchased a lot and will commence building during the coming week.”   Kirkland built the second house in Phoenix, and on August 15, 1871, his daughter Mary Ellen was the first child born in Phoenix.

In December 1870, as Phoenix was being established to the west, Charles T. Hayden and claimed part of section 15 south of the Salt River   and formed the Hayden Milling and Farming Ditch company. In that same month, Jack Swilling and others formed the Hardy Canal company to irrigate other lands south of the Salt River.   Also,at the same time, William Kirkland claimed the eastern half of section 15 and also part of section 22 directly to the south. Kirkland and James McKinney [McKinnie] began construction of the Kirkland-McKinney Ditch to bring water to their land.

The actual construction was done by Hispanic settlers who came from southern Arizona or northern Sonora.

The three canal companies combined their efforts. The Hardy Canal Company was reorganized as the Tempe Canal Company and established a canal head about five miles upstream. The Kirkland-McKinney ditch became a private branch with the Hayden flour mill being supplied by an extension of the Kirkland-McKinney Ditch.

Hayden established a ferry, flour mill and a store on his land and the area was known as Hayden’s ferry until Darell Duppa suggested naming it Tempe.

The workers who built the canals were mainly Hispanic and they, “not satisfied with Hayden’s Ferry, have laid out a new town…named San Pablo” west of Tempe on 80 acres of land that Kirkland donated.

This site was south of the Tempe Butte and was bordered by present day College Avenue and University Drive. Proceeds from the sale of lots were donated for the construction of a Catholic  church. Although the first Mass was held in San Pablo on April 12. 1872. the church was not built until 1882.

The early Hispanic canal workers gained rights to Kirkland-McKinney water, but few established farms, such as Pedro Eredia and Manuel Soltelo. Most worked at occupations as carpenter, blacksmith, mason, laborer, etc. As the area grew, San Pablo was incorporated into Tempe where the Hispanic residents constituted a large minority.

In addition to farming, Kirkland became active in civic affairs in the Salt River Valley. He was appointed to the first school board in Phoenix in June 1871.   When Maricopa County was formed on February 14, 1871 from parts of Yavapai and Pima County, Kirkland was one of the three members of the County Board of Supervisors.

The Kirkland family left the house William had built in Phoenix and lived on their property by Tempe, where he farmed for two years.   In October, 1873, the family moved again, this time to Silver City New Mexico where they ran a hotel.  Here daughter Sara Ann was born on May 9, 1874. In 1876, they moved again, this time to Safford, Arizona.

In Safford, in addition to farming, Kirkland was appointed Justice of the Peace. he continued his interest in education by helping to establish the first school and serving on its board of trustees.

He obtained the contract to carry the mail, and while delivering the mail to the area of the Solomon hotel, gave the town the name Solomonville.   It was in Safford that his sons Hugh and Frank were born.

The family moved again, this time to the Willcox area where William freighted between Willcox and Globe and also served as a deputy sheriff.

In 1881, the Apaches left the San Carlos Reservation and began raiding again. Kirkland and his wagon train were warned in advance and were able to avoid the fate of the Samaniego Wagon train which was wiped out by the Apaches. In 1882 the Apache chief Juh began raiding in southern Arizona on his way to Mexico. He attacked the Kirkland homestead at Point of the Mountain, north of Willcox. Kirkland and his family were safe in town, but the caretaker was killed by the raiders and the house and its contents ransacked.

In 1889, Kirkland moved again, this time to Congress, Arizona where he began a small dairy operation. He was elected Justice of the Peace,   served as constable was also appointed Road Overseer for district 44 of Yavapai County.

After retiring and doing some traveling, William and his wife Missouri Ann were visiting his sons in Winkleman when he was suddenly stricken with pneumonia. He took to bed, and within 24 hours on January 20, 1910 he died. His wife, Missouri Ann died five years later on July 12, 1915.

William Kirkland was an extraordinary individual. He was instrumental in establishing five Arizona cities. He held government offices in four communities. His daughter, Elizabeth was the first Anglo-American child in born Arizona and his daughter, Ella was the first born in Phoenix. He built roads, logged, ranched, mined, farmed, and freighted where others feared to tread. While he remains little known,  he was…

William H. Kirkland

Tags: Apache chief Juh, Apaches, Arizona, Arizona Centennial, arizona pioneer, arizona territory, Charles T. Hayden, city of Phoenix, cochise, Congress, district 44 of Yavapai County, founding father of tempe, Hardy Canal Company, kirkland, Kirkland Valley, Kirkland-McKinney Ditch, Manuel Soltelo, Maricopa County, Pedro Eredia, Salt River Valley, Samaniego Wagon train, San Carlos Reservation, san pablo, Tempe Butte, Tempe Historical Society, william h kirkland
Posted in Business, Corporate, Events, Hinson Media | Comments Off