Strange but True: Chicago's Ghost Information Company - 1884

 

Bing AI/Val Prompt

In the early 1900s, an enterprising individual in Chicago started a peculiar business venture...a "ghost information" company! Claiming to have access to over 300 working ghosts through a medium, the company sold "ghostly information" as its main product. Amazingly, this unique concept attracted enough interest that people eagerly bought shares in it!

Curious about how this supernatural business unfolded? Read the full article for all the ghostly details! Click to make it larger 👇

Weekly Republican, May, 1884

 

Benjamin Joseph Franklin (1834-1898) - Arizona's 12th Territorial Governor

 

PCA Archives

Benjamin Joseph Franklin was born in Kentucky.  By 1860, he was practicing law in Leavenworth, Kansas.  At the outbreak of the Civil War, Franklin, a Southern sympathizer, moved to Missouri so that he could enlist in the Confederate Army.  He served for the duration of the war, rising to the rank of captain. 

Since Franklin had been an officer, he was forbidden to practice law or hold public office after the war until he had taken an oath of allegiance. From 1865 to 1868, he farmed in Columbia, Missouri.  After taking the oath of allegiance in 1868, he moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and opened a law office.

Franklin was married to Anne Barbour Johnston, stepdaughter of Alfred William Morrison, previously the treasurer of the state of Missouri.  From 1871 to 1875, Franklin was the prosecuting attorney for Jackson County.  In 1875, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives and served two terms before returning to his private law practice.

In 1885, Franklin travelled to Washington, D. C., where he successfully lobbied President Grover Cleveland for an appointment as U. S. Consul to China.  His family accompanied him to Hankow, where they lived for the next five years

In 1890, the Franklins returned to California.  By 1892, they were in Phoenix.  Aware of efforts to have territorial governor Hughes removed from office, Franklin decided to seek the office himself.  He persuaded several prominent local men to send letters on his behalf to President Cleveland.  Cleveland responded by appointing him the twelfth territorial governor of Arizona on 18 April 1896.  Franklin’s son Alfred served as his personal secretary.

During his term in office, Franklin pushed for statehood and tax reform, feeling that many businesses and individuals were not paying their fair share of taxes.  Although as a fiscal conservative he was averse to soliciting funds from Congress, he knew that only the federal government could build the dams that Arizona so desperately needed.  In January 1897, Franklin had suffered a heart attack but recovered through “sheer force of will”.

After Republican William McKinley was elected President, he replaced Franklin with a man of his own party, Myron Hawley McCord.  On 22 July 1897, Franklin left office and returned to his private law practice in the Fleming building, with Alfred as his partner.  Franklin is generally regarded as having been personally honest and competent although not particularly effective as a governor, given his short tenure.

After he left office, Franklin’s health declined further.  When he did not wake from a nap on 19 May 1898, it was determined that he had died of a recurrence of his heart trouble.  He was buried in Rosedale Cemetery following an Episcopalian funeral service.

-by Donna Carr

 

Save the Date for our Annual Holiday Party! - November 6th

Save the Date!

 

The Mysterious Man of Lillian Gross - Good Samaritan?

Bing AI/Val Prompt

Lillian M. Hisey Gross of Congress, Arizona, passed away on Friday, July 9, 1897, at the Ford Hotel in Phoenix. She arrived at the hotel accompanied by an unidentified man on the Prescott train, and they registered under the names "E. M. Scott and wife" from Chicago. They were given separate rooms, and the man disappeared the following morning.

Lillian had been suffering from uremia, a kidney disease exacerbated by excessive drinking. Upon arrival at the hotel, her health rapidly deteriorated, and despite medical attention, she passed away. Before her death, a nurse discovered that Lillian lived in Congress, and that her husband, George Gross, was a miner employed in Wickenburg by Richard Baxter.

Lillian mentioned that the mystery man was a gambler but refrained from providing further details, only stating that "he is all right." When doctors suggested that she notify her husband, Lillian resisted, not wanting to worry him. 

Nonetheless, the doctors sent a telegram to Mr. Gross, who had been working at Vulture. Upon learning of his wife’s critical condition in Phoenix, he immediately traveled there. However, instead of heading straight to the hotel, he sat at the courthouse plaza, although it's not really known why. When he finally arrived at the hotel, he encountered men carrying his wife’s body.

George Gross was perplexed by his wife’s behavior.  She had been struggling with kidney disease for some time and was only 29 years old. The couple had married in Prescott four years earlier and had lived happily in Congress until George lost his job. Three weeks before her death, he had started working at Vulture, with plans for Lillian to join him later.

The unknown man was described as slightly over six feet tall, with dark hair and eyes, and a tendency to carry his head forward. He was of an age below middle-aged. George Gross did not recognize the description, although he had a specific individual in mind, but the description did not match. Mr. Gross did not believe that the individual had any ill intentions.  

It was speculated that the man had met Lillian on the train and, upon realizing she was unwell, took care of her. Registering at the hotel as his wife might have been the most convenient way to avoid unnecessary questions or complications. George Gross sent inquiries to Congress to learn more about her traveling companion, suspecting someone from there might have accompanied her.

The mystery even reached California, with San Francisco authorities searching for the unidentified man. However, it remains unclear why the mystery man was suspected as having come from there.  

The identification of the man, based on this researcher's initial search, was not discovered.  There was an E. M. Scott working in San Francisco and Los Angeles at about this time.  He was a real estate broker, and traveled to other states.  However, it's not known if this was the E.M. Scott that Mrs. Gross registered with at the Ford Hotel. 

-summary By Val (Resources: the San Francisco Call and Post, July 13, 1897 and the Phoenix Weekly, July 15, 1897) 

John Tabor Alsap (1830 - 1886) - First Mayor of Phoenix

 

Arizona Archives

John Tabor Alsap was born 28 February 1830 in Frankfort, Kentucky. He was the only son of Rev. John Alsap (sometimes spelled Alsop) and his wife Keziah Randall.  After studying medicine in Ohio, young John went to California in 1853, intending to practice medicine there. Once in California, however, he developed an interest in mining--an interest which brought him to the Walker diggings in Yavapai county, in November 1863.

Alsap’s medical skills came in handy in 1864 when he accompanied King Woolsey's second punitive expedition against the Apaches as the party's surgeon.  His reputation thus established, he was appointed territorial treasurer in late 1864 by Gov. John Noble Goodwin.

He soon opened the first saloon in Prescott, a shrewd business move which brought him into contact with much of Prescott’s electorate.  On 6 June 1866, Alsap married Louise A. Osborn, daughter of pioneer John Preston Osborn.  Tragically, she died barely a year later.

Alsap became Yavapai County's representative to the territorial legislature in 1868.  However, his larger political ambitions were not to be fulfilled in Prescott. In 1869, he moved south to the Salt River Valley, where he helped to select the 320 acres comprising the original Phoenix townsite.  He was one of the original commissioners of the Salt River Town Association, formed in 1870 to promote settlement along the Salt River.

Alsap now turned his attention from the practice of medicine and mining to the practice of law.  As the fledgling community along the Salt River gained a foothold, he petitioned to have a new county created, with Phoenix as its seat.  Following the creation of Maricopa County in 1871, Governor Safford appointed Alsap its first probate judge. As judge, he sometimes officiated at civil weddings when no minister was available. He also served as superintendent of public education. 

Between 1873 and 1879, Alsap held a seat in the territorial legislature.  On 7 September 1876, he wed Anna Dugan Murray, one of the eight daughters of William P. Murray and his wife Margaret.  All the Murray girls married well-connected men and founded some of Phoenix’s ‘first families’.  Alsap's contributions to the city of Phoenix were recognized when he was elected its first mayor in 1881.

Alsap was an ardent Mason throughout his life.  A photograph taken in Contra Costa, California, shows him dressed in his Masonic regalia.  He was the first master of the Azlan Masonic Lodge in Prescott and also of the Arizona Masonic Lodge in Phoenix, and he chartered the Royal Arch Masonic Lodge. Upon his death in 1886, he was buried in the Masonic Cemetery in Phoenix.  A modern granite headstone marks his grave.

-By Donna Carr

Fall Fashion Notes - 1897

Phoenix Weekly Herald, September 30, 1897

 

October Holidays - 2024

 

Bing AI/Val Prompt

Halloween is always a favorite holiday among many on October 31st.  October is also a time when fall is celebrated, and cooler weather is enjoyed in many parts of the country.  However, there are other holidays that are shared in October as well.  Here are some of the more popular ones:

October 1st

International Coffee Day: A day to celebrate coffee as a beverage and promote fair trade practices in the coffee industry.

October 9th

Columbus Day (U.S.): Commemorates Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas in 1492. Some states celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day instead, honoring the native populations affected by colonization.

October 10th

World Mental Health Day: A global initiative to raise awareness of mental health issues and promote mental well-being.

October 14th 

Indigenous Peoples’ Day (U.S.): Celebrated by many as an alternative to Columbus Day, honoring the history, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous peoples in the Americas.

National Dessert Day (U.S.): A day for indulging in favorite desserts and sweet treats.

October 16th

World Food Day: Organized by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, focusing on global hunger and food security issues.

October 24th

United Nations Day: Marks the anniversary of the UN Charter’s entry into force in 1945, celebrating the mission of the UN in promoting peace and cooperation.

Additionally, October is known for several month-long observances, including Breast Cancer Awareness Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month (ends Oct. 15th), and National Bullying Prevention Month.

 

Dia de Los Muertos Event Big Success!

 

The Dial de Los Muertos event on September 28th was a big success.  The Grave Marker Preservation committee made over $800 dollars for preservation.  thanks to all of the crafters for their talents and helping us with our Mission of the Pioneers' Cemetery Association!

Lillian Gross (1868 - 1897) - The Last Train Ride from Congress

Bing AI/Val Prompt

On a scorching July day in 1897, a northbound train pulled into Phoenix, carrying a mysterious man and woman who quietly disembarked. They registered at the Ford Hotel, posing as husband and wife, yet curiously booked separate rooms. By morning, the woman was teetering on the brink of death, lay gravely ill, and her mysterious companion had vanished without a trace.

With her final breaths, the woman identified herself as Mrs. Lillian Gross of Congress, revealing that her real husband, George, was miles away working in Vulture. The man who escorted her was not her husband. Who was this figure that disappeared leaving Lillian to meet her tragic fate alone?

-Val "Shadow Archives"

"A Sad Death"

Phoenix Weekly Herald, July 15, 1897

 

Trinidad Silvas (1866 - 1911) - Struck by Lightning

Microsoft Clip Art

Trinidad Silvas was most likely born in Mexico around 1866.  In the summer of 1911, she and her long-time partner, José Alvarez, were working for a local rancher and temporarily living in a tent on his property about four miles northeast of the Phoenix townsite. 

During the night of July 16th, a terrific thunderstorm blew up.  Alvarez had been lying awake on his cot and listening to the roar of the thunder for quite a while. Then, all of a sudden, he saw a bright flash of lightning and heard a loud thunderclap.  It seemed to him that a ball of fire rolled into the tent!

Alvarez was tossed across the floor of the tent and lost unconsciousness for a few minutes.   When he came to, he ascertained that his thirteen-year-old daughter, who was lying on a pallet, had not been harmed—in fact, she had not even awakened.  Trinidad, however, had died instantly, the hair on one side of her head burned away.

Alvarez ran to the nearest habitation and poured out the tragic news.  Coroner Johnstone was summoned and ordered that the body not be moved pending an inquest on the following day.  The investigation revealed a small hole with charred edges, burned in the tent canvas.   It was speculated that the tragic event had been an example of a rare phenomenon known as ‘ball lightning’.

In the same neighborhood—and almost at the same time-- a valuable gray horse belonging to W. Bivins was also struck and killed by lightning.

Trinidad was buried in City/Loosley Cemetery.  It is not known what became of José Alvarez and the couple’s young daughter.

-By Debe B.

Dia de Los Muertos - Sign Up Now!

 

Save the date! September 28th, 2024 is our Dia de Los Muertos Event for our Grave Marker Preservation program! All proceeds go to preserving our grave markers at the PMMP! RSVP to nazanaza@aol.com

The Fraternal Order of Argonauts - 1890

The Argonauts in Greek Mythology

Library of Congress

The Order of the Fraternal Argonauts was a fraternal organization that operated in the late 19th century, primarily in San Francisco.  They filed articles of incorporation in 1890, and deemed themselves as an organization for charity, benevolence, and social purposes. It was one of many such secretive and ritualistic societies popular during that era, designed to foster a sense of camaraderie, mutual aid, and moral guidance among its members. Argonauts interacted with Greek heroes who embarked on a daring quest for the Golden Fleece under the leadership of Jason, the Order emphasized values of adventure, brotherhood, and perseverance.

Fraternal orders like the Argonauts often had structured hierarchies, elaborate initiation rituals, and meetings conducted in private lodges or halls. Members typically participated in ceremonies that reinforced their shared values, and the organizations often had distinctive symbols, regalia, and secret rites. Although specific details about the Order of the Fraternal Argonauts are limited, its members would have likely engaged in social, charitable, and possibly even financial support activities, creating a tightly knit community that helped one another in times of need. These societies provided men with not only social opportunities but also networking, protection, and support, which were especially valued in a rapidly industrializing and socially complex America. 

George Woods, Man of Three Names (? - 1892) - Unidentified Canal Laborer

Bing AI/Val Prompt

In 1892, The Arizona Republic posted an article about the mysterious death of a man on January 27 at the Pioneer Hotel who was known by three different names: George Woods, George Wiley, and George Willis. He had checked into the Pioneer Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona, under the name George Woods about a week before his death, paying for a week’s stay in advance. Employed by the Arizona Canal Company, he stated that he had been working on the company's dam and had been feeling ill after being exposed to waist-deep water for several days during his work. He spent much of his time at the hotel, primarily in the lobby and barroom, where his health visibly deteriorated.

Initially treated for a bad cold and fever, his condition worsened, progressing into what was thought to be "la grippe" or influenza. On his last night, he had a simple supper of milk toast and tea before retiring to his room, where he was found dead the following morning. Undertakers Randal and Davis were called to handle his body, and it was noted that he had enough funds coming from his employment to cover the cost of his burial.

A search of his belongings revealed a variety of documents identifying him under different names, with no clear indication of his permanent residence. Among the papers was a letter from Farrington, signed by “your sister Carrie Leighton,” which was one of the few personal connections found. An anonymous man who contacted the hotel stated that the deceased had a wife and three children in Farrington but refused to disclose his own identity.

The various documents found included correspondence with different dates and locations:

• One letter to “George Wiley Esq” mentioned $100 sent to him by G.P. Reynolds
• Another letter from the acting president of the Postal Telegraph Company instructed the Southern Pacific Railroad to hand over certain freights to Willis
• Other letters dated back to 1887 and identified Wiley’s employment with the Mackay-Bennett Cable Company in San Francisco
• Another document recommended him as a capable and reliable worker from his time at the Mutual Telegraph Company
• There was also a letter indicating past financial issues with Wells Fargo in Visalia, California, in 1889

Additionally, several other items were found among his possessions, including a printed card listing fire alarm box locations in Oakland, California; the Constitution of the Grand Council of Order of the Fraternal Argonaut from San Francisco; and various business cards and memos linked to names and addresses in Oakland and San Francisco.

The Arizona Canal Company, where he had been employed for four months, described him as sober and industrious but knew nothing of his personal life. Attempts to reach contacts in Farrington, Illinois, via telegram went unanswered. His funeral was scheduled for the next day at 2 p.m., but many questions about his true identity and personal history remained unanswered. He is buried in City/Loosley.

-Val (Resource: Arizona Republic, January 28, 1892)