Ong Sing Yuen (1913) - Renaissance Men

Arizona Vital Records - Genealogy - Death Certificate

In the middle of City/Loosley Cemetery stands a solitary marble headstone bearing an inscription in Chinese. It is testimony to the fact that, for a brief time, Chinese immigrants made up nearly 10% of the population of early Phoenix. Some were railroad workers who had been laid off after construction on local rail lines was completed. Others came because the political climate for Chinese was better in sparsely populated Arizona than it was in the gold-mining towns of California and Nevada. 

They worked in small, family-run businesses such as restaurants, grocery stores, hand laundries and vegetable farms. Although many of Phoenix's early Chinese residents eventually returned to China, about fifty were buried in the Pioneer & Military Memorial Park.

In 1993, archaeologist K. J. Schroeder asked William Tang, an associate professor at Arizona State University, to translate the inscription on the marble headstone in Loosley. Tang, a Mandarin speaker from northern China, translated it as that of Tang Xian Yuan, born in Canton province, Hoiping district, Da Lou village.

Years later, PCA researchers discovered the death certificate of Ong Sing Yuen, aged about 51, who died 8 June 1913 and was buried in Loosley. Since the man buried in Loosley had been born in province, he would almost certainly have been a speaker of Cantonese, and 'Ong Sing Yuen' is in fact the Cantonese equivalent of the Mandarin 'Tang Xian Yuan'. - Adapted from a story by Donna Carr

Ong was a merchant living at 529 S. 7th Avenue, and there are many more things to know about him.

If you would like to learn more about Ong, visit the Chinese Pioneer Memorial and us at our Pioneer Military and Memorial Park library!

Cholera - Pandemics - Early 1800s

"Ginger Brandy"
 Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
 //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3b47948

In the 1800's, Cholera reared its ugly head in the States.  It was believed to arrive in New York harbor in 1832. It presented itself as watery diarrhea and vomiting, and was contracted by drinking contaminated water, milk, or by eating contaminated food. It spread throughout the United States via canals, railroads, and boats.

Cholera was often listed on death certificates as Choleric Fever, Cholera Morbus, or Dysentery.

Another ailment with these symptoms was called Cholera Infantum.  Several infants in the PMMP are listed as having died of it, but this was a different illness.  The term was used because the symptoms were similar to Cholera, but were not contagious.  The illness occurred between April and October, mainly to infants who had been weaned.  When proper refrigeration of food came about, less was seen of the illness.

This ailment was often listed as Cholera Infantus, Water Gripes, Summer Complaint, or Weaning Brash on death certificates.  

Read these two stories in Arizona newspapers:

"It Was Heaven's Will"
Click Here to Read Article and See Reference

"How We Guard Against Cholera"
Click Here to Read Article and See Reference

U of A Tuition Free! - 1893

How things have changed........

Picture from:  The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]), 03 March 1894.

Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

<https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84021912/1894-03-03/ed-1/seq-2/>

Czar James Dyer (1846 - 1903) - Renaissance Men

Czar James Dyer Map of Phoenix - Arizona Memory Project

Although he was an authentic Arizona pioneer, the gentleman with the extraordinary first name--Czar--was born in 1846 in the state of Michigan and grew to manhood there.

Dyer enlisted in the U. S. Navy at the age of 18 and served from August 20, 1864, to July 28, 1865 as a 'powder monkey' aboard the U.S.S. Mattabassett.   After his year of service in the Union Navy, Dyer's travels took him to California.

The federal census of 1880 shows C. J. Dyer residing in Oakland, Alameda County, California, in the household of Frank and Nellie Jones. He gave his age as 31 and his occupation as 'artist'.  Shortly thereafter, he moved to Prescott in the Arizona Territory. Within a few years, he had moved further south to the young settlement of Phoenix, arriving on the scene as the city was in a period of rapid growth and development. A personable fellow, "C. J.", as he was popularly known, made the acquaintance of many key individuals in town, thus immediately involving himself in local commerce and government affairs. 

An artist, specifically a cartographer by profession, Dyer was soon appointed mapmaker for the growing city.  - Adapted from a story by Rose Sullivan

What was unique about James Dyer?  Find out at the PMMP!

Mary's Cafe Fare - Week of April 20

A few new recipes from "Mary".  

Click the picture to download the menu.....

Willie Meade (1894 - 1900) - Tragic Death

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
//hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3b19075

William “Willie” Meade began life in 1894 as the son of William “Billy” Meade and Laura Dawson.  His father was known as a genius at the roulette table.  

His mother worked as a waitress at the Louvre Garden Café that by 1895 was owned by Rose Gregory, a well-known Madam in Phoenix. 

The following facts are what we know about Willie.

Willie developed scarlet fever shortly after his birth and the disease eventually destroyed his hearing and vocal cords.

When Willie was six, his mother was living with her parents.

Willie’s grandparents lived near the railroad tracks in Phoenix.

On Feb 17, 1900, Willie was playing with other children near the tracks at Jackson St - between 3^rd and 4^th St.

As he started to run across the track in pursuit of his dog, a train engine began to move, startling Willie.  Willie tried to jump up onto the front of the train.

The engineer did not see Willie as he started the engine and when he began to move the train car, Willie was thrown underneath, killing him instantly.

Willie’s father belonged to the Improved Order of RedMen and the Independent Order of Foresters.

Willie is buried close to the railroad tracks in Rosedale Cemetery where the train is still heard in the background.

Mysteries of the Cemetery - Mary Hackney

"Woman in Black Evening Dress", 
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print

Mary was born in Missouri about 1871 to Newton Hackney and Elizabeth Silver.  Her parents were living in North Fork Township, Jasper County Missouri in 1870 where her father worked as a nurseryman.

Mary’s parents moved to Leadville, Colorado prior to the 1880 census.  There, her father worked as a miner during a time when Leadville was becoming a silver boomtown.  By 1885 Mary was the oldest of four children and had three siblings: Hattie, Martin and Fred.

Mary’s father moved again and in 1890 the family was homesteading 10 miles south of Mesa (the area is located near Pecos and Cooper Roads in Chandler, Arizona today).  Mary’s father decided to farm in the desert area.  His crops did not fare well because of lack of available water.  In order to support his family and maintain his land, Newton turned to mining again and went to Globe to find work. 

Neighbors were far and few surrounding the Hackney’s property.  Hattie had married Prentice Phillips in 1891 and moved into Phoenix.  Mary would go to Phoenix to visit Hattie and attend meetings of the Independent Order of Good Templars. 

Mary’s father had several disturbing dreams in early October 1892 that caused him to return home from Globe.  He had dreams for three consecutive days that there was some danger to one of his family members.  Newton saw his wife in mourning clothing in one dream and decided he needed to return home.  He found his wife and Mary at a neighbors’ house and all was fine.

The next day, Newton and his wife left to visit a neighbor a mile from their house.  Mary stayed home.  When her parents returned, Mary was in severe pain and dying.  She told them she had taken poison.  It turned out to be strychnine.

Speculation was that Mary had put the poison in a bowl of bread and milk that was nearby on a table. 

Mary had complained of loneliness with no close friends nearby, but no one thought it was enough that she would commit suicide.  She had friends in Phoenix and seemed in good spirits.  Her father’s premonition had come true.  

Was it an accident or did Mary really end her life?  No one knows....

How to Play Faro!

"Faro Game", Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Washington, D.C. 20540 US
//hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3b12223

Here is a tutorial on Faro by our researcher Val.

(click link)

How to Play Faro!

Faro was a card game often played in saloons and gambling halls.  

During this time when we are all staying safe during the coronavirus (COVID-19), it might be a fun time to learn how to play an Old West card game that has been lost to time.....

Mary's Cafe Fare - Week of April 13

Click on the picture of the menu to download it.  

This week's menu has two different dishes:  oysters and pigeons.  If you don't care for either, use the meat of your choice.  However, these two items were often seen on menus 

during the 1800 and early 1900s.

Oysters during this time period were harvested in mass quantities and were very inexpensive.  Therefore, they were often featured for meals.  You can read about it here in an article by Michigan State's Archeology program titled The Great Oyster Craze. Pigeons were the same, and they were otherwise known as "squab" in some cases.  

Table Etiquette - 1889

Arizona Daily Star.  (1889, September 26).  Table Etiquette. 
Tucson, Arizona.


(click on picture for a larger view)


So at what point does your host or hostess know that you are "pretending" to eat the dinner?......

Nathaniel Sharp (1816 - 1906) - Renaissance Men

Chronicling America
Weekly Arizona Miner, October 19, 1872

Nathaniel Sharp was born about 1816 in Tennessee. Very little is known about his early life. Apparently he served in the Mexican War, since his obituary says that he first came through Arizona as a member of an invading army in charge of a company. He was also mentioned as being in Arizona by 1856.

Sharp settled first in Calabasas, intending to raise cattle. However, the outbreak of the Civil War and the expected arrival of Union troops from California caused Sharp, along with Thomas Farrell and Jack Pennington, to pack up and head for Mesilla, New Mexico, in August of  1861. Their wagon train, which would become known as the Ake-Wadsworth Party, was accompanied by herds of cattle and flocks of sheep. This temptation proved to be too much for the Chiricahua Apaches. Under the leadership of  Cochise and/or his son-in-law Mangas Coloradas, the Chiricahuas attacked the 
Ake-Wadsworth party in Cooke’s Canyon. 

During the running battle, Nathaniel Sharp received an arrow through the neck, but witnesses said that he simply broke the arrow in half and pulled the pieces out. Sharp was described as being about sixty years old at the time (he was actually 45).  After Sharp recovered from his injuries, he and Thomas Farrell journeyed to Pinos Altos, where they enlisted in the Confederate Army. Both served as privates in Helms' Company, Herbert’s Arizona Battalion. Farrell was taken prisoner during the unit’s Trans-Mississippi campaign and did not see Sharp again until 1871.

After the Civil War, Sharp went to California and was for a time a lawyer in Sacramento. However, he returned to Arizona around 1869, where he helped to dig the Tempe Canal. Thus assured of water, he started a cattle ranch south of the Salt River. After James T. Priest resigned as zanjero of the Tempe Canal Company to pursue other ambitions, Sharp was elected zanjero, a position of some importance in the community. 

Sharp was living in Los Angeles, California, when he died on 29 September 1906.  His remains were returned by rail to Phoenix, accompanied by his late wife’s daughters, Mrs. Burgher and Mrs. Grubbings. - Adapted from a story by Donna Carr

There's more to learn about Nathaniel Sharp.  Do you know why he was living in Los Angeles, California?  Let us know!

Mary's Cafe Fare - Week of April 6

At least one adventurous item to make this week........
(click on the picture to download the menu)
Mary's Cafe Fare has some great recipes for pantry staples during these trying times.

Complexion and Constipation Corrector - 1894

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Cures constipation and clears up your skin......hmmm.  

**We do not endorse any ad for medical treatments.  Ads are placed for historical and anecdotal purposes only.  

Picture from:  The Oasis. [volume] (Arizola, Ariz.), 14 June 1894.

Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

<https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85032933/1894-06-14/ed-1/seq-7/

John Tabor Alsap (1830 - 1886) - Renaissance Men

John Alsap - 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 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. 

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.  

For information on John Alsap, visit us at the PMMP.  - by Donna Carr