Ida Emma Guenther (1853-1904) - Shrew

 

Generated AI

According to the federal census of 1900, Ida (maiden name unknown) was born in Denmark April 1853 and arrived in the United States in 1865.  One can only guess what contributed to her fondness for conflict and drink.

Mrs. Ida Bailey first came to the attention of Phoenix authorities when she was charged along with Fred Steffans with “mutually maligning each other and the employment of language which is not admissible to mail bags” on April 2, 1893. 

Shortly after that incident, Ida married Joseph P. Murray, a blacksmith, on April 23, 1893.  Witnesses to the marriage were Frankie Hill and H.C. King. Frankie Hill (aka Minnie Drum) was a known madam in Phoenix.  At the time of their marriage, Ida was 40 years old and Joseph was 57 years old. 

The Arizona Republican paper reported that the newlyweds were off to the World’s Fair on honeymoon.  However, the romance—if romance it was—didn’t last long.  Barely two months later, Ida was living in a crib in the alley behind the Central Hotel in Phoenix.    That area was known for all sorts of criminal behavior, the main problem being prostitution. 

On June 23, 1893, one of Ida’s neighbors, Annie Marchand, complained to Night Marshal Blankenship that Ida had tried to fire a shot at her with a Smith & Wesson handgun. Ida was arrested and fined.  “Inspired by whiskey and morphine”, Ida retaliated by charging that Annie had been calling her names.

On July 1, 1893, a fire swept through the residences in the alley behind the Central Hotel.  The flames were so intense that they threatened the hotel.  It was learned that Ida had moved all her belongings out of her shack prior to the fire, but Annie lost everything.  Although Ida had openly boasted that she “was going to make it hot” for Annie Marchand, there was no direct evidence linking her to the fire.

Ida Murray next married Herman Guenther, a gunsmith, on September 18, 1899 in Phoenix.  Herman had been born in Germany in December 1835 and arrived in the United States in 1871.  He had been previously married and had two sons who were in California.  

The Guenthers invited Nicholas Brecht and his wife Maria Gilmore to their home on July 11, 1899 for a drink.  The affair became a two-hour drinking contest before everyone said their goodbyes.  Sometime later Maria realized her purse was missing and returned to the Guenthers.   A fight broke out and police were called.  All were brought to court and fined.

Ida died in Phoenix on May 5, 1904 at the age of 50 and was buried in Loosley Cemetery.  Herman died on August 10, 1904 at the age of 69.  He had attempted to walk to the cemetery where his wife was buried and lost his way.  He was found unconscious and brought back to his residence where he later died.  He is also buried in Loosley Cemetery.   Neither Guenther has a grave marker.

 - by Patricia 

 

Frank Barrios - Thank You for your Service to PCA!

 

PCA Archives

Volunteer Spotlight: Honoring Frank Barrios!

Today we honor the life and legacy of Frank Barrios: historian, preservationist, author, and longtime volunteer with the Pioneers’ Cemetery Association.

Frank was more than a volunteer. He was a bridge between the past and the present. Through his work with PCA, he helped preserve the stories of Phoenix’s earliest residents with genuine care and deep respect. His gentle spirit and dedication reminded us all why preserving history matters.

Beyond PCA, Frank’s passion for heritage shaped how Phoenix remembers its roots. His book "Mexicans in Phoenix" captured the heart of the city’s Mexican American community. These families, neighborhoods, and traditions helped build the city we know today.

Frank was named LULAC’s Man of the Year, honored as an Arizona History Maker, and celebrated by the City of Phoenix with “Frank Barrios Day.” Yet, those who knew him will tell you his greatest honor was serving others and keeping their stories alive.

We are grateful for his years of service and friendship. Frank’s light continues to guide all of us who believe history is best preserved when it’s shared with love.

Open House - October 25th, 2025 from 10am -1pm

 

PCA Archives

We picked this up and moved it just for you!!!

Come join us for Open House, October 25th from 10am - 1pm!

Take a self-tour of the cemetery, check out Smurthwaite House, and chat with some awesome folks who love Phoenix history! See you soon!

William B. Casey (1870-1898) - Hot Tempered Ranch Hand

 

AI Generated

Aerial of Rosedale

William B. Casey’s story is one of those wild tales from early Phoenix that reminds us how rough life could be on the frontier. Born in New York in 1870, he went west as a young man, described as tall, athletic, and quick to quarrel. By the time he reached Arizona, his hot temper was well known. He tried his hand at a milk delivery business in Phoenix, but the partnership fell apart, and Casey found himself in frequent trouble with the law.

Things came to a head in September 1898. While working at Ben Anderson’s ranch north of town, Casey was asked to saddle a horse for Anderson’s granddaughter. Taking offense, he lashed out at Anderson’s son-in-law with a pitchfork, leaving him badly injured. Only days later, still spoiling for a fight, Casey confronted rancher James Marler over rumors of insults. When words didn’t satisfy him, he attacked with his fists, then turned on a hired hand, George Moudy. As Casey rushed forward, Moudy fired in self-defense. One bullet to the heart ended Casey’s violent streak.

A coroner’s jury quickly ruled the killing justified, given Casey’s attacks in the days before. William B. Casey was buried on September 12, 1898, after a Catholic funeral service.  Despite his bad temper and reputation, a large crowd of family and friends were there to pay their last respects and follow his coffin to Rosedale Cemetery.   

Whispers in Stone - Flowers on Grave Markers

Whispers in Stone…

Flowers carved into old grave markers aren’t just decoration. Each bloom holds a message of love, loss, or eternal life. What stories do these stone blossoms tell?

• Lilies – purity and peace
• Roses – love and fragility
• Ivy – eternal attachment
• Oak leaves & acorns – strength and immortality
• Morning glory – life’s short bloom

Some of the “whispers” at the Pioneer & Military Memorial Park… every flower tells a story! 

Photos: PCA Archive

Wilson Augustus McGinnis 91850-1899) - Architect

 

AI Generated Generic Image

Wilson Augustus McGinnis was born in Dyer County, Tennessee, in February, 1850.  He was the youngest of ten children belonging to John S. McGinnis and his wife, Martha Mathis (or Matthews?). 

By 1884, Wilson was in Phillips County, Arkansas, where he married Letitia “Lula” Vaughan on February 15th.  Their first child, Neil Weston McGinnis, was born about a year later across the Mississippi River in Memphis, Tennessee.   Eula, their second child, was born in August 1886 in Texas.   By July 20, 1888, the McGinnises was in Phoenix, Arizona, where four more children were born to them.

Wilson McGinnis was a very busy architect, surveyor and civil engineer in Phoenix and central-northern Arizona.  He formed a partnership with another architect, Fred Heinlein, and, in 1890, they were the architects for the territorial insane asylum.  He served as Phoenix’s city engineer until February 1893, when he resigned over a disagreement with the City Council.

McGinnis owned an almond orchard in south Phoenix.  In July 1895, the trees were bearing nuts.  He was also interested in growing ramie, a natural fiber.

On June 27, 1896, Fred Heinlein, the architect originally selected for the Normal School in Tempe, was discharged and the position given to McGinnis.  A year later, he received a contract to examine the unfinished boys’ reform school in Flagstaff and design plans to convert it into an insane asylum.  However, the contract was cancelled in August, 1897.

W. A. Mc Ginnis was the Maricopa County surveyor until he suffered a breakdown in 1898.  In June, he was remanded to the asylum he had helped design.  His wife took him back to Tennessee in July in hopes that a change of scenery would benefit him, but to no avail.

McGinnis’s illness left two of his projects unfinished.  Evidently the Board of Control decided that one insane asylum was enough for the Territory.  The reform school in Flagstaff was converted instead into Northern Arizona University.  Architect James Miller Creighton stepped in to finish Old Main at what is now ASU.

McGinnis died on August 2, 1899.  He was buried initially in the AOUW cemetery, Block 18, Lot 3.  His remains and those of his little daughter Etta were later moved to the newly-opened Greenwood Cemetery.

McGinnis had an AOUW life insurance policy which paid $2000 on his demise.  The money was used to pay off the mortgage on his almond orchard in the expectation that it would provide an income for his family.

-  by Tim Kovacs and Donna Carr

Symbols on Grave Markers - Their Hidden Meaning

 

“Symbols whisper what words cannot.”

Ever wonder why some old gravestones are carved with clasped hands, doves, or weeping willows? These aren’t just decorations. They’re messages in stone. Symbols of faith, love, loss, loyalty....there are many meanings to a symbol.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be exploring the hidden language of grave markers. Each one tells a story.

Stay tuned—you’ll never look at a cemetery the same way again!

Photos: PCA Archives

Paul Gutike (1842- 1898) - Architect

 

Arizona weekly journal-miner. [volume], June 15,1892

 https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85032938/1892-06-15/ed-1/seq-6/

Paul O. Gutike was born about 1842 in Berlin, Prussia, supposedly to a good family which afforded him an excellent education. He arrived in New York on October 2, 1862, aboard the ship St. Bernhard, hoping to find work as an architect. However, the Civil War interrupted his career plans.

Scarcely three weeks later, on October 23, 1862, Paul found himself in Company K, 53rd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment (later became the 162nd). He may have been short of funds and enlisted voluntarily, but it’s also possible that he was more or less ‘drafted’.

On December 11, 1865, Gutike reenlisted in the 3rd U. S. Cavalry, being discharged three years later on October 1, 1868, at Fort Sumner, New Mexico. He signed up again at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to serve in Company H, 5th U. S. Infantry, but deserted on May 28, 1870. He was dishonorably discharged December 4, 1870, at Fort Harker, Kansas.

Gutike had many more adventures with the military, some of them not so honorable.  

By 1887, Gutike had found work as a draftsman for James Riely Gordon in San Antonio, Texas. Gordon eventually gained national renown for his Texas courthouse designs.

Gutike’s career as an architect and civil engineer burgeoned in Arizona.  In 1889, Mrs. Vina Brown commissioned him to design some apartments at 4th Avenue and Adams in anticipation of providing quarters for winter visitors coming to Phoenix.  The following year, he designed the plans for the Burke Hotel in Prescott, Arizona.  The Burke was advantageously located on the corner of Montezuma and Gurley Streets and included ground-floor shops along with well-appointed rooms.  (Advertised as the only “fire-proof” hotel in Arizona, the Burke was nevertheless destroyed during Prescott’s Great Fire of 1900.  St. Michael’s Hotel is located on the site today.)

Gutike hadn’t forgotten his years in the military, either.  In 1891, he drew up plans for two new buildings to house troops at Fort Whipple.

Paul became well known in Phoenix, but according to his obituary, had a propensity for drink.  He died in July 21, 1898 of gastritis and was buried in the Rosedale Cemetery.

-by Patty

 

St. Michaels now stands on the corner where the Burke once stood - Val W.

Harvey Reid Leonard (1826-1896) - Civil Engineer and Architect

 

AI Generated Generic Image

An architect and bridge builder, Harvey Reid Leonard spent most of his professional life on the Pacific Coast.  Born in Illinois, he seems to have used the names Harvey and Henry interchangeably, at least at first.  The federal census of 1860 records him as a simply a carpenter in Sacramento, California, where he was living with his wife Amanda and infant son.

Between at least 1860 and 1869, Leonard partnered with other architects who were active in the city at the time.  According to San Francisco city directories, he maintained offices at 432 Montgomery Street and, later, 240 Montgomery Street.

Between 1871 and 1873, Leonard was in Portland, Oregon, with offices located at the corner of 1st and Ash Streets.  While in Portland, he designed an engine roundhouse and a railroad bridge.  By 1882, he was back in California as an employee of the Pacific Bridge Building Company, specializing in railroad bridges.

It appears that, sometime after 1880, Leonard’s wife Amanda died and he remarried.  Perhaps it was not a happy match, as his second wife, E. M. De Lisle, eventually divorced him on grounds that he had deserted her when he moved to Arizona. 

H. R. Leonard relocated to Phoenix about 1890, probably with the intention of retiring.  However, he found ample scope for his talents in the Salt River Valley and continued to work well into old age.  In 1890, he was working with William Hancock to map sites for reservoirs.  He designed a schoolhouse in Mesa in 1890 and one in Tempe in 1891.

Brick was a popular building material in Phoenix, as very little lumber was available locally.  Initially, manufacturers used molds of different sizes.  In January 1893, Leonard joined with several other Valley architects to call for the standardization of brick sizes. 

On May 6, 1893, Leonard undertook a reclamation expedition to see about the feasibility of building a water reservoir for northwest Yuma County.  It must have been an arduous undertaking for a man in or approaching his seventies.

In February 1894, concerns were expressed about the structural soundness of the Phoenix Opera House for an upcoming performance.  Architects Leonard and Petit were appointed to examine the structure.  Leonard ruled that the performance could proceed, but the building should be remodeled with more exits and safety features incorporated.

When H. R. Leonard died on February 2, 1896, of cirrhosis hepatitis at the age of 85, he was buried in City/Loosley Cemetery.  There is no grave marker.

- by Donna Carr

 

Open House! September 27 at 10am!

Join us on September 27th from 10am - 1pm for Open House! Take a self-guided tour, visit Smurthwaite House, walk the grounds, or just talk to us history obsessed.....uh......history buffs!

The Reburial of Darrell Duppa, 1991

 

PCA Archives

Darrell Duppa, the Englishman who named Phoenix, left a legacy as bold as the city itself. But, his story didn’t end with his death. After his death in 1892, and the Daughters of the American Revolution marked his grave in 1910 at Pioneer & Military Memorial Park (PMMP), neglect led to his removal in 1921 to Greenwood Memorial Park.

Almost 100 years later, in 1991, history came full circle. A coalition of groups — the Cities of Phoenix and Tempe, the Masons, Greenwood Memorial Park, Channel 3, the Tempe Historical Society, the Phoenix Museum of History, and the Pioneers’ Cemetery Association — came together to return him to PMMP. His reburial was marked by a horse-drawn funeral procession with mourners in authentic 1890s attire.

Phoenix once again honored the man who gave it its name.

 

Volunteerism in 1800s Phoenix!

 

Photo: Engine Company #1, Phoenix

Arizona Republic, 1949

Volunteerism in 1800s Phoenix

Life in early Phoenix depended on volunteers, men and women stepping up to protect neighbors, build community, and care for those in need. Here are some places you could find Phoenix pioneers giving their time and talents:

1. Phoenix Engine Company No. 1 (volunteer firemen)

2. Aztec Hook & Ladder Company (fire volunteers)

3. Pioneer Hose Company (fire volunteers)

4. Yucatec Hose Company (largely Hispanic fire volunteers)

5. Fraternal Orders: Masons, K of P, IOOF, AOUW, GAR

6. Ladies’ Aid Societies (church charity & fundraising)

7. Rebekahs (Odd Fellows women’s auxiliary)

8. Eastern Star (Masonic women’s auxiliary)

9. Women’s Relief Corps (aiding Civil War veterans & families)

10. Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU – temperance & civic reform)

In the 1800s, volunteerism wasn’t just service. It was survival. From fighting fires to raising money for schools, decorating soldiers’ graves, or organizing reading rooms, Phoenix volunteers laid the foundation of the city we know today.

 

Why Are There Single Graves at PMMP?

 

Restoration of Rev. Emerson's Grave

A Single Grave Near

the Rosedale Fenceline - PCA Archives

When you look at the historic maps of Rosedale and City/Loosley Cemeteries in Pioneer & Military Memorial Park, you’ll notice something unusual: rows of single graves with large plots. But why?

In the late 1800s, cemeteries needed flexibility. Single graves were mapped out and sold for many reasons:

•     Urgent Burials: Epidemics and sudden deaths meant families needed immediate options. In 1884, when burials were moved into City Loosley, some blocks were even divided into single spaces to make room for the large amounts of reburials taking place.
•     Cost-Effective: A single grave was far more affordable than a family plot, making burial possible for working-class families and newcomers.
•     Frontier Populations: Phoenix was a town of transients.  There were miners, railroad workers, and travelers who often didn’t plan on staying long term…but did anyway.
•     Benevolence:  Different organizations bought graves and then donated them to low-income individuals or families. 
•     Efficient Land Use: Cemeteries could manage revenue and space more effectively by laying out single rows, especially along fence lines or open areas.

Some “single” graves are even present in our lots or blocks.  Some people would buy graves from families or individuals who had a plot.  Many undertakers in town bought blocks of graves.  They also used these graves as “holding places”.  Before refrigeration, single graves sometimes served as short-term resting spots until loved ones could be claimed. Some were never moved, and those individuals remain here today.

These are just a few reasons that we know.  In any case, our cemeteries show a city that was adapting to change in an evolving frontier town.

We Are Back on Thursdays from 10am - 1pm!

Come down and visit us on Thursdays!  We are back to our normal hours.  Please email first before you come to ensure availability!  Hope to see you soon!

Alexander Peter Petit (1819 - 1895) - Phoenix Architect (Repost)

 

rosson house, Library of Congress

Alexander Peter Petit was a well-known architect of his time in 1850s California designing theaters such as the National Theater and the New Pacific Theater.  Born in Pennsylvania around 1819 he and wife Catherine arrived in Phoenix about 1878 from California. 

Shortly after his arrival, he designed the Irvine Building on First and Washington Streets, one of the first two story brick buildings in Phoenix.  Petit and his wife moved to Tucson where he designed and built some of the commercial buildings along Congress Street, including the Henry Buehman Photography Studio and Gallery and a school near Military Plaza.  The Arizona Daily Star erected in 1883 is the only remaining evidence of Petit’s work in Tucson.

The Petits returned to Phoenix where in February 1891 Catherine died after a short illness.  She was buried in the IOOF Cemetery at the Pioneer and Military Memorial Park. 

Petit continued his work and his last design was the Rosson House located at 6^th Street and Monroe.  The Rosson House was completed a month before Petit died in March 1895. 

Alexander Petit’s contributions to Arizona have faded over time and one must search for his history.  The Petits’ graves were unmarked for many years in the cemetery making finding the Petits even harder to any historian.  In 2015 the Pioneers’ Cemetery Association, through our Memorial Marker Program, placed two new markers on the Petits’ graves in the I.O.O.F. 

-Donna Carr

Professor Dayton Alonzo Reed (1841-1894) - Principal, Arizona Territorial Normal School

PCA Archives

Dayton Reed was born on 22 Dec 1841 in Millbrook, Wayne County, Ohio.  He was one of seven children born to James Reed and Mary Ann Keister.  Since Dayton’s father was a millwright, young Dayton learned this craft along with farming. 

 After earning his teaching credentials, Dayton moved to Belleville, Ohio where he served as a high school principal from 1866 to 1873.  During that time, his sister Eliza Jane came to keep house for him after her marriage to William Douglass ended in divorce.  She brought with her her young son, Beach.

Dayton had married Sarah Ordway on December 27, 1871 in Richland, Ohio.  However, the marriage seems to have ended with each party going his own way.  By 1880, Sarah was living with her widowed father back in Belleville, Ohio.  Since the census describes Sarah’s father as consumptive, she may have gone there to care for him.  No evidence of divorce has been found, and Sarah did not remarry until after Dayton’s death.

Around 1873, Dayton moved to Los Angeles, California, where he continued to teach for 12 years.  He then moved to Arizona where he became a principal for the Phoenix Public School system in 1885.  He resigned that position in 1887 to enter into the more lucrative real estate and banking business in Phoenix.   

On June 28, 1890, Dayton became the third principal of the Arizona Territorial Normal School (now Arizona State University) where he taught language, mathematics and pedagogy.  During his brief, ten-month tenure as principal, he improved the appearance of the campus by having fencing, trees and plumbing installed.  His salary was $200 a month, a generous sum for the time.

Eventually, Dayton was diagnosed with consumption and was forced to resign his position because of ill health.  A long-time member of the Masons, he was elevated to Grand Master of the Phoenix lodge prior to his death.  He died July 12, 1894 and was buried in the Masons Cemetery (now part of the Phoenix Military and Memorial Park). 

Dayton’s sister, Eliza Jane Douglass, succumbed to cancer on February 3, 1895, and was buried next to him in the Masons Cemetery.

 

- by Patricia 

Labor Day 2025

New York Parage, Labor Day, 1895

Library of Congress

Happy Labor Day Everyone!

 

Caroline Myrick Goodhue: Phoenix’s Ice Cream Pioneer

 

Photographs: Ad - Arizona Republic, 1883 Ice Cream - Library of Congress

In 1883, Caroline Myrick Goodhue made her mark on early Phoenix by purchasing Lots 6, 8, 10, and 12 in Block 31 from the Common Council of the City of Phoenix. This block was located near 4th Street and Jefferson, placing her in the heart of the growing town. Around the same time, she opened her Ice Cream Parlor near 1st Street and Washington, a central location close to both the Arctic Ice Works and the Phoenix Ice Factory, two businesses that were vital to preserving perishables in the desert climate. The proximity of her shop to the ice houses made perfect sense, as ice cream was still a luxury in frontier towns.

An 1883 newspaper article celebrated her return from visiting family in Canada, recalling with fondness the “happy associations in the hearts of our belles and beaux” and how her parlor was known for its tastefully arranged rooms, ice cream, cake, and social gatherings. Mrs. Goodhue’s establishment was more than a business—it was a social hub, offering Phoenix residents and visitors a refined place to gather in the Territory’s rough early days.

Her presence in the business district reflects the entrepreneurial spirit of pioneer women, who contributed to the cultural and social life of Phoenix as much as its economic growth. Through her ice cream parlor, Caroline Goodhue helped bring a touch of sweetness and civility to a frontier community carving its identity in the desert.

Anne Morrison Perley (1865-1932) - A Teacher in Puerto Rico

Pinterest Post Card - 1907

Anne Morrison Perley was born January 28, 1865, in Henry County, Illinois, to Peleg Stone Perley and Nancy Eliza Morrison.  Anne had three siblings:  Bruce, Grace and Harriet (known as Polly).  

Anne came from a family of teachers.  Her grandfather, Nathanial Perley, had been an educator for over 30 years, and her father Peleg was a teacher prior to becoming a lawyer and practicing law in Henry, Illinois.

  Peleg Perley was the postmaster of Henry, Illinois, in the early 1880s.  In 1883, he employed Anne as a postal clerk.   She was attending Washington University’s College of Fine Arts in St. Louis in 1887.

 The Perley family moved to Arizona where Peleg continued his legal career in a milder climate.  Anne travelled to Tombstone to fill the position of assistant principal at Tombstone High School in January, 1892. It was a temporary appointment, and she returned to Phoenix at the end of the school year in June.  Having acquired some administrative experience, she was then hired as the assistant principal for the old Central School at 201 North Central Avenue in Phoenix. 

Anne remained in Phoenix, teaching, until after the death of her parents--her father in 1898 and her mother in 1900.  Thereafter, she went to teach in Bisbee, returning to Phoenix in 1903.  A few years later, Anne departed Arizona for New York and accepted an offer to teach in Puerto Rico.  She arrived there in September 1909 aboard the Steamship Coamo.   The 1910 federal census recorded her as a schoolteacher living in Pueblo Norte, Aibonito. 

Anne may have learned to speak Spanish during her years of teaching in Tombstone, Bisbee and Phoenix.  Acquired by the United States from Spain in 1898, Puerto Rico had a need for bilingual teachers, especially after the Foraker Act of 1901 mandated that English should be the language of instruction in Puerto Rican high schools.

It is not known how long Anne remained in Puerto Rico teaching.  However, by 1920 she was back in Brooklyn, New York, and working as a translator for an export business.  Presumably, she was by then fluent in Spanish. 

Anne was still living in Brooklyn in 1930 when she fell ill and was sent to a private sanitarium in Stamford, Connecticut.  She died there on May 23, 1932.[i]  Her sister Grace arranged for her cremains to be returned to Arizona where she was buried in her parents’ cemetery plot in Porter Cemetery.

 - by Patricia 

The Toilet Parlor: From Discreet Luxury to Modern Beauty Salon

 

Women Believed to be Martha Matilda Harper

Library of Congress

The other day, I was researching a wife of one of the pioneers buried in our cemetery.  I came across an ad in 1897 that she had placed in the newspaper.  She had a business in her home called a "toilet parlor", and of course, I was surprised!

In late 19th-century America, the phrase “toilet parlor” did not refer to a bathroom, but to a discreet and fashionable space for women’s grooming, hairdressing, and beauty treatments. The word “toilet” derived from toilette—the French term for the rituals of dressing and personal care—while “parlor” suggested refinement and privacy.

For much of the 19th century, women’s beauty culture carried a social stigma. Cosmetics were associated with actresses or “painted women,” and many respectable women avoided overt grooming outside the home. A toilet parlor solved this dilemma. By providing a female-centered, parlor-like atmosphere, these establishments offered:

• Privacy: women could have their hair styled or receive treatments away from the male-dominated barber shop.
• Respectability: the word “parlor” softened the act of professional grooming, presenting it as genteel rather than vain.
• Social comfort: toilet parlors often doubled as gathering spots, where women could converse in safe, female-only environments.

One of the most influential figures in legitimizing women’s beauty spaces was Martha Matilda Harper, a Canadian immigrant who opened her first public hair salon in Rochester, New York, in 1888. Harper introduced innovations such as the reclining shampoo chair and emphasized cleanliness, health, and moral uplift alongside beauty. She also pioneered one of the earliest franchise systems, spreading “Harper Method” salons across the U.S. and abroad, helping to transform hairdressing into a respected profession for women.

At the same time, trade publications like The American Hairdresser (founded in 1877 and later renamed American Salon) chronicled the rise of professional beauty culture. These journals helped standardize techniques, advertised new products, and promoted the idea of the beauty parlor as a legitimate business rather than a questionable indulgence.

In practice, a toilet parlor was the forerunner of the modern beauty salon. Inside, women might find:

• Hairdressing and wig services
• Facial massages, skin treatments, and “toilet waters” (light perfumes)
• Manicures and nail buffing
• A parlor furnished with chairs, mirrors, and draped curtains—designed to feel more like a sitting room than a shop

By the 1890s, toilet parlors reflected a broader cultural shift. What once might have branded a woman as frivolous or “wayward” was increasingly recast as a mark of modern refinement and self-care. Thanks to pioneers like Martha Harper and the professionalization of the trade, the toilet parlor laid the foundation for today’s beauty salons.

 - by Val

Mary “Minnie” Perry Bassett (1878-1903) - Schoolteacher

 

PCA Archives

Mary Adeline Perry was born December 21, 1878, in Badger Springs, Arizona to William Henry Perry and Mary Agnes Clark.  William Perry was a rancher whose land later became part of Perry Mesa within the Agua Fria National Monument.   Mary was one of nine children, according to a homestead claim her father filed in 1889.

She and her sisters--Grace, Maud, Agnes and Charlotte “Lottie”—eventually attended Tempe Normal School (now Arizona State University).  Education for women was obviously valued in the Perry household.  Mary graduated in 1899 and became a schoolteacher.  One of her first teaching posts was in Arizola, Arizona.

Mary often visited friends in the Arizola area.  There was known to be a mountain lion in the area which had been taking livestock for some time.  One day, Mary was alone and on foot near the  Bellamy ranch when the lion appeared in her path.  Mary was certain that she was going to be attacked until she suddenly remembered reading about “the power of the human eyes on savage beasts.”  Mary looked the lion right in the eye and it turned and fled.  The lion, when later shot by a hunting party, was found to measure eight feet from nose to tail.

While teaching in Cordes, Arizona, Mary met Joseph Reuben Bassett, a cowboy who was working cattle on a nearby ranch.  They were married in Phoenix on April 17, 1902.

The young couple was living in Safford, Arizona, when on January 24, 1903, they welcomed a son, Walter into their household.   Unfortunately, Mary never recovered from the birth.  She died on February 4, 1903 in Safford, with childbirth listed as the cause.  She was buried in Masons Cemetery in Phoenix.

Although Joseph R. Bassett remarried a few years later, apparently little Walter was raised by his sister and her husband.  Joseph died at the Pioneers’ Home in Prescott, Arizona, in 1957.

Mary’s father, William Henry Perry outlived her by many years.  When he died in 1929, his ashes were scattered over Perry Mesa.

- by Patricia 

 

The Reburial of the Forgotten Pioneers

 

PCA Archives

When Phoenix was incorporated on February of 1881, city leaders were already facing a pressing issue, which was what to do with the town’s first cemetery. Located between Madison and Harrison from 7th Ave to 5th Ave., the cemetery stood in the way of the growing community. 

By 1884, after much political discussion, the graves were moved to a new site between 13th and 15th Avenues and Harrison and Madison. the move was considered done in 1888. Many hoped this would be the end of the matter, but over the years, as the city expanded and new buildings went up on the old burial grounds, human remains continued to be found. In 1935, partial remains were unearthed during construction, and once again, the city moved on.

The story resurfaced in May 2012, when excavation for a new county building revealed more remains. Archaeologists, including Dr. Todd Pitezel from the Arizona State Museum and Mark Hackbarth of Logan Simpson Design, investigated the site. They discovered partial remains belonging to 14 separate individuals, but no complete skeletons. The identities of these pioneers will never be known.

The Pioneer Cemetery Association stepped in, determined to ensure the remains would find a proper final resting place at Pioneer & Military Memorial Park (PMMP). PCA had a spot picked out that they had painstaking researched.  After months of waiting, the call finally came — the remains would be coming home!

In the quiet early hours of June 11, 2013, without public fanfare, the 14 individuals were reburied in the Loosley Cemetery, Block 8 Lot 8. Respecting a request from involved agencies, no public notice was given until after the reburial was complete.

Today, the burial spot marked with a grave marker honor these forgotten Phoenix residents. 

Pictures by Logan Simpson

Maude Ball (1864-1899) - Teaching Instructor

PCA Archives - AOUW

Maude was born June 21, 1864, in Marshall, Michigan, to Dr. Alexander Rawson Ball and Delilah née Weld.  She was the youngest of their ten children.  Maude’s father was a well-regarded homeopathic physician until his death at the age of 79 in 1902.  Her sister Hannah became a homeopath like her father and sister Fannie trained as a teacher.

By 1880, the Ball family was living in Mason, Shiawassee County, Michigan.  Maude herself graduated with a teaching degree in 1882 and eventually became an educator of teachers at Michigan State Normal School (now Eastern Michigan University) for several years. She then transferred to Whitewater Normal School (now University of Wisconsin--Whitewater) around 1897and served as secretary of the teachers' association.

Maude’s sister Delilah had married George Homer Jones in 1874.  On December 12, 1898, he died suddenly at the home of his mother in Michigan.  By September 1899, Maude was suffering from tubercular laryngitis, so her widowed sister Delilah accompanied her to Phoenix, Arizona Territory.

Like so many others who came to Phoenix during that time, Maude had been hoping that she would recover in the warm Arizona climate.  However, she died on December 26, 1899, at the home of her sister Delilah in Phoenix.

- by Patricia