Dr. Alfred H. Graham (1824-1895) - Physician and Civil War Veteran

 

PCA Archives

Alfred Hamilton Graham was born about 1824 in Beattie’s Ford, Lincoln County, North Carolina, to John Davidson Graham and his first wife, Ann Elizabeth Connor. 

Ann Elizabeth died in 1836 after bearing fourteen children. John Davidson Graham remarried but died in 1847. The federal census of 1850 shows Alfred living with his step-mother, Jane Elizabeth Johnston Graham, and three half-siblings. 

In 1853, Graham enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania. Two years later, he received his medical degree. From 1856 to 1857, he was an assistant surgeon at Blockley Hospital, Philadelphia.

It is not known exactly when or why Graham came to be in Texas. However, by 1860 he was accompanying George Wythe Baylor’s Rangers as a field surgeon while the Rangers patrolled the western frontier of Texas to protect settlers from the Comanches.  

Graham was in Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas, when he married Mary Louise Mason on March 20, 1861. Their first son, Charles, was born in February of the following year.

On March 15, 1862, Graham joined the Confederate Army, enlisting in Company F, 18th Texas Cavalry (Darnell’s Regiment) as ‘acting surgeon’.  His unit was already fighting in the eastern United States as part of the Army of Tennessee when Vicksburg fell in July, 1863.

As the war ground on, recordkeeping in the Confederate Army became rather spotty.  No discharge papers for Graham have been found; however, owing to the fact that Graham’s wife gave birth to a daughter, Mary, on May 31, 1864, it seems likely that Graham was back home in Texas by September, 1863. The Grahams had two more sons in 1865 and 1868.

After the War, Graham resumed his medical practice and also purchased land in Williamson County.  An amateur archaeologist, he excavated and identified some cretaceous-period fossils and sent them to his alma mater in 1874.  He is also said to have written and published a number of accounts and articles about his Civil War experiences.

By 1880, Graham and his wife had also added three more children—Maggie, Mary Louise and James—to the family.  Graham continued to practice medicine in Bagdad and Lampasas, Texas, until about 1890.

Graham was in Phoenix when he died pneumonia on May 3, 1895.  He may have gone there in 1894 for his health.  There is some disagreement over whether he died of consumption, pneumonia, heart failure--or all three.  He was buried in Porter Cemetery under the auspices of the Odd Fellows, the Masons and the Ex-Confederate Association.

Graham’s widow Mary was still living in Houston, Texas in 1919.  She died in Williamson County in September, 1923.

A Graham family photo from 1881 is in the archives of the Pioneers’ Cemetery Association, Inc.

- by Donna L. Carr

 

Great Times at the PMMP on Memorial Day - 2025

PCA Archives

Thank You for a Meaningful Memorial Day at PMMP

A heartfelt thank you to The Brothers of Picacho Peak Camp 1, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War for leading our powerful Flag Raising ceremony on Memorial Day. Your continued commitment to honoring those who served is deeply appreciated.

We are also grateful to all the volunteers who placed flags on the graves, set up the Smurthwaite House, and helped prepare the grounds to welcome our guests with dignity and care.

And thank you to everyone who joined us to observe Memorial Day in such a special place. Among our visitors were King Woolsey’s great-granddaughter and great-great-great granddaughters, who paid their respects at his gravesite in Loosley Cemetery, a truly touching moment of family legacy and remembrance.

You can see the opening speaker for the Flag Ceremony here: https://tinyurl.com/ycx7pmyf

Gettysburg Address and The Unknown Dead poem here: https://tinyurl.com/mry4s2zy

Let us continue to honor the past as we preserve it for the future.

Meet Bob, an Amazing Volunteer for PCA!

Meet Bob, One of Our Volunteers!

"Some 20-25 years ago I began noticing during sporadic trips downtown an old cemetery, a lifelong "magnet" for me. At the time I was a professional in that business, successfully working for a large Metro-wide funeral and cemetery company. It wasn't long before I was telling myself, "When you retire you must get involved with that old cemetery!", 

knowing nothing about it nor who was buried, there. My journey toward retirement kept stretching out but my curiosity about the old cemetery intensified. When I found myself voluntarily working part-time, after leaving funeral & cemetery employment, it was time to find out what was going on, down there at 13th Ave. and Jefferson Street. 

 Strangely, I no longer recall my earliest exposure to PMMP and PCA, though I became "hooked" and was soon driving there most Thursday mornings. Being a "hobby historian" and loving my new (arrived in '93) Phoenix home, I became enthralled with the stories emanating from those graves and the living, breathing activities of such venerable PCA members as Marge West, Diane Sumrall and several others. Studying, learning, knowing all I could became my passion of those days. 

 It wasn't long before PCA members noticed my interest and attendance, which of course led to being recruited as for assigned PCA tasks and, soon, as a Board member. Elected Secretary, my responsibilities intensified. No easy task getting those Minutes written accurately though "the new guy on the block". Some "bumps in the road" (would "sunken graves" be a better cliche?) but overall, satisfaction and annual reelection for several years. Recent years, a sort of "PCA semi-retirement", find me on the Tuesday work crew with such venerable volunteers as Lamm, Foster, O'Neil and Jackson, an enjoyable crew of cemeterians. You know: trash control, rock aligning and other "janitorial " tasks.

 Giving a little money from time to time to the Grave Marker Preservation Committee" keeps me in good stead" with that truly professional PCA volunteer committee, too. Personal and family retirement activities keep me off that committee so a bit of "greenery" helps out.  

Maintaining the stories of and resting places of Phoenix and Arizona pioneers is a worthy and mighty important venture. I thank Pioneers' Cemetery Association for the ongoing opportunity to help."

Want to be a member?  Find out about membership and join us at this link!  PCA Membership

 

Memorial Day Celebration 2025 - Thank You All for Coming!

🌟We had a great Memorial Day at Pioneer & Military Memorial Park. We hope you did too!🌟

Thank you to everyone who joined us to honor those who served! We appreciate all of our guests and volunteers! ❤️💙 Here are a few highlights from the event, with more to come soon, so stay tuned!

Let’s keep preserving the stories, the legacy, and the memories. 🌿

 

L. D. Davis (1847-1899) - "Little Yankee Devil"

 

Bing AI

L. D. Davis was born about 1847, possibly in New York state.  Although his mother was originally from Maine, she married a Kentuckian and raised her son in the Bluegrass state. 

When the Civil War broke out, the Davis family split along sectional lines.  Davis's mother returned to Maine while his father joined the Confederacy.

Having been raised in Kentucky, young Davis's sympathies lay with the South although in speech and manner, he appeared to be thoroughly Northern. This made him invaluable to the Confederacy as a scout and spy. 

Davis too joined the Confederate army and served under General John Hunt Morgan, where he earned his soubriquet, "the Little Yankee Devil".  At fifteen or sixteen, not only was he a fresh-faced youth, he may also have been small in stature.  He could infiltrate Union camps, hire on to care for the officers’ horses and pass unnoticed while gathering information about troop movements.  He was with Morgan on the latter's ill-fated 1863 raid into Indiana and Ohio and, by his account, was the only Rebel soldier to avoid capture.

After the war, L. D. continued to do what he did best—work with horses.  He was much sought after by the racing set as a horse trainer and driver.  Acquaintances described him as being of a quiet disposition, not speaking much about his background or family.  In recent years, researchers have tried without success to pin down his identity; General Morgan’s command included several L. Davises about whom little is known.  His name might have been L. R., Lewis or Luther.

L. D. is believed to have moved to Phoenix around 1895, possibly for his health.   The November 15, 1895, issue of the Arizona Republican newspaper shows a man by that name registered as a guest at the Commercial Hotel.  Thereafter, Davis found employment locally as a horse trainer.

Davis died of tuberculosis on August 27, 1899, in his lodgings at 229 North Center Street.  Since he had no known family, his funeral was a quiet affair.  He was buried in Rosedale Cemetery, exact location unknown.

Note:  the term "Little Yankee Devil" usually refers to Johnny Clem, a Union drummer boy at the Battle of Shiloh and Chickamauga.  However, it could have been applied to Davis as well.

- by Donna L. Carr

 

 

Memorial Day! Come Celebrate with Us - 9am - 12pm

Memorial Day, 1988 at Pioneer and Military Memorial Park

🌟Join Us This Memorial Day🌟

The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War will hold a flag-raising ceremony at 9:00 am this Monday at Pioneer & Military Memorial Park in honor of Memorial Day.

Whether you're passionate about history or simply want to pay your respects, we invite you to stop by.

The cemetery will be open from 9am - 12pm for quiet reflection and self-guided tours. Let’s honor the memory of those who served, both past and present.

📍 1317 W. Jefferson St., Phoenix, AZ

📅 Monday, May 26th • Flag Raising at 9:00 AM

By the way, the picture above is a "throwback" from Memorial Day at the cemetery in 1988!

Volunteer Spotlight! - Diane and Marge

 

Arizona Republic, 2002

🌟 Volunteer Spotlight: Honoring Diane & Marge 🌟

Today, we remember two incredible women who helped lay the foundation for so much of what we do at the Pioneer & Military Memorial Park.

Marge spent countless hours researching and transcribing old cemetery records. She visited archives, dug through historical files, and helped preserve the stories of those buried here so they would never be forgotten.

Diane was a true visionary. She led the Inventory of Historic Cemeteries with the support of SHPO and compiled the first burial list still used by the Pioneers’ Cemetery Association today.

Though both women have passed on, their work lives on in every stone we preserve, every name we speak, and every tour we give.

💐 Thank you, Diane and Marge, for your passion, dedication, and love for this work.

William Lindsey George (1832-1897) - Farmer and Contractor

 

PCA Archive

William Lindsey George was born April 29, 1832, in Shelby County, Kentucky, to James Whitefield George and Frances Booker, farmers.  The Georges had a total of eleven children.

Shelby County was not far from Louisville—and the Ohio River.  Many of Kentucky’s agricultural products were floated down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers on flatboats to New Orleans.  So, after faraway Texas became a state, the Georges moved there, settling in Guadalupe around 1854.

William married Eliza LeGette in about 1858 and they soon had an infant son, James.  The federal census of 1860 records the family farming in New Braunfels, Comal County, Texas.  William’s parents and younger siblings lived on a ranch not far away.

After the outbreak of the Civil War, William waited until March 26, 1862, when he enlisted in Seguin, Texas.  He was assigned to Company K, 8th Texas Infantry, CSA, later under the command of Colonel Ireland.  The 8th Texas Infantry served in East Texas throughout the war, so William was able to visit his family occasionally.  His wife Eliza gave birth to son Henry in September, 1862, and to William Jr. in March 1864.  At the end of the war, William was discharged with the rank of captain.

Big events were taking place on the Great Plains, as the Transcontinental Railroad pushed westward.  By 1870, the entire George family had moved to Kansas City, where they worked as cattle traders.  William even became (briefly) the president of a Kansas City bank.

In 1886, the Georges moved to Arizona, where William ran a freighting business and became involved in building railroads, canals and reservoirs.  He was one of the contractors who built the Gila Bend canal and the Agua Fria reservoir.

As a prominent businessman, William maintained a keen interest in local politics and was several times asked to run for office.  In 1888, he yielded to voters’ entreaties but bowed out rather than stoop to the kind of unethical behavior needed to get elected.  Thereafter, he was elected to the County Board of Supervisors strictly on his merits.

In August 1897, William experienced a couple of angina attacks.  Although the attacks passed, his doctor advised him to send for his wife, who was in California.  She arrived in Phoenix just five hours before William died early in the morning of August 20th. 

The funeral sermon was preached by Rev. W. E. Vaughan of the Methodist Episcopal church.  A modest man, William had previously requested that there be no empty eulogies, but his friends and business associates attested to his honesty and moral uprightness.   He was buried near his brother James Benjamin in Porter Cemetery, Block 41, space B. 

by Donna L. Carr 

Meet David! Our Military Historian and Volunteer for PCA!

PCA Archives

Volunteer Spotlight: David

Meet David, one of our incredible volunteers at the Pioneers' Cemetery Association who works tirelessly to honor the veterans buried at Pioneer and Military Memorial Park!

David has spent countless hours researching the military histories and personal stories of the veterans in our care. Thanks to his dedication, our records are filled with the service details and sacrifices of those who served!

He doesn’t stop there! David has also worked with partner organizations to ensure that many of our veterans, and others as well, have receive the proper military headstones they deserve. His research expertise is unmatched, and his commitment ensures that no story is forgotten!

Help us celebrate David’s remarkable work by leaving a in the comments!

 

Memorial Day Open House! - May 26 from 9-12!

 

Just a reminder! Come to the Pioneer and Military Memorial Park for our Memorial Day Open House! You can honor the veteran in your life and visit our veterans at the park. The grounds are open for reflection and self-guided tours. See the flyer above.

Sgt. James C. Traynor (1840 - 1882) - Unknown Burial Site

 

BingAI

A Soldier Remembered: Sgt. James C. Traynor

On a December evening in 1882, tragedy struck at the Salt River crossing near Phoenix. Sgt. James C. Traynor, a veteran of the U.S. Army and the Civil War, lost his life while trying to board a moving wagon. The wagon's wheel passed over him, and death was instant. He was just 42 years old.

That night, his body lay alone in a tent near the city cemetery. At the time, the Phoenix City Cemetery was located between Jackson and Madison and 5th and 7th Ave. James was guarded by steady footsteps of a sentinel.

A military burial was held the next afternoon, with full honors and a volley of farewell from his fellow soldiers. Today, his exact resting place is unknown. He was most likely reburied when the cemetery was moved, but due to the lack of surviving records, we can’t say for sure.

Though we may not know where he lies, we honor the life he gave in service. May he never be forgotten.

James Belton Braswell (1835 - 1898) - Served Under Both Flags

 

Library of Congress

James Belton Braswell is believed to have been born 7 September 1835, in South Carolina.  He received training as a brickmason and later worked as a building contractor.

 When the Civil War broke out, he enlisted initially as a private in Company B, 26th Alabama Infantry (O’Neal’s Regiment), but in August 1862 he and his brother W. D. deserted.  They were captured by the Union Army at Camp Davies, Mississippi, on 28 December 1863.  Five months later, on 31 May 1864, they took a loyalty oath and served out the war in the U. S. Army.

 Braswell’s own account was much more colorful.  As he was wont to relate in his later years, he and a comrade named R. A. Crowley were fighting in Georgia when they deserted for the first time.  They were soon captured by their Confederate fellows.  The South being by then desperate for soldiers, the pair were not executed but were allowed to return.  After they made two more attempts to desert, the commanding officer ordered them to be shot at sunrise.

 As the condemned men sat in the guardhouse that night, Braswell persuaded Crowley to make one last break for it.  This time they were successful.  Before morning they reached a dense swamp and made their way to Sherman’s lines, where they surrendered.

 James Braswell married his first wife, Mary Jane DuBose in Indiana in 1863.  After the war, Braswell’s skills as a brickmason were undoubtedly in demand as new settlements sprang up out west.  By 1870, the Braswells were living in Elk City, Kansas, and were the parents of three children.

 The Braswells’ next home was in Missouri, where three more children were born.  Braswell’s wife Mary is presumed to have died around 1877 since, in 1878, Braswell married Virginia-born Sarah Elizabeth Hughes in Texas County, Missouri.  They soon had another three children of their own.  Around 1884, the Braswells moved to Arizona. Their last five children were born in Phoenix.

When Braswell expired on 13 January 1898, bottles of laudanum and paregoric were found in his pockets.  Thinking that he might have committed suicide, Justice Johnstone ordered an inquest.  The cause of death was cleared up when Mrs. Braswell testified that he habitually carried them to relieve a persistent ear ache. 

Braswell was initially buried in the section of Porter Cemetery reserved for Union veterans of the Civil War.  However, it was soon discovered that Mr. Braswell was “seated in the wrong pew”, so a few days later his coffin was taken up and reburied in the Confederate section of Porter.

-Profile by Sue Wilcox

 

Meet Kim! Our Volunteer of Many Hats, and She Does Them All Well!

 

PCA Archives

Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Kim!

Kim wears many hats for the Pioneers' Cemetery Association:

She cleans and cares for the Smurthwaite House

She opens the house for visitors and volunteers every Thursday

She even acts as our unofficial nightwatchman, responding when the alarm company calls (luckily, we don't get that too often)

Kim has been part of PCA since 2012, bringing her love of Phoenix history everywhere she goes. She was invited to serve on the PCA board thanks to her longtime ties to the First Families of Arizona and the Phoenix Museum of History.

Proudly, Kim is also a third-generation Phoenician, a native who has always been passionate and curious about the city’s past.

We are so grateful for her dedication, spirit, and quick response times!

Help us celebrate Kim! Drop a in the comments to thank her for everything she does!

Make a Mother's Day Gift - Thank You for Coming!

 

🌸 We had a wonderful time at our "Make a Gift for Mother's Day" event on May 4th! 🌸

Guests created heartfelt gifts, enjoyed delicious treats at the historic Smurthwaite House, and entered a raffle for amazing prizes, all while supporting grave marker preservation at Pioneer and Military Memorial Park.

Thank you to everyone who came and to our incredible volunteers for making this day so special! 💐✨

C. J. Dyer Story - with Steve Schumacher, Phoenix Official Historian

 

🎥✨ Join us for a very special moment in Phoenix history!
We're thrilled to have Steve Schumacher, #phoenix_official_historian, for the Phoenix Mayor's Office, narrating a brand-new video about C.J. Dyer, one of Phoenix’s early mayors. C. J. Dyer is buried in Rosedale Cemetery at the Pioneer and Military Memorial Park! For years, no one knew what C.J. Dyer even looked like... until a long-lost photo finally surfaced!

Script and video was done by our treasurer, Val.

🎬 Watch the video and step back in time with us!
#PhoenixHistory #HistoricDiscovery #PreservingThePast

https://youtu.be/MSjbjQc9PA8

A Rare Glimpse: Early Chinese Mason Funeral in 1880s Phoenix

 

By Patty -  Loosley Looking West

PCA Archives - Loosley Looking South

Back in the 1880s, Phoenix was still a dusty, growing frontier town. People from all over the world were building lives here, including a small Chinese community that brought its own rich traditions. One story we came across recently gives us a rare glimpse into that time: the early recorded Chinese Masonic funeral in Phoenix.

The funeral was for a former cook from the mining town of Seymour, Arizona, who had passed away from tuberculosis. His friends honored him with traditional Chinese funeral customs.  This consisted of incense burning, white mourning clothes, and even a hired mourner to wail in sorrow. The Phoenix Brass Band led a procession through the streets, and firecrackers popped in the air to scare away evil spirits.

It must have been an amazing sight for the people of Phoenix, many of whom had never seen anything like it before.

Sadly, while tradition called for the soul to return to China, frontier realities were different. Based on the timing, it’s very likely he was buried in Phoenix’s original town cemetery and remained there. When that cemetery was moved to what is now the Pioneer and Military Memorial Park, unclaimed graves were moved into a mass grave at Loosley Cemetery.

Today, we don’t know exactly where that mass grave is. It's one of many pieces of history that have been lost to time.  We hope he was sent back to China.  We just don't know.  

Still, stories like this remind us that Phoenix’s history has always been a rich tapestry of cultures, traditions, and untold journeys. Every life mattered and remembering them keeps their spirit alive.

Note - Chee Kung Tong (致公堂) were referred to as the Chinese Freemasons in Phoenix

Historical Source:
The Phoenix Herald (Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona Territory), August 13, 1880.

(Note: Some terminology and descriptions in the original article reflect the prejudices of the era.)

-Want to help us uncover more stories and preserve Phoenix’s earliest cemeteries?
www.azhistcemeteries.org

Damage to Loosley Cemetery Sign - Thank You Acacia Custom Metal Work

 

By Patty - Before

By Patty - After

We had some damage occur to our Loosley Cemetery arch a while ago. Thankfully Acacia Custom Metal Work took the arch down and repaired. Acacia was the company that created our beautiful archways back in 2006. Glad they are still in business doing great work.