Ethel M. Kent (1884-1901) - Twice Unlucky

 

PCA Archives

Ethel M. Kent was born August 1884 in Socorro County, New Mexico.  Her parents were Alexander John Kent and Abigail Dudley.  She had two older sisters and a brother.  Alexander Kent was a quartz miner, and the family moved to Phoenix sometime after Ethel’s birth.

In 1900, when Ethel was sixteen years old, she was stricken with some kind of neurological disorder (possible seizures) resulting from pressure on the brain.  Her doctors feared that it might be a brain tumor and decided to relieve the pressure by removing a 2-inch section of her skull, a procedure known as trepanning. 

The delicate surgery was performed on July 20th by Dr. J. W. Thomas, assisted by three other physicians.  For days thereafter, Ethel lay in a coma, and traffic outside her home was rerouted so that she could have absolute quiet.  To everyone’s amazement, she made a full recovery and was once again able to resume normal activities, the hole in her skull covered by a silver plate.

Frontier towns such as Phoenix had many saloons, where men frequently overindulged in strong drink.  Like many young ladies of the time, Ethel belonged to the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (W.C.T.U)., which advocated abstinence from alcohol.

A year later, Ethel’s health was still a cause for concern, and she was unable to tolerate the summer heat in Phoenix.  For that reason, the family sought relief in July, 1901, by going on a camping trip to Mr. Kent’s mining site in Yavapai County.

A young man at the campsite, Bert Ohmerty, had carelessly left his loaded hunting rifle propped up against a rock.  Apparently, Ethel stumbled against it and it discharged, blowing away half of her foot.  The nearest medical help being in Congress, Arizona, she was bundled into a wagon for the three-hour journey. However, the incessant jolting, pain and loss of blood proved to be too much, and Ethel expired the next morning.  Her body was returned to Phoenix for burial in Masons Cemetery.

Bert Ohmerty, the man whose gun had injured Ethel, was plagued by guilt over her death.  He committed suicide just a week later.

 - by Debe Branning

 

 

Frederick J. O’Hara (1875 - 1901) - Member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles

 

PCA Archives

Fred J. O’Hara was born on July 3, 1875, in Kent County, Michigan.  He was the son of Sarah J. Lamoreaux and her second husband, Bryan O’Hara.  Bryan O’Hara was from Ireland  

From at least 1874 to 1887, the O’Haras lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Bryan worked as a cabinet-maker.  Sarah divorced Bryan in 1885, claiming that he was a drunkard and failed to support her and the children.  On December 7, 1887, Bryan O'Hara died as a result of injuries received during a saloon fight in Evansville, Indiana.

Sarah and her two children moved west to Tacoma, Washington, after Bryan’s death.   Fred may have become a touring musician, as his comings and goings from Tacoma were occasionally noted in the newspapers.  Apparently, his banjo was briefly stolen—but recovered—in 1895.

He soon joined the Eagles, a fraternal organization formed in 1898 in Seattle which drew its membership from among those in the performing arts. 

Suffering from an unspecified illness, Fred had moved to Phoenix, Arizona, by 1901.  He died of peritonitis at Sisters’ Hospital on November 1, 1901, and was buried in Porter Cemetery by the local chapter of the Eagles, Aeyrie 178.  The Eagles also provided his grave marker.

- by Donna Carr

 

 

The Lost Children of the Norris Family - Masons Cemetery

"Days Events" Arizona Republic, May 1901

In a quiet section of Masons Cemetery, a small grave marks the short life of Baby Adelade Norris. Born on May 12, 1901, she passed away the very next day. She was one of several children born to Walter and Garnet Norris, but tragically, she was not the only child they lost.

Beside her, in a single grave, rest three of her siblings:

🕊️ Walter Lum Jr. (d. 1906, 2 months old)

🕊️ Thelma (d. 1907, 3 years old)

🕊️ Lucille (d. 1909, 1 year old)

At one time, round boulders marked these siblings’ resting places, a simple but heartfelt tribute. Over the years, those markers disappeared, but the memories of these children remain. PCA has a marker near their graves to keep their memory alive. 

The Norris family had deep roots in the area. Baby Adelade and her siblings were the great-grandchildren of James MacKenzie Norris and Jane Odom, who are buried next to the little ones. Through marriage, the family was also connected to Columbus Gray, another familiar name in local history.

Losing one child was devastating, losing four is almost unimaginable. In the early 1900s, illnesses we can now prevent were often fatal for young children. Tuberculosis, typhoid, scarlet fever, and other diseases often took Lives of the young and old alike.

A full biography of the Norris family is in the works, and we look forward to sharing more of their story soon. Until then, we remember Baby Adelade, Lucille, Thelma, and Walter Lum Jr., four little lives, gone too soon but never forgotten.

Hayden Burial Map Late 1930s 

Lot 1 of Block 24 in Masons Cemetery

PCA Marker for Norris Children

PCA Archives

 

#4 John “Sailor Jack” Twentyman, 1824-1901 An English Seaman in Arizona

 

Microsoft Stock Image

John Twentyman was born England in September, 1823.  In his youth, he had been a sailor, landing in California just as the Gold Rush was beginning.  Thereafter, he engaged in mining, ranching and driving a stagecoach.  He was said to have discovered the Sailor Jack mine in Oregon.

Around 1876 he came to Phoenix, where he was employed by ranchers such as W. W. Cook, the Alkire brothers and Jack Miller.  During the 1890s, he appears to have moved to Prescott for a couple of years, for he registered to vote there.

In early November, 1900, Sailor Jack, then aged 76, was assaulted and robbed by two gunmen who held up Goddard’s Station on the Black Canyon road.  This incident seems to have weighed upon his mind and he decided to move into a room in Phoenix.  Jack was said to have been a kind-hearted soul; although he had no known relatives, he had many friends and acquaintances with whom to pass the time of day.

With advancing age came ill health.  Despondent, Sailor Jack committed suicide on December 27, 1901.  While at the Anheuser Saloon in Phoenix, he slipped out back for a moment to ingest a lethal dose of strychnine.  He then reentered the saloon and sat calmly until a single convulsion signaled his demise.  According to the coroner, a bottle of strychnine was found in his pocket but no money, although he was known to have had some the day before.  Possibly he had given it away.

Mr. Twentyman was buried in Rosedale Cemetery, Block 12, Grave 6.

-by Donna Carr

Dr. Joshua A. Miller Jr. (1846-1901) - Superintendent of the Insane Asylum

 

Bing AI Generated

Joshua Abston Miller, Jr., was born in Macon County, Missouri, on May 5, 1846.  His parents were Joshua A. Miller, Sr., and Nancy Jane Turner. 

Joshua attended high school on the other side of the Missouri River in Brownville, Nebraska, with the intention of becoming a physician.  Under the tutelage of Dr. William Arnold, he applied for and was admitted to the University of Michigan medical school in 1868. 

While a medical student in Michigan, Miller met and married Mary Crampton on September 21, 1869.  Upon graduation in 1872, Miller opened a practice in Michigan.

In 1879, Miller traveled to New York to gain additional experience at Belleview Hospital.  He then moved his family to Kansas City in 1882, where he helped establish a medical school at the University of Kansas City.   He was for six years the head of orthopedic surgery there.

Perhaps the deaths of two of their young children had strained Joshua’s and Mary’s marriage to the breaking point.  At any rate, she does not appear to have accompanied Miller when he moved to Prescott, Arizona, in 1888.  On December 16, 1890, Miller married his second wife, Minnie Hume, in Prescott.

In 1892, Gov. N. O. Murphy appointed Miller superintendent of the territorial insane asylum in Phoenix.  When Miller assumed his position, there were 87 inmates, some of whom had originally been sent to asylums in California.  Having them back in Phoenix made it possible for family members to visit and see that they were properly cared for. It appears that Miller took his responsibilities seriously.  He had the asylum grounds landscaped with trees and walkways.  His wife Minnie, who was a nurse, served as matron.

In 1898, Gov. Murphy again appointed Dr. Miller to take over management of the insane asylum from outgoing superintendent Dr. Hamblin.  This time, there were 177 patients. 

 One of Miller’s accomplishments was to help found the Maricopa County Medical Society so that the 12 to 14 medical practitioners in the Salt River Valley could meet regularly to discuss new developments in their profession.

Scientific curiosity led to Miller’s interest in prehistoric societies of the American Southwest.  In 1895, he was elected president of the Arizona Antiquarian Society and in 1901 he conducted the first excavation of Pueblo Grande, a prehistoric site east of Phoenix. 

Dr. Miller was on his way to New Mexico on Saturday, July 19, 1901, to observe the annual Hopi snake dance at Walpi when he fell ill and had to get off the train at Flagstaff.   Taken to a hospital there, he was diagnosed with pneumonia.  He died on the evening of July 22nd.  His body was returned to Phoenix for burial in Rosedale Cemetery.

by Donna L. Carr

 

Flowers in Memoriam (1901-1916) - Booklets on Designs

\

Library of Congress

Flowers In Memoriam

Library of Congress, 

Designs and Arrangments in Flowers

A catalogue of different memorial wreaths that could be made or purchased.  Many of them are symbols you might have seen on graves at the time:  columns, broken crescents, anchors, and many others.  Click on the link to see the whole book from the Library of Congress. 
 

Old Time Songs and Ballads of Ireland (1901) - The Siege of Ennis

 

Monaghan Men's Irish Dancing Class and their Partners

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

The Irish Dancing Masters went around Ireland between 1700 - 1800s revitalized Irish dances and songs.  One famous Irish dance was the Siege of Ennis.  Here is a version of it below.  Try it out!

The Siege of Ennis

Formation:

Dancers form in lines of four, facing another line of four, all holding hands, so you have two lines facing each other. This setup is repeated throughout the room.

The Dance

Advance and Retire (twice):

All dancers advance towards the opposite line (four steps forward), clap hands, and then retire back to their original positions (four steps back).

Repeat this advance and retire movement once more.

Swing (Right Hand in Right Hand):

Dancers face their partner, take right hands (or a two-hand hold), and swing around in place for eight counts.

Advance and Retire (once) with the Opposite Line:

After swinging, dancers face the next line of four (moving to the right of their original position) and advance and retire once with this new line.

Swing (Left Hand in Left Hand) with New Partner:

Dancers now swing their new partner (the person they advanced and retired with) using left hands (or a two-hand hold) for eight counts.

House Around:

Each set of four dancers join hands in a circle and move around to the left for eight counts, then switch directions and move to the right for another eight counts.

Repeat:

The dance repeats, with dancers moving to the next new line of four to their right after each cycle, allowing everyone to dance with different partners throughout the song.

 

To learn some great traditional songs and ballads from Ireland,

 click on the image below!

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

John McCarty (1855 - 1901) - Arizona Game and Fish Commissioner

 

PCA Archives - John McCarty

On June 6, 1901 John McCarty set off from his remote camp near Clear Creek on Arizona’s Mogollon Rim to hunt for some rare pigeons and four dozen tassel-eared squirrels. He was never seen alive again. A few months later a body was discovered and identified as McCarty’s, but was it really his?

Little is known about McCarty’s past. Census records suggest that he was born around 1855 in Scott, Virginia, to James and Mary McCarty.  At any rate, he was in Arizona when he began to advertise as a professional hunter around 1890.

For the next ten years, newspapers related his adventures as he roamed the Territory, hunting bears, mountain lions and other livestock predators.  He also collected rare animal specimens for museums and universities.  Because of his extensive knowledge of the territory and its wildlife, he was appointed Fish and Game Commissioner in the fall of 1898.

On April 15, 1900, he married Lillie S. Sparks, then aged sixteen.  McCarty left his young wife, pregnant with their first child, with her grandparents when he set off on his last hunting trip a little over a year later.  Shortly before he departed, he had taken out six separate life insurance policies that totaled $27,000, nearly $750,000 in today’s currency.

 When McCarty did not return from his hunting trip on the Mogollon Rim east of Pine, his partner, J. K. Day, went to search the area.  Week after week, the search turned up nothing. Finally, on August 19, a body was found.  Near it lay McCarty’s shotgun with a burst barrel.  It was surmised that McCarty had been stalking a bear.  Apparently, the barrel of the gun had burst when he fired, likely disabling him and leaving him at the mercy of the angry bear.

The body was taken to Flagstaff, where an inquest ruled McCarty’s death accidental. His associates had his body transported to Phoenix for burial in the Masonic Cemetery.  Find out more at the PMMP!

-story shortened, by Donna Carr

 

#11 - Theodore Holland (1901-1901) - A Quick Life of Twins

 

PCA Archives

Theodore Holland was one of a set of twin boys born to Joe Holland and his wife, Yit Sen, in Mesa, Arizona, on November 27, 1901. The Hollands, who were Chinese, already had four children, including a set of twin girls.  Unfortunately, the newborns did not thrive, and Theodore died on December 18, 1901. He and his twin brother Harold were buried in Rosedale Cemetery.

Public School Law of Arizona - 1901

Click Here to Read the Text and See the Reference

An interesting read...

We can see that some things have changed, and some have remained the same..,...