Genealogy Trails

Maricopa County, Arizona
Biographies



SHERMAN, MOSES H.
Moses H. Sherman , railroad builder and banker, Los Angeles, Cal., was born in West Rupert, Bennington County, Vt., Dec. 3, 1853, of sturdy New England stock which dates back far into the colonial days in America and originally came from England. He married in 1885, Harriet E. Pratt, daughter of R. H. Pratt, one of the distinguished builders of the Central Pacific Railway. They have three children, Robert, Hazeltine and Lucy Sherman.

He graduated from the Oswego (N. Y.) Normal SchooL Then, long before he was out of his teens, he taught district school in New York State, leaving before he was twenty to go to Los Angeles.

He did not stay long in Los Angeles, but went into the sparsely settled territory of Arizona, to the then remote mining town of Prescott. There he continued his calling of teaching until 1876, when he first came to public notice.

Although only twenty-three, he impressed Governor A. F. K. Stafford of Arizona as the suitable man to represent Arizona at the Philadelphia Exposition or World's Fair in 1876, the first of the series of America's great world displays. His duties kept him at Philadelphia the one summer, after which he started on his return to the Pacific Coast. He took back with him his sister, now the wife of the Hon. E. P. Clark, of Los Angeles. They started the journey by way of the 1sthmus of Panama, taking a Pacific Mail steamship at New York. While in the Windward passage, near the island of Cuba, the steamer was wrecked. For three days the disabled vessel was kept afloat, drifting helplessly about, when finally the passengers and crew were rescued by a steamer running from South America to LiverpooL After various vicissitudes the two reached Los Angeles in safety.

Upon the return of young Sherman to Arizona, Governor John C. Fremont of Arizona appointed him Superintendent of Public lnstruction for the Territory. Arizona had at the time of his accession to office practically no public school system, but he created and organized one so complete that even the most isolated communities could enjoy the benefits of education, a remarkable situation in the West of those early days. When his appointive term was over the office became elective. He was nominated on the Republican ticket and was elected by a large majority. Arizona was strongly Democratic at the time, and he had the added distinction of being the only Republican to be elected to office. During this term the Legislature asked him to rewrite the school laws of Arizona. His draft was adopted unanimously without change, and remains the school law of Arizona to this day, after more than thirty years.

Still less than thirty years of age, he was a conspicuous public figure in Arizona at the expiration of his second term as school superintendent. He was then immediately appointed Adjutant General of the Territory by Governor F. A. Tritle. He found the National Guard situation as he had found that of the public schools. There was no organization and everything had to be done from the beginning. He was reappolnted Adjutant General by Governor C. Meyer Zulic, and during this term of office he put the National Guard on a solid basis.

While he was yet a public official he began the foundation of his business career. 1n 1884, at the age of thirty-one, he started the Valley Bank of Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona. He was its first president. This bank has now the largest resources of any in the State. He remained actively interested in its affairs, which prospered, until 1889, when he happened to make a visit to Los Angeles.

There he discovered a new opportunity. Los Angeles was then just well started on its career of great growth. A syndicate of Chicago men had just completed a costly cable tramway system. The cable system was frequently paralyzed by the winter rains, which washed sand into the cable slots, causing delay for days at a time. General Sherman knew that in a couple of the Eastern cities electric street railway systems had been successfully started. 1t occurred to him that the failure of the cable system left an opening for the electric. He acted at once on the idea, enlisted his brother- in-law, E. P. Clark, raised capital, secured a franchise, and built the first tracks of the Los Angeles Railway. General Sherman was the President of the system and Mr. Clark vice president and general manager. Soon thereafter the electric system absorbed the cable railway.

The success of the first electric venture was such that the Los Angeles and Pasadena Electric Railway was organized and built to Pasadena and Altadena by Goneml Sherman and Mr. Clark. Later this property, as well as the Los Angeles railway system, was sold to H. E. Huntington.

The next venture in the electric railway field was the construction by the brothers-in-law of the Los Angeles Pacific Railway to Hollywood, Soldiers' Home, Santa Monica, Ocean Park, Redondo and other points. They covered with a close network all the territory between Los Angeles and the Santa Monica bay beaches. They sold this system to the late E. H. Harriman, not long before his death, for a very large sum of money.

Mr. Sherman and Mr. Clark were the pioneer electric railway builders of the Pacific Coast, and have the credit of building the greatest interurban system in the world. The systems, now consolidated, all of which they started, make Los Angeles an interurban center greater than any half dozen cities in America combined. Mr. Sherman is still a director in all the "Harriman" electric railways in Southern California.

He did not confine his railroad construction to Los Angeles. As early as 1884 he Ouilt the Phoenix Railway. This line he still owns. He extended it in 1910 to Glendale, Arizona, to connect with the Santa Fe system.

He is a stockholder in the Farmers and Merchants' National Bank and the Southern Trust Company of Los Angeles, and has very extensive oil interests. He is a director in many companies and is one of the large property owners of California and Arizona.

He is a member of the California Club, the Jonathan Club, Country Club, Bolsa Chica Gun Club and others of Los Angeles, and of the Chamber of Commerce. He is also a member of the Bohemian Club of San Francisco.

 Source: Being the Portraits and Biographies of Progressive Men of the Southwest ... Published by The Los Angeles Examiner, 1912
Francis M. Mognett
1842-1918
Francis Mognett
"Frank" Mognett. as he was generally called, was born near Kingston, Missouri, on April 27. 1812. In 1852. the family made the long trek by ox teams to Oregon, driving with them a herd of high grade Shorthorns.
In 1868, young Frank established a cattle ranch in eastern Oregon with his brother. Jackson, and two years later married Sarah Wilson.
Hearing reports of vast unstocked ranges in Arizona, the Mognetts sold out in Oregon in 1876. and with their families and 375 good cattle drove the long overland trail to Arizona.
During the drive they had a few of their cattle run off by Indians, and warded off several attacks, but arrived safely in Prescott late in the year.
Here the herd was held for a time until a desirable range could be located. Finally it was decided to locate on Turkey Creek, about forty miles south of Prescott, and the cattle were located there and a homestead taken up and suitable buildings erected.
The Bowers, Townsends. Wrights and several other families were already established east and south of Prescott. and a stage and freight line ran from Phoenix to Prescott. There was. however, plenty of open range, so that in the ensuing years the cattle spread out and multiplied until at one time the Mognetts ran around 7,000 cattle ranging from north of Phoenix to Crown King, in the K I K (Kik) brand.
As success came to the Mognetts. they bought property in and adjoining Phoenix and built homes there and owned considerable business property.
The great drought of 1896-1904 caused the Mognetts to sell many of their cattle at $9.00 head. In 1807, they sold the remnant to Marshall and Jimmy Young and retired to Phoenix where Frank died February 10.
1918. His wife survived until March 22, 1933.
The children of Frank Mognett living today are a son, Martin in Florence, and daughters; Mrs. Rosie Rahn, Phoenix; Mrs. Ida Nesbitt, Mrs. Anne Zenn and Mrs. Sarah Holder, of California.

Source: Pioneers and Well Know Cattlemen of Arizona by Roscoe G. Willson volume 2
Albert H. Stout. Sr. 1885-
Albert Stout

Albert Stout. Sr., born in Tucson, January 28, 1885, probably has run cattle on the Lower Gila River for a longer continuous period than any other cowman in the area.
Stout's father was a pioneer who came to Tombstone in 1879. Shortly after the Southern Pacific was constructed across the Territory in 1880, the father became a locomotive engineer on the railroad, with headquarters at the new town of Gila Item! (the old Gila Mend stage station lay eight miles to the north on the river).
While at Gila Rend the father homesteaded on the Gila in the early '80s. Here young Albert grew up and, after attending school in Gila Bend and Tucson, took charge of the ranch and cattle in 1899. At the time the Stouts used the S T brand, which was later changed to S Bar T.
In those days. Stout recalls, there was a great deal of cattle stealing on the range, some by the Mexicans and Indians, but mostly by unscrupulous Americans.
Many fights and several killings resulted from this thieving. Stout relates an incident in which Harry Wheeler, at that time a Territorial Ranger, bought a horse from a ranger named Martin for $75.
Wheeler became dissatisfied with it and attempted to force the return of his money at the point of a gun. Martin swore out a warrant for Wheeler and at the trial Judge Jimmy Coil made Martin return the $75 and then fined Wheeler that amount for threatening Martin with a gun.
In the great drought of 1897-1905. Stout lost 50% of the 1,000 cattle he was ranging, but later built up the loss.
On May 1, 1906, Stout married Frankie Fogal of Tempe and, in 1907, they moved from the ranch to Gila Bend. Here Stout acquired a good deal of property and in 1916 built the Stout Hotel, enlarging and modernising it in 1926."
Stout's riding days are over, and son Albert. Jr., now manages the ranch.

Source: Pioneers and Well Know Cattlemen of Arizona by Roscoe G. Willson volume 2
AVERSCH, JOHN A. 
(Go John), born in Pennsylvania, about 1837, of Italian [German] parents but passed his boyhood in New York City crossed the plains to the Nevada silver mines on the Comstock lode, where he made some money; enrolled at age 23 in Virginia City, Nevada territory, October 8 and mustered into service at Camp Union, Sacramento, California, November 14, 1861, to serve 3 years as Private, Company H, 5th California Infantry; occupation when enlisted, Miner; went with the Company by sea to San Diego, California, and was stationed there during February and March, 18621 marched via Camp Wright to Fort Luma
where he served as hospital attendant from May to October, 1862; left with the Company for Tucson in January and reported sick in hospital there in February, 1863 placed under arrest in Tucson, April 29, and marched with the Company to Las Cruces on the Rio Grande and thence to Franklin (EL Paso), Texas, arriving In June deserted from confinement at Franklin, Texas, July 29, 1863, and fled to Mexico where he joined the French and Mexican troops supporting the government of the Emperor Maximilian in Sonora after the defeat of the French invaders his life was saved by General Rafael Argueleo of the Mexican Amy who gave him asylum in his home in, Guymas and whose servants concealed him in a large clothes basket when Mexican soldiers came searching for him.

In Sonora Avers learned to speak the Spanish language fluently; he was married by a priest to an Opata Indian named Regina Trujillo (1843-1902) at .Basarac, in the District of Montezuma; she was a widow with two sons, Rosario and Inocente, and three daughters, Josef A, Ciracie and Crus; they had no other children he came with his family from Sonora to the Salt Valley and is listed there In the U. S. Census of 1870 as a farmer, age 33 in his "Phoenix Manuscript" James M. Barney tells of him as follows:
AVERSCH, JOHN A

When the Hancock-Monihon building on the east side of First Avenue, a short distance south of Washington Street, was about completed—and which was to serve as the first real County Court-House—the Board of Supervisors finally decided that it was necessary to construct some kind of a jail for the safe and proper confinement of prisoners.

The plans and specifications for the proposed jail to be erected at the rear of the new adobe building, which was to serve as the County Court-House, were gotten up by Captain William A, Hancock.   The contract for its construction was awarded at the Supervisors meeting of October 11,1871—to John Averach, known by his comrades as "Go-John", who appeared to be the only bidder. His bid was for $1,000.00 which was accepted—with the understanding that the original specifications were to be changed to read as follows: There shall be one chimney, and the lockup and hall shall be plastered and white-washed,  and an additional sum of two hundred dollars shall be paid, making in all twelve hundred dollars—1/3 to be paid in warrants when the walls are completed and the roof on.

Mr. Averach carried out Me contract as per agreement and thus became the builder of Maricopa County's a first jail.

By his contemporaries in the Salt River Valley, Averach was known as "Go-John", a title he acquired by virtue of the following incident, as told by the late Martin M. Elders: To the north of Cotten's place—across the alley where the Noble Building now stands—was one of the first buildings put up in Phoenix—a large adobe structure which was turned into the first dance-hall in Phoenix. It was conducted by John Aversch, who was known to everybody as "Go-John"

Aversch's wife was a native of Mexico, of very dark complexion, and spoke the English language rather imperfectly, her vocabulary being quite limited. One evening while Aversch and his spouse were driving in a small buggy along a country road, the former alighted and entered a watermelon patch that was handy, to pick a few watermelons for his own personal use. The wife remained seated in the buggy and seeing, in the distance, someone approaching the melon patch where her husband was busy selecting watermelons that were ripe she started shouting—" Go, John, Go John, "—as a warning of approaching danger;
John told the story of his adventure to his friends and from that day on John Aversch was known, far and near, by the so Briguet of "Go-John"."

At one time he operated the Half-Way House and ranch on the Tempe road; was variously engaged as a miner, freighter, trader, tobacco grower and lastly as a track gardener; died at his home two miles west of Tempe, Maricopa County, October 27, 1904; buried in the old Williams Cemetery, on the Tempe road, near the present site of the Tovrea packing plant,


SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Great Register of Maricopa County, A.T., 1881-98.
Parish, T.E. - History of Arizona, Phoenix, 1918, p. 151.
The adjutant General of the Amy - Military service records.
Orton, R.H, - Records of California Man in the War of the Rebellion, Sacramento, 1890, p. 710.
Barnay, J.M. Phoenix Manuscript
The Arizona Republican. Phoenix, January 3, 1903 and October 29, 1904.
The Tempe News, November 4, 1904

Louis Pinkey Cole       1861-1926

Louis Pinkney Cole or “Pink” as everyone called him, was born on his father’s cattle ranch near Sam Saba, TX. On Dec. 24, 1861, in 1865, the family moved to California, on to Oregon for a time, and back to California again. After a short stay in California, they crossed the desert to Globe, Arizona, in 1881

At Globe “Pink” helped his father in the livery stable and feed business until 1885, when he went to Payson and cowboyed for Houston Brothers. Then in 1889, “Pink” made a deal to run George Gates’ cattle on shares, on the Rye and Deer Creek range.

1893 was an important year in the life of “Pink” Cole, since it was then that he acquired both a wife and a cow outfit. He bought out Gates at Gisela, and established his own Bar T.Bar brand. He then married Dora Stewart of Payson. Since there was no minister in that isolated place, they were married by Justice of the Peace Elmo Pyle on Jan. 10,1893.

For a time, the Coles lived on the ranch at Gisela, but when the children came, they bought a 20 acre ranch in Tempe and moved there.

In the late ‘90’s, a prolonged drought struck Arizona. Everybody lost many cattle, even though they cut cottonwood and willow trees so that the cattle could feed on the leaves. The drought finally broke in the winter of 1904, and as “Pink” expressed it, “the snow fell so deep it came clear up to Bills Colcord’s pockets,” And Bill is a tall man.

In 1915, after 30 years on the Tonto range, “Pink” sold out to Johnny & Charles Chilson, and retired to Tempe. He passed away in that city on July 26,1926.

Surviving Louis Pinkney Cole are his widow, Mrs. Cole, of Tempe;
4 daughters, Mrs. Ney Miles, of Miami, Arizona, Mrs. Kelley Moore of Young, Arizona, Mrs. Joseph Refsnes of Phoenix, and Mrs. J.B. Riddle, who lives in Indiana, and 2 sons, William of Tempe, and Ben of Miami.

Source: Pioneers and Well Know Cattlemen of Arizona by Roscoe G. Willson volume 2



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