11th Arizona Territorial Legislature

Session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature (1881) February 2026 January 2025 11th January 3, 1881 12 Murat Masterson 24 J. F. Knapp 10th 12th The 11th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which convened on January 3, 1881, in Prescott, Arizona Territory.McClintock 1916 371Goff 1978 57 Background Since assuming office, Governor John C. Frémont had been mostly absent from his duties. The governor had left for Washington, D.C., on February 28, 1879, to lobby the territory's case in a dispute over the boundaries of the Gila River Indian Reservation. The trip was expected to take five or six weeks to complete. Frémont had not returned to the territory till August 1879.Goff 1978 78–79 The governor had again left the territory on March 18, 1880.Goff 1978 79 He did not return to Prescott till January 5, 1881.Goff 1978 80 In response to these prolonged periods with no resident territorial governor, Territorial Delegate John G. Campbell said "So far we cannot tell what sort of Governor he will make as he has spent most of his time in the East."Wagoner 1970 174 While he was away, the non-partisan alliance that had controlled Arizona Territory during the McCormick and Safford administrations broke down. This allowed the territory's Democratic Party to organize an effective opposition to the Republican governor.Goff 1978 80 The other signification change was the size of the legislature, which had been expanded to twelve members in the upper house and twenty-four members in the lower house.McClintock 1916 333 Legislative session The legislative session began on January 3, 1881. Governor's address Governor Frémont's address to the session focused upon economic development. To this end he called for Federal aid in building water storage systems within the territory and increased trade with Mexico.Goff 1978 80 To encourage additional capital investment in the territory's mines, the governor requested removal of all taxes levied on mining products.Wagoner 1970 174 On other issues, Frémont recommended divorces be handled by the courts.Wagoner 1970 174 The regular address was followed on February 21, 1881, by a special message. In the message, Governor Frémont called for a 100-man force to be organized to fight banditry along and near the border with Mexico.Wagoner 1970 175 Legislation The most important, and contentious action of the session was the creation of three new counties: Cochise, Gila, Graham.Wagoner 1970 175 Of these, Cochise County generated the most objections. Creation of the county was opposed by interests in Tucson due to the diversion of tax income from their city to the new county seat. Tombstone had however managed to elect a disproportional level of representation to the session and was able to overcome the objections.McClintock 1916 333 The new county's name also generated opposition as Representative Sharp of Maricopa County objected to the county being named for Cochise due to the "depredation and murderous attacks of that bloodthirsty savage."Wagoner 1970 176 The towns of Phoenix, Prescott, and Tombstone were incorporated. A variety of bond issues were additionally authorized to fund construction of courthouses, jails, and other government buildings throughout the territory.Wagoner 1970 175 Acting upon the governor's recommendation, the territorial bullion tax on mined products was repealed.Wagoner 1970 175 Frémont's request for a special force to fight crime along border with Mexico was refused.Wagoner 1970 175 The previous session's creation of a territorial lottery was repealed,Wagoner 1970 173 and gambling by minors prohibited.Wagoner 1970 175 Members House of RepresentativesWagoner 1970 515NameDistrictNameDistrictJerome B. BartonApacheDonald RobbPinalPeter J. BolanMaricopaJ. K. RodgersPimaGeorge E. BrownYavapaiJohn RomanPimaAndrew J. DoranPinalMariano G. SamaniegoPimaThomas DunbarPimaNathaniel SharpMaricopaE. B. GiffordPimaE. H. SmithPimaJohn HaynesPimaM. S. SnyderPimaJ. F. Knapp (Speaker)YumaDavid SouthwickMohaveM. K. LurtyPimaR. B. SteadmanYavapaiJohn McCaffertyPimaH. M. WoodsPimaJohn McCormackMaricopaLouis WollenbergYavapaiGeorge W. NortonYumaG. R. YorkApache CouncilWagoner 1970 515NameDistrictJ. W. Anderson PinalAlbert C. BakerMaricopaSolomon Barth ApacheA. CornwallMohaveJohn W. DorringtonYumaB. A. Fickas PimaBenjamin H. HerefordPimaMurat Masterson (President)YavapaiWilliam K. MeadePimaH. G. RollinsPimaGeorge H. StevensPimaR. S. ThomasMaricopa References 2 Goff John S. Arizona Territorial Officials Volume II: The Governors 1863–1912 Black Mountain Press Cave Creek, Arizona 1978 5100411 McClintock James H. James H. McClintock Arizona, Prehistoric, Aboriginal, Pioneer, Modern Vol. II S. J. Clarke Chicago 1916 https://books.google.com/books?id=xEQOAAAAIAAJ Wagoner Jay J. Arizona Territory 1863–1912: A Political history University of Arizona Press Tucson 1970 0816501769 registration https://archive.org/details/arizonaterritory00wago Further reading Arizona Territory Acts, Resolutions and Memorials Adopted by the Eleventh Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Arizona https://books.google.com/books?id=0Zw3AAAAIAAJ 1881 Arizona Miner Prescott 17671568 11 11 Category:1881 in Arizona Territory Territorial Legislature