John F. Crampton Arizona, The Youngest State, 1913, pg 450 John F. Crampton, the first white child to come into the Salt River Valley was for many years a force in the mining development of Arizona and is today one of the substantial and representative citizens of Globe. He was born in California, December 1, 1856, and is a son of John V. and Matilda J. Crampton, the former a native of Ireland who came to American when he was a young man. The mother was born in South Carolina and crossed the plains to California in 1850. The marriage occurred in the following year. The father was extensively engaged in saw milling and logging in the San Bernardino mountains until his death in 1856. To this union were born three children: Mrs. Mary Fitzgerald of San Francisco, California; John F. of this review; and Sarah J., the widow of C.H. Kenyon and a resident of Globe. She and her husband were the first white people to be married within the corporate limits of the city of Phoenix, Rev. J.T. Alsap officiating at the ceremony. After the death of her first husband the mother married James A. Moore, who remained in California until 1866 and then brought the family to Arizona. He was one of the pioneers of this state, settling at McDowell, where he operated the Settlers' store until 1869. In that year he sold out his interests to the firm of Hellings and Grub and purchased the Maricopa Wells stage line from San Diego to Tucson, conducting the latter until 1878 when the railroad was completed. He was at that time already interested in a series of mines near Globe and when obliged to abandon his other business took up the active work of their development, carrying it forward until 1881 when he went to the Silver King Mine where he remained for one year. Failing health necessitated his removal to California at the end of that time and he died in San Francisco in 1882. In the early days in San Bernardino County he conducted a large butcher shop and served as sheriff. John F. Compton remained in California until 1866 and was ten years of age when the family came to Arizona, he being the first white child to enter the Salt River Valley. He remained with his stepfather until 1879 assisting him in the conduct of the Settlers' store at McDowell and in the development of his other enterprises, and he then came to Globe where he has since resided, being now one of the oldest living settlers in point of continuous residence. He made his home here before the surveys were made and helped to locate the town and lay out the town site. Since that time he has been a force to its progress, reform and advancement. In company with his mother he conducted a hotel for some time but in January 1882 turned over the property to her, after which he gave his attention to mining and smelting, ranching and cattle raising. He is in control of what is known as the Red Bluff Claims, a group of fourteen claims, located ten miles southeast of Globe. On the 14th of February 1882, Mr. Crampton married Miss Rosella Snelling, a native of Indiana and a daughter of Amos Snelling, who was wounded during the Civil War and died later from the effects of his injury. Her mother is still living and makes her home in Globe. Mr. and Mrs. Crampton are the parents of four children: John William, who was born in 1883 and is the head engineer in the Old Dominion Mines; Rovilla, the wife of Joe Crowley, connected with a well known news company; Alfred, who died in infancy; and Evelyn May who married Fred Barrett. USGenWeb Project NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format for profit, nor for commercial presentation by any other organization. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than as stated above, must obtain express written permission from the author, or the submitter and from the listed USGenWeb Project archivist.