JOHN H. BURGER
History of Arizona, 1896

John H. Burger, now an honored and much respected resident of 
Phoenix, Arizona was one of the pioneers of that territory and 
many and varied have been the experiences he has undergone.

He was born in Smithburg, Washington County, Maryland, February 
13, 1830; son of David and Leah (Ricksecker) Burger, natives of 
Maryland.  The Burgers, for the most part, have been farmers and 
distillers and the Rickseckers confectioners. In addition to his 
duties as an agriculturist David Burger was also a contractor and 
joiner, and followed his trade in Richland County, Ohio, for a 
number of years, his boys working the farm.  John H. Burger, one 
of thirteen children, six sons and seven daughters, remained in 
his native village until ten years old and then went with his 
parents to Richland County where his spare moments were spent 
in assisting on the farm and in attending the common schools.  
He learned the carpenters' and joiners' trade of his father, 
followed this until 1848 and then went to Iowa City, Iowa, where 
he learned the millwright trade.  After working at this for 
about a year and a half he went to Crawfordsville, Iowa, and 
was engaged in carpentering for two years. 

He left that state in 1853 and with a train of twenty seven wagons 
crossed the plains to California and worked at his trade in 
Sacramento and Marysville for one summer. Later he began mining 
on Park's Bar, on Feather River, but worked for other people but 
a short time, when he began prospecting for himself, following 
mining on his own account until 1858.  He met with good success 
but at the time of the gold excitement in British Columbia, in 
the last named year, he went there and was one of the pioneer 
miners of that section.  They were obliged to carry all their 
utensils, etc. over one hundred miles.

Mr. Burger remained in British Columbia for five years and met 
with unusual success.  From there he went to San Francisco and 
later mined on Owen's River, Inyo County, California, until the 
fall of 1864 when he went to Prescott, Arizona, where he began 
making pickets, shingles, etc. up in the pine timber.  This did 
not pay him and he began prospecting.  About this time he heard 
of the Vulture Mine which was then just opening up, and he went 
there and found work in putting up stamps for the purpose of 
crushing ore.  These were run by horse power.  He put up the 
first stamp for the Vulture Mine.  Later he went to Bully 
Bueno Mine but not being suited he made his way from there to 
Placer City, near Walnut Grove, where he opened several mines, 
none of which paid.  After this he gave up mining and went to 
Walnut Grove, where he engaged in ranching for three years.  He 
put in his grain with a gun strapped to his plow and his pistol 
in his belt, but the Indians would come into the field while he 
was at one end and steal the seed which had been left at the 
other end. 

Leaving that ranch he went to what is now known as Antelope Valley 
and opened up land and had about twenty acres ready for planting 
when his provisions got low.  He started with another man to 
Wickenburg for a fresh supply and on the way they were attacked 
by Indians.  His companion was killed at the first shot, and 
although Mr. Burger fought with all the energy of despair the 
Indians seized his gun from him and shot him through the thigh 
and fired four balls into his side, one of which he carries at 
the present time.  He managed to evade them and succeeded in 
reaching some rocks, where he was in comparative safety. He 
killed two Indians and crippled another, which caused them to 
fall back and gave him a chance to hide.  The Indians kept 
shooting at him at long range, but he was finally rescued by 
a party of white men and carried to the nearest cabin, four 
miles away.  Eight months elapsed before he had recovered 
sufficiently to try to work again.  

He never returned to his ranch, but went to the Vulture Mine and 
hired out as a carpenter, remaining there for some time.  He was 
promoted to a mining boss, a position he held until the mine
broke up, when he worked at wagon making at Wickenburg until 
February 1873.  He then came to Phoenix and has made his home 
here since.  For a number of years he worked at blacksmithing 
and wagon making but now has his shops rented and has been 
engaged in mining and ranching for several years past.  He is 
interested in several mines on Humbug Creek, some of which are 
now being worked on a small scale, but prospects are good.  Mr. 
Burger is interested in eleven claims, all of which are very 
promising.  He also owns considerable property in Phoenix, and 
is in very comfortable circumstances indeed.  Mr. Burger has 
had many thrilling experiences with the Indians in the early 
days of the territory and once, in an encounter with them, 
was left on the ground for dead.

Mr. Burger was married first in Crawfordsville, Iowa, in 1850 to 
Miss Martha Riley and they had one child, Levi, who resides in 
Salt River Valley.  Mr. Burger's second marriage occurred in 
1874 to Miss Elizabeth Morrell, by whom he has had five children, 
three now living--John H., twenty years old; Elizabeth, now 
sixteen and Vera aged sixteen months.

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