Maricopa County AZ Archives Biographies.....Monihon, James D. 1836 - living in 1896
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 1, 2005, 8:19 pm

Author: McFarland & Poole

p. 447-449

  COL. JAMES D. MONIHON. Phoenix, Arizona, may well be proud of the amount of
brains and energy possessed by her representative business men, among whom few,
if any, have a higher standing for character and enterprise than Col. James D.
Monihon. He is one of the pioneers of this section and has been a leader in
every enterprise that tended to improve or develop the Territory. Colonel
Monihon is a native of Oneida County, New York, born in 1836, but when two years
old was taken to St. Lawrence County, that state, by his parents, and there grew
to manhood. His early boyhood was passed in working on the farm and in attending
the common schools, and one year of his time was spent in a dairy, making butter
and cheese at a salary of ten dollars per month. An attack of the "Gold Fever"
caused him to leave his native state in 1854 and he made the trip to California
via the Isthmus. From that date until 1861 he followed mining, working placer
claims. He worked quite extensively at Rowland's Flats, Sierra County.
California, and was also president and superintendent of the Orahm Hill Tunnel
under High Mountain, three miles from Table Rock, on Cold Canon side of the
mountain. When the Civil Wrar broke out he joined Company F, 1st California
Infantry, and was all through the fray. The regiment came down through Arizona
and New Mexico, and while the detachment was camped at Maricopa, a party
including Colonel Monihon came over to visit the Salt River Valley. It did not
occur to them at that time that this valley could ever come to what it has, but
after they visited the Rio Grande, they wondered why this valley could not be
developed as well. Colonel Monihon commanded the detachment to fire a salute at
Tucson, July 4, 1862, he being chief of the Howitzer detachment at the time. He
left Tucson July 10, 1862, for the Rio Grande, and on the 14th of the same month
they were attacked at Apache Pass by the noted Apache chief, Cochise, and his
warriors, numbering between four and five hundred. There were sixty-four in the
detachment when they advanced. The sick, wounded, guards of supplies and
ammunition left but thirty-two in the engagement. They fought from mid-day until
sundown without water, after making a forced march from Dragoon Springs, a
distance of forty-five miles, leaving there the evening before at five o'clock.
The Indians reported to the clerk of the Indian reservation a number of years
afterward that they lost on that day seventy-seven warriors. Cochise was wounded
in the first part of the fight. In the engagement two men were killed, both shot
in the center of the forehead, and two wounded. Colonel Monihon was three times
shot through the clothes; his face and clothing were full of lead from
spattering on the gun. They were stationed at Messalia, New Mexico, two months,
and then the company was removed from there to Fort Craig, where they remained
for one year, under command of Major Riggs, of the 1st California Infantry.
While there Colonel Monihon was superintendent of breastworks under Captain
Anderson, nephew of Captain Anderson, the hero of Fort Sumter. From there they
were ordered to Fort Wingate, New Mexico, over what is known as the Whipple
route. They were camped at Chino Valley for some time and afterwards established
Fort Whipple, Colonel Monihon being made provo-sergeant of Whipple and Prescott,
in which capacity he served until discharged. Since then he has been engaged in
mining and the livery business. While in Prescott he carried the United States
mail from Prescott to Bullybueno, and had many thrilling experiences with
Indians, and while in and around Prescott he helped to bury forty-six men that
were killed by them. When he became tired of mining he settled down in the Salt
River Valley, where he arrived with six dollars, two pounds of tobacco and a
gun. He put up the second house in Phoenix, and planted the first cottomvood
tree. After earning some money he built a livery barn where the Monihon building
now stands, and conducted the business for ten years. He then went East with his
family and remained there six years. He built the Monihon block, the finest
edifice in Arizona, in 1889. In 1874 Colonel Monihon became a member of the
board of supervisors. In 1881 he was nominated for mayor but was defeated by
seven votes, in a strong Democratic section. A year later he was a member of the
common council and in 1889 he was made chairman of the Board of Directors of the
Insane Asylum. In the year 1891 he was again put up for mayor but was defeated,
but in a race for that office again in 1893 he was elected by a handsome
majority. In May, 1896, he was again elected mayor and now holds that office.
Colonel Monihon has served in all the prominent positions in the county and is a
popular man with the masses. He is vice-president of the Trotting Association;
has been starter and judge on the track in fifty races without a murmur, and
takes a great deal of interest in racing. During his boyhood he often rode in
races. Col. Monihon was married on the 15th of March, 1877, to Miss Josie C.
Linville, a native of Santa Rosa, California. They have one daughter, Rebecca
Ann, named in honor of her grandmother. The colonel is a Mason, a member of the
Blue Lodge, Chapter No. 2, at Phoenix, and has been high priest and grand scribe
of the Grand Chapter; and grand marshal of the Grand Lodge three terms; also
marshal of the Phoenix Lodge three terms. He also belongs to the Grand Army
Post—J. W. Owens Post No. 5, and has been commander. He was a delegate to the
national convention, Grand Encampment in 1889, at Boston and was post sergeant
for two terms. The Colonel owns an interest in the Agua Fria Water and Land
Company, and eighty acres one and a quarter miles from the city limits. While
serving as mayor Col. Monihon, in his remarks at the completion of the Santa Fe,
Prescott & Phoenix Railroad said: "We are here today to meet D. B. Robinson,
vice-president of the Great A. T. and Santa Fe Railway system—Sir, it is my
pleasant privilege and honor in behalf of the citizens of Phoenix to extend to
you a most cordial greeting. Recognizing in you one of the original promoters of
the Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix Railway, we cordially welcome you to our
capital city, in this the sun-kissed land, which we hope soon to be able to call
the State of Arizona. I now, in behalf of the citizens of Phoenix present you
with this" (small gold key) "small token of their friendship and assure you that
your name shall ever be dear to their hearts." On the completion of the road
from the North to Phoenix he said: "Well has it been said that this is an age of
progress. In 1854 when I first left my home in St. Lawrence County, New York,
for the golden shores of California, there were no railroads west of the
Missouri River. People who then desired to reach the city at the Golden Gate
were obliged to suffer the hardships of a voyage from New York by the way of
Panama, or go overland and subject themselves to the ravages of the Indians. I
chose the former and until 1861 spent the time in California. Little did I think
when I first spread my blankets on the dreary sands of this glorious valley in
May, 1862, that within a quarter of a century there would be a city of 10,000
inhabitants holding a grand jubilee over the advent of its second railroad. When
the Southern Pacific was completed to Maricopa in 1869 we then thought we had
obtained something wonderful and when the Maricopa & Phoenix was completed in
1887 and we were enabled to step onto the cars right here, we were amazed. But
we are here today to welcome the completion of a road which gives us a through
line to the city by the great lakes, the head of navigation of the great water
way of the world. We welcome the iron horse to the land of sunshine, the home of
the fig, the apricot, the orange, the pear, the peach and the pomegranate. In
behalf of the citizens of Phoenix it is my privilege and honor to welcome all of
you to this grand celebration given in honor of the completion of the North and
South road. Friends of the Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix Railway, I welcome you.
I congratulate the officers of this great enterprise on their success in pushing
to completion a proposition of such magnitude as this, through all the fiery
ordeals of the hard times under which the country has been suffering. Again in
behalf of the city council and the good people of Phoenix I cordially welcome
you."


Additional Comments:
From:

A Historical and Biographical Record of the Territory of Arizona
Published by
McFarland & Poole, Chicago, 1896

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