Maricopa County AZ Archives Biographies.....Brill, F. L. 1832 - living in 1896
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 6, 2005, 5:14 pm

Author: McFarland & Poole

p. 502-503

  F. L. BRILL. The career of the gentleman whose name stands at the head of this
sketch is but another evidence of what can be accomplished by those of- foreign
birth who seek a home and fortune on the free soil of America. He possesses the
push, energy and enterprise for which his countrymen are noted, and as a natural
consequence he has been successful in the accumulation of means, and has won a
reputation for honesty and fair dealing that is in every respect justly merited.
Mr. Brill was born in Prussia, Germany, December, 1832, to the marriage of Henry
and Vina Brill, both of whom were natives of the old country, where they passed
their entire lives. The father was a prominent manufacturer. Of the four
children born to this worthy couple three besides our subject survive at the
present time—Emerick, Mina and Magna. F. L. Brill grew to manhood in Bilstein,
Prussia, attended the public schools of that place, and subsequently took a
collegiate course at Lipstadt, where he graduated when about eighteen years old.
In 1849 he left the parental roof and took passage on a vessel bound for the
United States, where he expected to make his fortune. After a stormy voyage of
several weeks' duration he landed in New Orleans, and amid strange faces and new
surroundings he began the battle of life. He could speak but little English, and
as he had but a few hundred dollars he thought it best to learn a trade. For six
months he was actively engaged in learning the cigar makers trade in New Orleans
and then went to San Antonio, Tex., where he started a cigar factory of his own.
This he conducted very successfully for two years and then left that city with
about $2,000 as a result of his enterprise. In 1852 he was seized with the gold
fever and with others made his way to California, going by way of the Isthmus,
and landed at San Juan, where he was seized with a different kind of fever—the
yellow fever, or Panama fever— which caused him to embark for San Francisco as
soon as possible. The fever broke out on board the vessel and our subject did
not recover from the effects of it for seven months. He remained but a short
time in San Francisco and then went to the southern mines of California,
Mariposa County, where he was engaged in placer mining and where he kept a
boarding-house for about eighteen months. Not meeting with the success he had
anticipated, he abandoned his business there and went to San Diego, where he
first embarked in merchandise, but subsequently was engaged in stock raising. He
took up land and carried on the cattle business in San Diego for ten years, and
while in that city held the office of city trustee and supervisor for one term.
He was also deputy sheriff for one year. In the spring of 1865 he came to
Arizona, having the government contract to supply the posts with beef, and
brought with him the first drove of cattle. Through the influence of his partner
he acquired an interest in the Vulture gold mine, which had been discovered but
a short time before. He took up a ranch on the Hassayampa River, three miles
south of Wickenburg, then a thriving settlement, and set out an orchard there,
which was the first on record in Arizona. He could raise all kinds of fruit, but
made a specialty of apples. The Indians were so thievish and hostile that he
could keep no stock and so gave his entire attention to fruit for about fifteen
years. At the same time he worked the Vulture mine, but finally sold his
interest in this and gave all his time to fruit raising. He supplied Prescott
and Fort Whipple with fruits and potatoes and made a trip to those points once a
week. After going out of the fruit business he again engaged in stock raising,
and as a fine stream of water ran through his place and as he had succeeded in
buying out his neighbors, he was able to control the water, and as a consequence
he was very successful in his cattle business. In 1885 he moved to Phoenix and
began to raise alfalfa to fatten cattle, and as this met with excellent results,
he made considerable money. Others soon followed his example, and as a result of
this he is still engaged in the business and hundreds of others are now
following his footsteps. Mr. Brill now owns three fine ranches, one of which
joins the city of Phoenix and is very valuable. A part of it has been sold off
in town lots. He deals quite extensively in cattle and now owns about 1,200
head. Mr. Brill owns a good home just outside the city limits and also
considerable valuable city property. It is hardly necessary to add that Mr.
Brill has made a success of life. Coming to this country a young "green" German,
as he remarked, he has steadily climbed the ladder of success and can now enjoy
the fruits of his early labors. For a number of years he was justice of the
peace of Wickenburg and witnessed many fights between the Indians and white men.
He had some narrow escapes himself. At one time he had all his stock stolen by
the Indians. Mr. Brill is an interesting conversationalist and can relate many
thrilling pioneer stories. He was married in 1877 to Miss Isabella Rourke, by
whom he has three children—Frederick, Louis and Cora. His second wife was Miss
Laura Copeland of San Francisco, and he and family hold membership in the
Catholic Church. Politically he is a Republican.


Additional Comments:
From:

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

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/az/maricopa/bios/gbs73brill.txt

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