COLUMBUS H. GRAY
History of Arizona, 1893

Columbus, H. Gray, the oldest living white settler in 
Phoenix, Arizona, is a man who has identified himself 
with the interests of his section, has won numerous 
friends, and has built up a reputation for honesty, 
enterprise and fair dealing that is in every way merited. 
He is a native of Florida, born in Gadsden County, August 
29, 1833 and the son of Thomas and Tempa (Kersey) Gray, 
both of Scotch Irish descent.  Thomas Gray removed from 
Florida to Alabama at an early day and was the first 
business man of Clayton, Alabama, settling there when 
the Indians were quite hostile. Eight years later he 
moved to Union County, Arkansas, engaged in planting 
and there passed the remainder of his days.  He was a 
prominent man, served in the Legislature a term or two 
and held other prominent positions.  Although a Whig 
before the war, after that eventful period he became a 
pronounced Democrat.

To his first marriage were born eleven children, of 
whom our subject is the only survivor.  Mr. Gray 
married the second time and this union resulted in 
the birth of ten children, three of whom area now living.

Columbus H. Gray was but a small boy when he went with his 
father to Arkansas and he remained there until fifteen years 
old, assisting on the plantation and receiving but little 
education.  He attended school in a little log cabin with 
puncheon floor and cracks for windows, but this was for a 
short time during the winter months, he being obliged to 
work on the plantation during the summer seasons.  In the 
spring of 1850 he was seized with the gold fever and he, 
in company with his brother and others, made their way to 
the Pacific coast, going by way of the Isthmus.  Arriving 
in San Francisco young Gray lost very little time but 
engaged immediately in mining.  This he continued for a 
few months and then took a trip up in the northern part 
of the state, going up Salmon and Scott Rivers and 
following placer mining on those rivers for several 
years.  During this time the Indians attacked a camp 
and killed fourteen men.

Mr. Gray had passed by this camp about an hour before the 
massacre.  He had many miraculous escapes and was always 
lucky.  In 1858 he went to Frazier, British Columbia, 
engaged in mining there for one year, and in 1859 he 
returned to his old home in Arkansas.  In the spring of 
1860 he went to Hamburg, Ashley County, Arkansas and 
there attended school for ten months, after which he 
remained with his father until the breaking out of the 
Civil War.  He was among the first to enlist in Captain 
Jones' Company, First Arkansas Mounted Cavalry, Col. 
Churchill's regiment and was in service three years. He 
held the rank of orderly sergeant and was in the 
principal engagements of the war.  At the Battle of 
Prairie Grove forty seven of his company went into 
battle but only seven returned alive.  Our subject 
was one of the survivors but he had a close call.  His 
brother, who was standing at his side, was killed, 
another soldier at his left was shot down and a man 
right behind him was also killed.  Mr. Gray's clothes 
were riddled with bullets but he was not even scratched.  
At the Battle of Corinth he was taken sick and got a 
furlough home.  A little later he joined again and 
served until the close of the war , surrendering at 
Marshall Texas.  He was captured at Helena, Arkansas, 
July 4, 1863, and taken prisoner to Alton, Illinois 
where he was retained nine months.  He was then 
transferred to Fort Delaware and while en route he 
succeeded in making his escape, jumping out of the 
car window when the car was under full headway and 
getting away without injury.  He then made his way 
back to his company.  

Returning to the old place in Arkansas after the war he was 
married there, August 24, 1865 to Miss Mary A. Norris, a 
daughter of J.M. Norris, who is residing near Phoenix Arizona 
and is eighty seven years old.  On the first of February 
1868 Mr. Gray and wife in company with a train of fifteen 
wagons, started west with the intention of going to 
California but in crossing Salt River Valley, Arizona it 
looked so beautiful that they decided to stop and rest 
for awhile in this Garden of Eden.  

Mr. Gray and wife lived in a brush shanty for a year and 
then he built an adobe in "L" shape and a corral to keep 
the Indians from stealing their stock.  Mr. Gray was so 
well pleased with the valley and climate that he decided 
to locate permanently here and for twenty eight years 
now he has been a resident of this section.  He took up 
a quarter section of land to which he has since added 
from time to time and now has one of the finest places 
in the valley.  His residence, one of the finest to be 
found in the country, is surrounded by beautiful grounds 
and a beautiful lake adds variety to the scenery. Mr. 
Gray raises all kinds of fruit on his place.  Mrs. Gray 
was the only white woman in the valley for two years and 
proved herself a brave little woman and the right kind 
of a helpmate.  When they first settled here there were 
about a dozen men who had preceded them by a year and 
came to this section to make a ditch.  These men were 
the only neighbors they had.

Mr. Gray is well known throughout the Territory and takes 
an active interest in politics.  He served one term in the 
Legislature, was a member of the board of supervisors for 
several years; was in the Democratic convention in 1871 
and was instrumental in forming Maricopa County.  His 
brother W.T. Gray, served four years as sheriff of Maricopa 
County.

Our subject is the owner of Arica group of mines, located 
in Riverside County, California, about twenty four miles 
west of the Colorado River, and he is working three mines 
which are very productive.  On the Red Butte Mine he has 
a shaft seventy two feet deep with fifteen foot vein at a 
fifty foot level, not having cross cut the vein at seventy 
two feet.  The ore averages from top to bottom from fifty 
to one hundred dollars per ton. It is a true fissure vein. 
He has another shaft in the Eureka Mine which averages 
from thirty to one hundred and twenty five dollars per ton. 
Mr. Gray once owned and worked the Harqua Hala Mine which 
he sold to Hubbard and Bowers.  They in turn sold it to 
an English syndicate for $1,250,000. Mr. Gray is a practical 
miner and takes great interest in developing mines. He has 
invested a great deal of money in mining property.

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