William Franklin Burns
Arizona, The Youngest State, 1913, pg 843

In the course of a long and successful career William 
Franklin Burns has made many changes in location and 
interests and yet his life stands in contradistinction 
to the old adage of the rolling stone, for each step he 
has taken has been a step forward, adding something to 
his material prosperity.  Today as justice of the peace 
in Metcalf he is widely and favorably known, his popularity 
being the direct outcome of earnest and able work.  He was 
born in a mining camp in Amador County, California, March 
1, 1866, a son of Michael and Margaret (Jarvis) Burns, 
natives of New York and pioneers of California.  The father 
crossed the plains with ox teams at an early date and the 
mother made the journey around Cape Horn.  Both have passed 
away.  In their family were three children: Mary, who 
married Frank Curzon of Oakland California; William 
Franklin of this review; and Edward who died in infancy.

William Franklin Burns remained at home until he was 
twelve and then made his home with his uncle until he 
was sixteen.   At that time he began his independent 
career, obtaining a position in a shingle mill in Santa 
Cruz, California, and there he remained for two years, 
going at the end of that time to Jackson where he began 
working in the mines.  This occupation had been familiar 
to him since his childhood and he became successful in 
it, remaining in California for four years and then 
going to the state of Washington.  There he worked in 
the coal mines for a short time, finally pushing on to 
British Columbia, where he spent one year in a logging 
camp.  Returning to California he made his home with 
his uncle on a ranch in that state for twelve months 
and at the end of that time resumed his mining becoming 
connected with a local mining company.  After two years 
he went to Death Valley and spent a similar period 
working in the borax fields in the interests of the 
makers of the famous 20 Mule Team Borax.  Mr. Burns 
made his first settlement in Metcalf in the fall of 
1900 and spent two years here, returning to California 
at the end of that time and settling in Oakland where 
he spent a year as an employee of local contractors, 
doing construction work.  When he returned to Metcalf  
he made a permanent settlement here working first as 
shift boss in the mines of the Arizona Copper Company 
and in 1910 becoming identified with the store 
department of the Shannon Copper Company, which 
connection he maintained until 1912 when he was elected 
justice of the peace.  He has since served in that 
capacity and in office has proven capable, earnest 
and conscientious, discharging his duties promptly 
and ably with a keen sense of personal responsibility 
and obligation.

Mr. Burns married in October 1904 to Miss Lillian 
Erickson, a native of Pennsylvania and a daughter of 
John and Amanda Erickson, both of whom were born in 
Sweden.  In their family were four children: Lillian; 
George, deceased; Belle who married Hugh Clark of 
California; and Sadie, wife of Ross Thomas of Clifton 
Arizona by whom she has one son.  Mr. and Mrs. Burns 
have one child, Douglas E., who was born August 14, 1905 
and is attending school in Metcalf.


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