W.H. Kirkland History of Arizona, Vol II, Thomas E. Farish, 1915, pg 200 W.H. Kirkland who raised the first American flag in 1856 in the town of Tucson was born in Petersburg, Virginia, July 12, 1832 and emigrated to Arizona shortly after the Gadsden Purchase, eight or nine years before the organization of the Territory. He and his wife were the first white couple married in Arizona, being married in Tucson May 26, 1860. In 1863 and 1864 he spent a good deal of time around Walnut Grove mining and ranching about which time he purchased the ranch located by Pauline Weaver and there engaged in stock raising. Later he settled in the Salt River Valley where Mrs. Wayne Ritter, his daughter was born in Phoenix on August 15, 1871. She was born in the second house which was built in the city of Phoenix. Kirkland died in Winkleman Arizona January 19, 1911 at the age of 78 and was survived by a wife and seven children. USGenWeb Project NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format for profit, nor for commercial presentation by any other organization. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than as stated above, must obtain express written permission from the author, or the submitter and from the listed USGenWeb Project archivist.