PHILLIP J. MILLER
Arizona, The Youngest State, 1913, pg 610

Well known in the public service of the state as one of the 
old time residents of Arizona, where he settled in 1883, 
Philip J. Miller was born in Oneida County, New York, in 
1863 and is a son of John and Catherine Miller, both of 
German descent.  The father was a farmer by occupation and 
in his youthful days Philip J. Miller became familiar with 
the labor of tilling the soil.  His education was continued 
through the graded and high schools of Buffalo, New York 
and when his textbooks were put aside he became connected 
with the dry goods trade in that city.  He afterward went 
to Chicago in 1881 and for two years was engaged in the 
mercantile business.  In the fall of 1883 he came to Prescott, 
Arizona and for one year was employed at the Dosorus Silver 
Mine in Yavapai County at the end of which time the mine 
shut down. He next entered government employ as storekeeper 
at Fort Whipple and subsequently was forage master and 
afterward corral master.  During the Crook campaign he was 
acting superintendent of the depot headquarters of the army 
in Arizona and met with many of the experiences which 
constitute an exciting and now picturesque but then off 
times an arduous and prosaic, chapter in the history of 
the state.

In 1889 he went to Seattle, Washington and afterward to 
Anacortes, that state.  The year 1891 found him in New York 
City and for three years he was upon the road as a traveling 
salesman.

In 1900 Mr. Miller returned to Arizona, settling at Yuma, 
where he secured a homestead. He helped to organize the Yuma 
County Water Users Association and was its first secretary.  
Greatly interested in the irrigation problem, he studied it 
from every possible standpoint and felt that the solution of 
the questions was to have it in government control.  He was 
therefore one of the main factors in getting the government 
to take up the project, which was done after Mr. Miller had 
served as secretary of the association until 1909. He held 
other public offices while residing in Yuma, but became 
clerk of the Board of Supervisors there and so served 
until June 1912.  He also was elected a member of the 
City Council of Yuma and exercised his official prerogatives 
in support of various progressive measures there. On June 
1912 he was appointed on the state tax commission and 
removed to Phoenix becoming its chairman, serving as such 
until December 31 of that year, after which he continued 
as a member of the commission until his term expired, 
December 31, 1914.  In July 1915 Mr. Miller was appointed 
selector of the state lands, in which capacity he is now 
serving.

Mr. Miller's family consists of wife and two children, 
Marie B. and Kathryn B.


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, must 
obtain express written permission from the author, or 
the submitter and from the 
listed USGenWeb Project archivist. 

submitted by burns@asu.edu