JOSEPH SPINAS
Arizona, The Youngest State, 1913, pg 637

Arizona numbers among her honored, prominent and deservedly 
successful pioneers Joseph Spinas, who dates his residence 
in the state from 1870.  Since that time he has been interested 
in ranching and cattle dealing, his interests growing in extent 
and importance through the passing years until today he is one 
of the successful and substantial residents of Florence. He was 
born in Switzerland in 1843 and spent his childhood and early 
youth in that country, leaving home in 1860.  Thereafter he 
spent ten years in travel, journeying through Italy, France 
and Spain and finally crossing the Atlantic to Cuba and onto 
Mexico. He landed at Vera Cruz, Mexico and traveled through 
Sinaloa and Sonora and thence came by horseback to Arizona, 
settling in Florence May 24, 1870, among the pioneer residents 
of the city.

Mr. Spinas took up one hundred and sixty acres of government 
land five miles beyond the town on the north side of the Gila 
River, developed water and turned his attention to general 
farming, improving the ranch by a ditch four miles in length 
and by installing the necessary equipment.  He did all of 
this work himself with pick and shovel and was his own 
surveyor. He made his place a profitable and productive 
property and continued the work of development until 1907, 
when he sold the farm.  For many years he had divided his 
attention between the conduct of his ranches and the 
management of his cattle raising interests, which were 
very extensive and important but he has now disposed of 
these. He owned three fine farms, two near Redrock and 
another of one hundred and sixty acres, near Florence, 
known as the Spinas Ranch.  Upon the first of these he 
developed water at ninety feet and conducted it as a 
cattle ranch, breeding and raising high grade stock.  
On the other, which was also a cattle ranch, water was 
developed at three hundred and thirty feet and all modern 
improvements were added, including everything required for 
the care, feeding and fattening of Mr. Spinas' excellent 
herds.  Fro a time he conducted a retail meat market and a 
general store in Florence and after abandoning that business 
centered his attention upon his cattle interests.

Mr. Spinas was married in 1880 and six years later his wife 
passed away, leaving two daughters, Mrs. Eleanor Nicholas 
and Mrs. Katherine Devine.  Mr. Spinas also has six 
grandchildren.