ABE FRANK
Arizona Republican Newspaper
December 5, 1903

The announcement of the death of Abe Frank at his home in 
this city on Sunday night last, November 29, at 8:20 o'clock 
will bring true sorrow and regret to many hearts, says the 
Yuma Sentinel.

In the stirring and perilous days of '67, the days of the 
overland trail, of Indian raids and soldiers, when Yuma was 
but a military post and supply station and La Paz now but a 
memory was the county seat and the central camp of an active 
gold placer mining district, Abe Frank came to La Paz to enter 
the employ of Chris Loganheimer, then the leader merchant of 
the camp.  In 1870 he formed a partnership under the firm 
name of Frank and Bryant, purchasing and succeeding to the 
established business of his erstwhile employer.  The new 
firm forestalled the decadence of La Paz and shifted the 
scene of their operations to Erhenburg in 1869 when that 
town was laid out by Jack Stewart, Morris Goldwater and W.W. 
Jones.  There they erected and occupied the largest mercantile 
structure in the county and gained an extensive and lucrative 
trade up to 1883 when Abe was quick to note the greater 
advantage and future possibilities of Gateway City and with 
the courage of his convictions he disposed of his Erhenburg 
interests and removed to that city.

Here for many years he took an active part in mercantile and 
political circles.  In commercial life he then gained an 
enviable standing, but opposed to the maintenance of his 
position was his natural open handed generosity.  No man 
ever appealed to him for assistance in vain.  The ever 
hopeful prospector and miner, rich in hopes but poor in 
substance found in him a friend and backer.

He represented Yuma in the territorial legislature, served 
as territorial prison commissioner, as mayor of Yuma and as
probate judge, being succeeded to the latter office by the 
present incumbent when his physical disability prevented 
further active participation.

Several years ago a form of paralysis gained on his bodily 
powers to such an extent that about two years ago he became 
practically helpless.  This, in late months, kept him a 
virtual prisoner in his own home.  In his day Frank was a 
power in Yuma County and in the Arizona territory.

His last request was that his mortal remains should be 
interred in the consecrated ground of his faith, a Jewish 
Cemetery and in accordance with his wish the earthly casket 
from which the soul of a man and a gentleman had winged its 
flight was taken by a sorrowing family on Tuesday night to 
Los Angeles.