City of Safford

City of Safford Drinking Water Report Info
About the winter of 1873 a little gathering of tough prisoners who had been for a number of years endeavoring to develop water at Gila Bend, below Phoenix, and having their dams and channels washed away by the high water and yields dried in the consequence, concluded to attempt anew in the valley of the Pueblo Viejo, as the this whole valley was then known. They made their first camp on the bank of the river near here, on the land currently owned by the Chiricahua Cattle Company. Having been joined by a few others they spread out the present townsite under the townsite laws of the United States, and set up a few rude structures as a commencement of a town and named it after the then Governor, A.P.K. Safford (pictured below), who about that time made a visit to this valley, and who consistently took a lively interest in its development. Edward Fish, a one-time Thatcher merchant, who became a noted antiquarian, in his Fish's Manuscript says: In January 1874 he (J.E. Bailey) came to Safford where he was active in providing the military posts. In 1882 he located on the San Simon. A few years prior he moved to Yuma yet not long after returned to the Gila Valley. A few had located here a little before this. Among those that came in about this time and not long after were John C. Glasby, Hirium Kennedy, Dan Hughes, John Conley, W.A. Holmes, John Earl, C.M. Ritter, Alfred Frye, J.S. Davis, W.C. Gardenhire, W.H. Kirkland, James Williamson, Jenkin Lewis, John Clark, E.D. Tuttle and Anthony Wade. C.M. Ritter located the townsite on January 4, 1875. (This date would be incorrect). Arizona Citizen - November 21, 1874: At Pueblo Viejo, J.E. Bailey and Jose Montoya were elected justices of the peace, and Francisco Grijalva and N. Burle constables. Arizona Citizen - December 11, 1875: Pueblo Viejo is drawing in considerable attention of late appearances in Arizona, and the people of that section properly esteem the value of it. This week, several men have gone out there and with them Mr. Ritter who is employed to survey the new townsite into parcels. Arizona Citizen - January 8, 1876: Mr. Ritter returned from the Upper Gila last Monday where he had been to survey the town of Safford into parcels and squares. He has a guide of the survey completed in great style. The City of Safford was incorporated in 1901..