Romulus Wendes
November 21, 1905
Arizona Republican Newspaper
Word was received here yesterday shortly afternoon of
the death of Romulus Windes, son of Rev. and Mrs. R.A.
Windes in Prescott yesterday morning. A week ago yesterday
the young man was operated on for appendicitis at Mercy
Hospital where he had been taken a few days before. At
first it was thought the operation was entirely successful
but complications set in that puts a grave appearance on
the case and on Friday his father was phoned for. Rev.
Windes went to Prescott the next morning and had sent
word daily since of his son's condition. At no time was
the report very encouraging but it was not thought death
was so near and the news received in the afternoon of
yesterday was a sad blow to his mother and other
relatives here.
Romulus has been troubled with appendicitis for something
like a year and some months ago had a dangerous illness
here but recovered and a few months ago went to Prescott
to work.
Obit
November 25, 1905
Among those who came to Arizona braving the terrors of the
overland train before the advent of the railroad was a
young theological graduate, to whom the west offered the
two fold promise of health for his wife and a field of
missionary for himself. This young man, Rev. R.A. Windes,
became a pioneer missionary of the Baptist denomination.
While located at Globe in June 1886 there was born their
second son, Romulus. The boy grew to manhood here, the
years being mainly spent in the Verde Valley and in
Tempe whither the family came some years ago. He was
of a sweet and gentle disposition, a lovable boy who
always made friends easily.
Some months ago he entered the employ of the S.F.P. & P.
railroad at Prescott and it was while so engaged that
death came to him. His death coming so unexpectedly is
a sad blow to his family.
J.F. White
September 21, 1905
Arizona Republican Newspaper
At an early hour Wednesday morning J.F. White died at
the Sisers Hospital. He had arrived in Phoenix but the
morning of the day previous from Iowa, although he
formerly resided here and up to the first of the year
conducted the sanitarium at Clayson's. The deceased
was 36 years of age, and leaves to mourn his loss a
wife and other relatives in the east. The funeral
will be held this morning from Mohn's chapel at 9
o'clock, Rev. McAfee officiating.
HENRY WICKENBURG
Arizona Republican Newspaper
May 15, 1905
Henry Wickenburg after whom the town of Wickenburg, fifty
miles northwest of Phoenix, was named, died yesterday
afternoon, presumably by his own hand. His body was found
in a grove between his residence and that of J.W. Etter,
about 5 o'clock last evening by the children of Mr. Etter.
The news was received here last night by telephone.
The residences named are in the suburbs of Wickenburg and
are a hundred yards or so apart. Mr. Wickenburg has been
living for sometime past with Mr. and Mrs. W.S. Holland who,
it is said have taken good care of him, though of late he has
been subject to attacks of melancholy when he has been wont
to look on the gloomy side of life. Yesterday afternoon he
left the house about 1 o'clock, the last time he was seen
alive as far as known last night.
When found a little after 5 o'clock there was a bullet wound
in his right temple and in his right hand he grasped a
revolver. Both the forefinger of his hand and his
temple were powder burned an evidence of suicide. The bullet
did not pass through the head there being but a single wound.
Justice of the Peace Hector Riggs was informed as quickly as
possible after the finding of the body and as acting coroner
he empanelled a jury consisting of J.K. Murphy, J.W. Etter,
James Munchus, Henry Cowell, D.L. Murray and J.R. Dunn. The
jury viewed the body and the surroundings and examined what
few witnesses were available at the time, after which the
inquest was continued until 9 o'clock this morning.
Mr. Wickenburg has no relatives here and it is believed his
only relative in America is a nephew who is supposed to live
in Omaha. It is understood that he had a sister and perhaps
a brother in the old country. But he enjoyed the personal
friendship of all the remaining pioneers of central Arizona
by whom he was held in the highest esteem and of many who have
come to this country in recent years and chanced to form his
acquaintance. He possessed all the virtues of the sturdy
frontiersman, endured with them the hardships attending the
settlement of a new country such as desert perils before the
advent of the railroads, the fighting of bandits on the one
hand and the Apaches on the other, oftentimes with a limited
food supply and only a fading hope of financial gain to
encourage further effort. As he was one of the first to
settle on the banks of the historic Hassayampa River when
the Hassayampa Club of Phoenix was organized he was made
an honorary member.
Mr. Wickenburg was born in Prussia November 19, 1819. He
served in the Prussian army after which he lived in Rotterdam
for a year and came to the United States in 1847. In 1851 he
shipped as fireman on the steamer Cortez rounding the Horn
and arrived in California in 1852. He found employment first
in the placer mines at Ophir not far from Auburn. He was
quite successful getting together a considerable amount of
money. In the early fifties he left the diggings and with
others dug at Fresno the first artesian well in California.
Shortly after that, was spread the news of the wonderful gold
discoveries in the placer fields around LaPaz on the Arizona
side of the Colorado River, a considerable distance above
Yuma. There is today the ruins of an old city there which
at one time became quite a populous place and the real port
of entry into Arizona from the west. But is only a ruin and
does not support even a post office, being inhabited only by
the desert tourist or an occasional prospector going over the
old grounds, for in those days that whole section of the
country was turned over in the search for golden sands. And
which by the way, were found for a time in large quantity.
Mr. Wickenburg joined a numerous party and came to La Paz with
an overland train from the coast. Fortune did not favor him
in the placer mines and he went up the river to Bill Williams
where there was a small copper camp. He was joined there by a
man named Buckskin Smith and another named Morris. They
journeyed up the Bill Williams and then up the Santa Maria
finally making a more or less permanent camp not far from the
present town of Congress and where mineral prospects seemed to
be better. At this point the Indians pointed out to him the
mountain known as Rich Hill and which has been the source of
many fortunes. But they were far from any source of supplies
and the camp was broken up some of the members going in various
directions, Mr. Wickenburg and others continuing in a
southwesterly direction to Tucson. He entered the government
employ there, and worked his way back to Yuma in charge of an
ambulance. He kept in mind the story of the Indians about Rich
Hill and as soon as he could, with a man named Douglas, another
named P.W. Smith, A.H. Peeples, P. Weaver, and several others,
organized an expedition to search for it. To shorten the
story, for another side trip to Sacaton for supplies, the
Rich Hill placers were founded. There was a great rush and
prospecting parties scattered through other gulches. Mr.
Wickenburg headed a party down the Hassayampa and on the
present site of his Wickenburg ranch he found some deserted
Indian gardens. His provisions being low he harvested their
crop and took possession of the land. This was in 1863 and
it has been his home ever since.
Having heard the tale of two men being found murdered at a
point west of there with a large amount of gold in their
possession, Mr. Wickenburg sought for the source of it and
in a journey toward the Harqua Halas with two companions
named Van Bibber and Greene in October 1863 discovered by
accident the croppings of the Vulture Mine. His companions
had little faith in its value and left soon after for Tucson
ostensibly after more supplies but they never returned. In
May 1864 he beg an working the mine with an arrastra. The
subsequent story of the mine would make a book of itself and
will not be referred to here other than to say it has
produced somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty million
dollars under the various managements and mis-managements
that have been in charge since and was the source of most
of the loose money in circulation in Phoenix in the seventies
and eighties. Mr. Wickenburg built a small mill at Wickenburg
and it was succeeded by larger ones. He finally sold his
interest in the mine for a good figure though less than he
should have received for it, as it is related that he was
victimized out of a good share of his interest. However he
secured enough to provide for him during the remainder of
his days, his life being mainly spent in farming and his
wants being few. He was probably worth at one time $50,000
though it is believed that most of his fortune has been
eaten up by unsuccessful ventures of later days and the
expenses of advanced age after his active career was finished.
During late years he has been given somewhat to fits of
melancholy due probably to old age, a weakening mental
vigor and the lack of family ties that bind one more strongly
than anything else to this world.
