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| Affiliation | Republican |
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| Name | Anson P. K. Safford |
| Address |
Carson City, Nevada , United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
February 14, 1830
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| Died | December 15, 1891
(61 years)
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| Contributor | Thomas Walker |
| Last Modifed | Thomas Walker
Dec 14, 2005 05:26pm |
| Tags |
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| Info | Known as the "Father of Public Schools", Governor Safford developed the first comprehensive public school system in Arizona. It is quite possible that he was so dedicated to that establishment due to the fact he could not afford an education himself.
Called the "Little Governor" due to his short stature, he was born February 14, 1830 to Joseph Warren Safford and Diantha P. Safford in Vermont. He was denied a formal education because he was poor. After the death of his parents in 1850 he moved to California and settled in Placer County where he mined in the Gold Country there. Ran for state legislature in 1854 but was defeated. He was successfully elected and re-elected in 1857 and 1859, but left office after 1859 and moved to San Francisco. In Spring of 1862 he moved to Humboldt County, Nevada and became County Commissioner there in September. He was appointed as Surveyor-General of Nevada from March 1867 to 1869 and appointed Governor of Arizona April 3, 1869. He was constantly dedicated to the establishment of public schools in the Territory.
Safford tried to attract teachers to Arizona. The Public School system he created established the governor as the ex-officio school superintendent. He passed an Act of 1871 to create territorial tax for public schools. The first school opens in Tucson in March 1872. Moses H. Sherman is the first superintendent of public instruction. Fall 1871, the first school in Phoenix established in the courthouse. Census taking in the territory and increased literacy took place during his administration. He also addressed the need for wagon roads, railroads, telegraph lines, mining sites, an Insane Asylum, a Prison, more voter registration laws, and a compilation of the legal code. The Yuma Territorial Prison opened in 1875. The capital of the territory was moved back to Prescott in 1877. He made Highway Robbery a capital offense. He supported the public Indian policies of General George Crook. He personally invested into the mine industry of Arizona and promoted sheep farming. Indian depredations were at its peak in 1869 and 1870 and he appointed John Clum as chief of the Indian Scouts to assist in establishing order.
Brought first Easterners into the Southwest. He was more popularly known as the Governor who granted himself a divorce. He was married to Jenny L. Tracy July 24, 1869. The territorial legislature granted them a divorce in January of 1873. The divorce is largely said to be based upon the death of the son Frank Alfred Safford who died August 28, 1871, barely a year old. Safford soon remarried to Margarita Grijalvca of Tucson, who later died in early 1880, and then to Soledad Bonillas whom he would be married to for the rest of his life.
Safford retired after his final term. He was admitted to practice law by the Arizona Bar in January of 1875. Opened Safford, Hudson and Co. in March 1879, a banking firm, which failed May 1884. Helped open the Tombstone Mines, and was president of the Tombstone, Gold, and Silver Milling and Mining Co. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1880. In 1882 he was living in Tarpoon Springs, Florida. He ran for governor of Arizona again in 1889, but failed to receive appointment. He died in Tarpoon Springs, Florida, December 15, 1891. He was buried in Cycadia Cemetery there. Safford had brought real civility and order to the territory of Arizona and laid the groundwork for Arizona statehood by establishing the public school system. John Wasson recalled "He found the territory almost in a state of anarchy."
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