Mann, his bunkie, George E. Loring (later express agent at Phoenix), a
Rhode Islander named Tillinghast and three others formed an advance party
westward. This party made camp at a small spring just south of San
Francisco Mountains, where Flagstaff is now. Mann remembers the place
as Volunteer Springs in Harrigan Valley. While waiting for the main party
to come up, the advance guard hunted and explored. Mann remembers
traveling up a little valley to the north and northwest to the big LeRoux
Springs, below which he found the remains of a burnt cabin and of a
stockade corral, possibly occupied in the past as a station on the
transcontinental mail route.
With reference to the naming of Flagstaff, Mr. Mann is very definite. He
says that, while waiting for the main party, this being late in June,
1876, and merely for occupation, the limbs were cut from a straight pine
tree that was growing by itself near the camp. The bark was cut away,
leaving the tree a model flagstaff and for this purpose it was used, the
flag being one owned by Tillinghast and the only one carried by the
expedition. The tree was not cut down. It was left standing upon its own
roots. This tale is rather at variance with one that has been of common
acceptance in the history of Flagstaff and the date was not the Fourth of
July, as has been believed, for Mann is sure that he arrived in Prescott
in June. The main section of the first party came a few days later, and
was on the ground for a celebration of the centennial Fourth of July that
centered around the flagstaff.
Mann also remembers that Major Maynadier, one of the leaders of the
expedition, surveyed a townsite for Flagstaff, each of the members of the
expedition being allotted a tract. The second party joined the first at
Flagstaff. Word had been received that mechanics were needed at Prescott
and in the nearby mines, with the large wages of $6 a day, and hence
there was eagerness to get along and have a share in the wealth of the
land. It remains to be stated that all the men found no difficulty in
locating themselves in and around Prescott and that no regret was felt
over the failure of the original plan.