Though by no means with exclusive population of the faith, Mesa, sixteen
miles east of Phoenix and in the Salt River Valley, today includes the
largest organization of the Saints within Arizona and is the center of
one of the most prosperous Stakes of the Church. It is beautifully
located on a broad tableland, from which its Spanish name is derived, and
is the center of one of the richest of farming communities. In general,
the soil is of the best, without alkali, and its products cover almost
anything that can be grown in the temperate or semi-tropic zones.
At all times since its settlement, Mesa has prospered, but its prosperity
has been especially notable since the development, a few years ago, of
the Pima long-staple cotton. Nearly every landowner, and Mesa is a
settlement of landowners, has prospered through this industry, though
it has been affected by the post-war depression. The region is one of
comfortable, spacious homes and of well-tilled farms, with less acreage
to each holding than known elsewhere in the valley.
Mesa is second only to Phoenix in size and importance within Maricopa
County. There are fine business blocks and all evidences of mercantile
activity. The farming area is being extended immensely. The community was
one of the first to enter the association that secured storage of water
at Roosevelt. Thereafter, to the southward came extension of the farming
area by means of pumping, this continuing nearly to the Gila River, out
upon the Pima reservation. Now there is further extension eastward, and
the great plain that stretches as far as Florence is being settled by
population very generally tributary to Mesa. It would be idle to
speculate upon the future of the city, but its tributary farming country
is fully as great as that which surrounds Phoenix.
Mesa was founded by Latter-day Saints from Bear Lake County, Idaho, and
Salt Lake County, Utah. The former left Paris, Idaho, September 14, 1877,
were joined at Salt Lake City by the others and traveled the entire
distance by wagon, using the Lee's Ferry route, and coming over the
forested country to Camp Verde.
The immigrants included, with their families, Chas. I. Robson, Charles
Crismon (of the San Bernardino colony) of Salt Lake, Geo. W. Sirrine (of
the Brooklyn ship party), Francis M. Pomeroy (a '47 pioneer), John H.
Pomeroy, Warren L. Sirrine, Elijah Pomeroy, Parley P. Sirrine, all of
Paris, Idaho, Wm. M. Newell, Wm. M. Schwartz, Job H. Smith, Jesse D.
Hobson and J.H. Blair of Salt Lake. Altogether were 83 individuals.
The valley of the Verde proved a pleasant one, after the cold and
hardship known on the plateau, though Christmas was spent in a snowstorm.
Both humanity and the horses needed rest. So camp was made at Beaver
Head, a few miles from the river, while a scouting party went farther
to spy out the land. This party, which went by wagon, included Robson, F.
M. Pomeroy, Charles Crismon and G.W. Sirrine.
The scouts, within a few days, had covered about 125 miles that lay
between Beaver Head and Camp Utah. Their New Year dinner was taken with
Jones, who extended them all welcome. It was proposed that the newcomers
settle upon land adjoining that of the first party, but there was a
likelihood of crowding in the relatively narrow river valley, and there
were attractive possibilities lying along the remains of an ancient canal
shown them by Jones.
[Illustration: ORIGINAL LEHI LOCATORS
1--Daniel W. Jones
2--Philemon C. Merrill
3--Thomas Biggs
4--Henry C. Rogers]
[Illustration: FOUNDERS OF MESA: Charles Crismon, Francis M. Pomeroy,
George W. Sirrine]
Legal appropriation of the head of this old water way was made and
Crismon was left behind, with a couple of the Camp Utah men as helpers,
to start work on the new irrigation project. Incidentally, Crismon made
location of land near the heading and thus separated his interests from
those of the main party. Later, he started a water-power grist mill on
the Grand canal, east of Phoenix. He had rights to a large share in the
canal, as well as to lands on the mesa. These he later sold.
Robson, Pomeroy and Sirrine returned to the Verde Valley, to pilot the
rested travelers southward. The journey was by way of the rocky Black
Canyon road, with difficulty encountered in descending the steep Arastra
Creek pass. Fording Salt River at Hayden's Ferry, Camp Utah was reached
February 14, 1878. The journey had been a slow one, for cattle had to be
driven.
A few days were spent at Camp Utah and then the new arrivals moved
upstream five miles, where tents were pitched on a pleasant flat, a
couple of miles below the canal heading. There had been conclusion to
settle upon the tableland to the southwest. Pomeroy and Sirrine made a
rough, though sufficient, survey with straight-edge and spirit level,
along what then was named the "Montezuma Canal," eleven miles to a point
where a townsite was selected.