The Mormon settlement of the Gila Valley was one of the few made without
particular and direct instruction from the general Church authorities. It
was caused, primarily, by trouble over the land tenure at Forest Dale, in
the mountains to the northward, where settlers, at first permitted, even
encouraged by the reservation authorities, finally were advised that they
were on Indian land and would have to move. The first question before the
colonists immediately became where they should find a new abiding place.
All of them had come from the northward, seeking a better location than
afforded along the Little Colorado River or in the mountain settlements.
So there was determination to see what could be found in the way of
farming land on the Gila, to the southward.
[Illustration: THE TEEPLES HOME, FIRST HOUSE IN PIMA]
[Illustration: THE FIRST SCHOOL HOUSE AT SAFFORD]
[Illustration: GILA NORMAL COLLEGE AT THATCHER]
In February, 1879, an expedition started over the hills to view the
valley of the Gila. It included W.R. Teeples, John Wm. Tanner, Ben Pierce
and Hyrum Weech. The last-named told that the party looked over the
country and finally selected a location for a town. He wrote, "We
traveled from one end of the valley to the other on both sides of the
river, looking for the best place to take out a ditch, because we had
very little means and could not go to large expense. This (near the
location of Smithville, later known as Pima) seemed to be about the
easiest place on the river to take out water, so we decided on making
the location here."
The Smithville ditch was on the basis of prior location by Gillespie and
was extended to cover the Mormon land in 1880. Somewhat higher was the
Central ditch, which had been built several years before as far down as
the later site of Thatcher and which was extended above Pima in 1882.
Somewhat of a Samaritan was found on the ground in one Markham, from
Oregon, from whom were hired a team and wagon and who refused to take any
pay. With a pocket compass, Smithville was laid out. The settlement could
not be scattered, because Indians and outlaws threatened. Foundations
were laid on sixteen corners, each under the name of one of the families
expected to come from the north.
The pioneer party then made close investigation of the valley, traveling
up the Gila into New Mexico, and viewed the country around Clifton and
along the Blue and Black Rivers. The whole trip took about a month.
The report was, "that the country looked good for stock raising and
farming." On March 16, at Moses Cluff's camp, the proposed migration was
approved by Stake President Jesse N. Smith, who appointed Jos. K. Rogers
to lead it. In the first company were Rogers, Teeples, Weech, Henry D.
Dall, William Thompson and the families of all except Weech and Dall. To
these were added John and Thomas Sessions and Earlton Haws, making 28 in
all. Arrival was on April 8, 1879. The Cluffs (three families) came very
soon after the first party. In a later migration came Samuel Curtis,
Heber Reed, Edgar Sessions and William Asay.
E.G. Curtis, one of the earliest of the settlers, told that in passing
Fort Thomas in March, "the country is found entirely covered with
poppies, one of the most beautiful sights I ever expect to see. The grass
was high and when the wind would blow it down in great waves, you could
see great bunches of antelope."