This is kind of a continuation of another thread on place names where St. Johns came up. St. Johns actually has some great stories--as well as a rather sordid history that is akin to what Hollywood likes to portray the west. But first--let me qualify myself. My dads side of the family has been in St. Johns since 1874--I was born and raised there, as were the four generations before me. Unfortunetely, i'm currently studying in Virginia and only have access to my memory--which fails me sometimes, so please forgive any wrong dates or names.

Now...on to St. Johns. The first known person in the area was Jose Saavadra, who was there around the 1850's. He built the diversion dam and a grist mill (which i'm trying to prove is still standing). He built the original El Vadito for Luna (who Luna New Mexico is named after, and who also drowned in a sheep dipping vat on his ranch outside Concho after he'd had a little too much to drink), so he could get his sheep across the Little Colorado river. It was later set up at a toll bridge (and yes, you can still see part of it coming out of the bank around Apodaca street). There were a couple of Hispanic families that lived along the river during this time--the last names being Lucero, Saavadra, Candaleria, Baca, and Chavez.

Around 1870, Soloman Barth arrived in the area with his wife and pretty much the whole town of Cubero New Mexico. They settled along the river with the other families and the town kept its name of El Vadito. (The family names that came with Barth were Pena, Jarmillo, Perez, and many others I can't recall at the moment)

In 1871 Mormon families moved into the area. There was originally one settlement, called The Meadows. The families that lived there were Barry, Farr, Isaacson and Tenney, to name a few. A couple years later the town of Salem sprung up a little ways down. Salem got a post office before St. Johns for some strange reason, but the land was really bad and marshy. In 1874 the town of El Vadito tried to get a post office, and it was decided the name of the town would be changed to San Juan, in recognition of the towns 'first lady' Maria San Juan de Baca. The government changed the name to St. Johns (the "s" at the end is still pondered over)

Around 1880 the Mormon Church bought land down by the river (where most of present day St. Johns is) from Soloman Barth for 500 head of American cattle. Now, how Barth thought he had the right to sell this land is still a mystery to me. There never was a land grant, and the people who were living there would/should have had squatters rights. However, Barth did sell the land and the Mormons from Salem and the Meadows, as well as some fresh from Utah moved onto it. And THAT'S when it really started to get interesting (and bloody and hateful) but that's a story for next time. (i'm tired of typing, but I will take it up after I rest)

Cameron

I got one of my books on early Apache county and thought i'd post the surnames that appear from the beginning.
1870
Saavadra, Padia, Garcia, Madrid, Pena, Chavez, Jarmillo, Rubi, Brihalua, Landavazo, Ortega, Candaleria, Samora, Torres, Moreno, Apodaca, Gutierez, Rube, Armijo, Padilla, Gonzales, Perez, Watkins, James, Gurule, Barth, Baca, Johnson, McFates, Sherwood, Richey, Tenney, Creagh, Farr, Banta, Peralta,

Those that arrived from 1880-1887
Udall, Gibbons, Kemp, Whiting, Greer, LeSeuer, Tafolla, Crosby, Wilhelm, Davis, Hamblin, Nicoll, Naegle, Allred, Pell, Noble, Farnsworth, Sorenson, Freeman, Anderson, Aldridge, Harris, Warner, Patterson, Holgate, Mineer, Isaacson, Bates, Jolley, Berry, Peterson, Overson, Plumb, Wakefield, Nielsen, Stradling, Heap, Romney, Allen, Jarvis, Waite, Platt, Shreeve, Larson, Schuster, Chiono, Ruiz, McCarter, Poulson

I'm sure there are some that were left out. I also have Springerville/Eagar (and Amity and Colter) and Vernon, so if anyone wants me to post them let me know.

My mom was raised in McNary and I bought her a book about it and all the families from there about 10 years ago, she's looking for it, and i'll post those if she finds them.

Cameron

Camero,
What early book of Apache Co. surnames are you talking about? Can I find out how to get one? A few of my family surnames are posted in your paragraph. Also, email me if you wish to know who and where to get a McNary historical video for $15.00. Thanks for your list too.
brinkerhoff@cybertrails.com

Unfortunetely the book isn't in general publication, but you might be able to borrow a copy from the Apache County Historical Society. It's called A History of the St. Johns Arizona Stake--the triumph of man and his religion over the perils of a raw frontier. (when a certain number of mormons get into a certain area, they are first divided into wards, and so many wards make up a stake.) The book is by C LeRoy and Mabel Wilhelm. I need to put in a disclaimer for anyone who might get their hands on a copy--it has a lot of good history, but it is VERY one-sided.

Historically, St. Johns has operated under two dichotomy's--the Hispanic/catholics and the whites/mormons. Until 1978 when Salt River built a power plant there about 100% of the hispanics were catholic and 100% of the whites were mormon. It's now changed, but not by much. The book portrays the mormons as being persecuted and harassed by the "mexicans" and all the so called perils they went through. And they did have it rough--hell, everyone that moved into that barren windy region DID. My personal belief, and this is founded on journals written by family members as well as old periodicals, is it went both ways. Unfortunetely, none of the hispanic families that were there at the time have ever written a book on it. I wish someone would as I think it's about time the playing field was leveled.

The mormons contend (I hate to classify people, but it's easier to talk about if I do) that they rightfully purchased the land from Barth, thus they had every right to move the people off like they did. I don't think the land was ever Barth's to sell. But, he did sell it, the mormons did buy it, and the mormons did take over the land and move the people off that had been living there. And that is what spurned the hate and bigotry that St. Johns was founded on. It's an interesting place, and yet I still call it home.

This particular book has copies of letters written by those families in an effort to keep their land, a copy of the response, and a copy of Barth's quit claim deed (which can't have existed) upon which the sale was based. If you can't find a copy of the book and you want me to reprint anything, let me know.

Cameron

Great list. Does the book have the first names of the heads of these families. I would really be interested in the surnames Pena, Baca, Moreno, Gonzales, Nunez,Chavez. Also would be interested in finding when an Andrew Conley arrived as in late 1880's as he claimed the Pena's lands as his own. Several years of court battles and his death finally gave the Pena's back their land. (P.S. Andrew Conley had never lived on the land where the Pena's lived)

Marcos Baca was one of the very first people in the region--in fact, St. Johns was named after his wife, the so called first lady of St. Johns, Maria San Juan De Baca. Marcos, who was the justice of the peace, penned the protest letter to the Mormons after the townsite was bought.

Marcos Baca,Jesus Chavez, and Victoria Chavez owned land under what is now known as the Rubi Ditch that the mormons got from Barth.

Polito Baca and Andres Moreno owned land around what was called the Barth Ditches, which the Mormons also bought from Barth.

Dionicio Baca served as the first treasurer of Apache County. He ended up serving time in prison after the Clantons (of the OK Corrall shootout) rode their horses down the little Colorado so no prints could be found, got Baca, and forced him to open the County safe. Because no prints were never found, no one believed him, so they thought he had stolen the money.

I'm looking up the other names and will post them when I have a chance.
Cameron

Camero thanks for the heads up on the book I know exactly what you are talking about, the contention has been going on for years. It is similiar to the adjudications or whatever that is going on with the famous New Mexico Land Grant areas. And it is true, there is always 2 sides to every story. I have info from some Hispanic sides (not written down of course), as well as a video documentary of an old Hispanic local pioneer. And it is not very nice what he says about how he was treated by the Anglos.

My grandmother is a relative of Soloman Barth. I am trying to find out if he was her Uncle. Her name is Gertrude Barth. How are you finding out the history of St. John's? What are your sources?

Thanks,

Shawn Riente

The vast majority of my information comes from being a fifth-generation St. Johns resident. Some stuff I can't help but know. There are also some books that have been written about the settlement of St. Johns and the surrounding areas, unfortunetely, many of them were privately published (and some are very one-sided).

I can tell you a little about Solomon Barth and his family that I know of off the top of my head, to help you out. He came to the U.S. at the age of 13 from Poland in 1855. In 1870 he secured a contract from the government to haul supplies for the Army from Dodge City Kansas to Fort Apache (which is about 30 miles South of Pinetop/Lakeside in Navajo County) to help with this he sent for his brothers Nathan and Morris, still in Poland.

In 1874 he married Refugio Landavazo of Cubero New Mexico, and it was then that Sol moved and settled permanently in St. Johns. (There is considerable dispute about the dates, some say it was 1871). Their children were Ike (I think Isaac was his son), Jacob (who married Allene (?), and a Maurice fits in there somewhere. Both Maurice and Isacc were laywers and served as the Apache County Attorneys. I can find out more if you like.

Cameron Udall

I would like to be included this search our last name is gonzales-gonzalez both are used .in my dads birth cert. his was Sam Trujillo Gonzales-z