Jack William Swilling was born as John William Swilling in South Carolina in 1830, most of his life was known by or referred to, as Jack Swilling. Jack Swilling was known as the Father of Phoenix. He was the original settler and founder of Phoenix, Arizona. He arrived in the Salt River Valley of Arizona in 1867. He was fascinated with the ancient Hohokam ruins and artifacts. Swilling was also amazed in the extensive network of canals the ancient Indians had dug to irrigate the fields. He thought it was a good area for a new town, since it seemed free from attacks by the Yavapai Indians and the Apache Indians.
Jack was an Indian Fighter and gold prospector by trade and a former Union Scout and Confederate Officer. He was married twice, his 1st wife was to, Mary Jane Gray in Alabama, they divorced and she remained in Alabama and remarried. He left one child, a daughter Elizabeth. He remarried and had seven more kids. His second wife was to Trinidad Mejai Escalante. They had five girls and two boys, and adopted two Apache Orphans, a boy and a girl. Jack was known as compassionate and sympathetic, never turned away a hungry, homeless stranger. But he also had a dark side. In his lifetime killed a dozen or so men, once killing a man in Wickensburg, Arizona in self-defense, then scalped him. He was addicted to Morphine due to old battle injuries, and abused alcohol. When drunk, could become mean and unpredictable. He was the First Postmaster and First Justice of the Peace in Phoenix.
Jack built a farm in the area of Phoenix and grew vegetables, he began looking for new irrigating ventures east of Phoenix, his new town of Phoenix consisted of a store, restaurent, post office, and flour mill. He moved back to Black Canyon and the Agua River in 1873, where he continued prospecting for silver and gold. A Mine named Tip Top was born and became very prosperous. The town of Gillette, Arizona grew around this flourishing Mine. Shortly after settling in Black Canyon, him and two others were arrested and convicted of a Stagecoach Robbery, though they were proven innocent later on, and the real culprits were apprehended and confessed. A Wells Fargo Detective had heard a remark that came out of a Saloon about Jack making a comment of robbing a stagecoach, but was only joking around and bragging, while intoxicated. He was their prime and only suspect at the time, because of the $20.00 gold pieces he was flashing around. The evidence was circumstantial. They were jailed at Prescott in Yavapai County, but the Judge ruled insufficient evidence and they were set free. But since the robbery happened in Maricopa County of Arizona, they were rearrested. They were taken to Yuma County Jail to await the decision of a grand jury. Jail officials took him off his morphine medication. He wrote in a letter declaring his innocence and predicted he'd be found dead in his jail cell from his daily suffering and torment. As predicted, he was found dead in his jail cell, from natural causes in August of 1878, he was only 47 years old. He left a young wife and 5 children. His friends took up a collection to help his family.∼One of the original founders of the city of Phoenix, Arizona. He had a dual reputation for kindness and a rough, tough side. He may have killed a dozen or more men, once shooting and killing a man in self-defense, then scalping him. He was also said to be addicted to morphine and alcohol. He died in the Yuma jail of natural causes while awaiting trial for a stagecoach robbery he did not commit.
Jack was an Indian Fighter and gold prospector by trade and a former Union Scout and Confederate Officer. He was married twice, his 1st wife was to, Mary Jane Gray in Alabama, they divorced and she remained in Alabama and remarried. He left one child, a daughter Elizabeth. He remarried and had seven more kids. His second wife was to Trinidad Mejai Escalante. They had five girls and two boys, and adopted two Apache Orphans, a boy and a girl. Jack was known as compassionate and sympathetic, never turned away a hungry, homeless stranger. But he also had a dark side. In his lifetime killed a dozen or so men, once killing a man in Wickensburg, Arizona in self-defense, then scalped him. He was addicted to Morphine due to old battle injuries, and abused alcohol. When drunk, could become mean and unpredictable. He was the First Postmaster and First Justice of the Peace in Phoenix.
Jack built a farm in the area of Phoenix and grew vegetables, he began looking for new irrigating ventures east of Phoenix, his new town of Phoenix consisted of a store, restaurent, post office, and flour mill. He moved back to Black Canyon and the Agua River in 1873, where he continued prospecting for silver and gold. A Mine named Tip Top was born and became very prosperous. The town of Gillette, Arizona grew around this flourishing Mine. Shortly after settling in Black Canyon, him and two others were arrested and convicted of a Stagecoach Robbery, though they were proven innocent later on, and the real culprits were apprehended and confessed. A Wells Fargo Detective had heard a remark that came out of a Saloon about Jack making a comment of robbing a stagecoach, but was only joking around and bragging, while intoxicated. He was their prime and only suspect at the time, because of the $20.00 gold pieces he was flashing around. The evidence was circumstantial. They were jailed at Prescott in Yavapai County, but the Judge ruled insufficient evidence and they were set free. But since the robbery happened in Maricopa County of Arizona, they were rearrested. They were taken to Yuma County Jail to await the decision of a grand jury. Jail officials took him off his morphine medication. He wrote in a letter declaring his innocence and predicted he'd be found dead in his jail cell from his daily suffering and torment. As predicted, he was found dead in his jail cell, from natural causes in August of 1878, he was only 47 years old. He left a young wife and 5 children. His friends took up a collection to help his family.∼One of the original founders of the city of Phoenix, Arizona. He had a dual reputation for kindness and a rough, tough side. He may have killed a dozen or more men, once shooting and killing a man in self-defense, then scalping him. He was also said to be addicted to morphine and alcohol. He died in the Yuma jail of natural causes while awaiting trial for a stagecoach robbery he did not commit.
Jack William Swilling was born as John William Swilling in South Carolina in 1830, most of his life was known by or referred to, as Jack Swilling. Jack Swilling was known as the Father of Phoenix. He was the original settler and founder of Phoenix, Arizona. He arrived in the Salt River Valley of Arizona in 1867. He was fascinated with the ancient Hohokam ruins and artifacts. Swilling was also amazed in the extensive network of canals the ancient Indians had dug to irrigate the fields. He thought it was a good area for a new town, since it seemed free from attacks by the Yavapai Indians and the Apache Indians.
Jack was an Indian Fighter and gold prospector by trade and a former Union Scout and Confederate Officer. He was married twice, his 1st wife was to, Mary Jane Gray in Alabama, they divorced and she remained in Alabama and remarried. He left one child, a daughter Elizabeth. He remarried and had seven more kids. His second wife was to Trinidad Mejai Escalante. They had five girls and two boys, and adopted two Apache Orphans, a boy and a girl. Jack was known as compassionate and sympathetic, never turned away a hungry, homeless stranger. But he also had a dark side. In his lifetime killed a dozen or so men, once killing a man in Wickensburg, Arizona in self-defense, then scalped him. He was addicted to Morphine due to old battle injuries, and abused alcohol. When drunk, could become mean and unpredictable. He was the First Postmaster and First Justice of the Peace in Phoenix.
Jack built a farm in the area of Phoenix and grew vegetables, he began looking for new irrigating ventures east of Phoenix, his new town of Phoenix consisted of a store, restaurent, post office, and flour mill. He moved back to Black Canyon and the Agua River in 1873, where he continued prospecting for silver and gold. A Mine named Tip Top was born and became very prosperous. The town of Gillette, Arizona grew around this flourishing Mine. Shortly after settling in Black Canyon, him and two others were arrested and convicted of a Stagecoach Robbery, though they were proven innocent later on, and the real culprits were apprehended and confessed. A Wells Fargo Detective had heard a remark that came out of a Saloon about Jack making a comment of robbing a stagecoach, but was only joking around and bragging, while intoxicated. He was their prime and only suspect at the time, because of the $20.00 gold pieces he was flashing around. The evidence was circumstantial. They were jailed at Prescott in Yavapai County, but the Judge ruled insufficient evidence and they were set free. But since the robbery happened in Maricopa County of Arizona, they were rearrested. They were taken to Yuma County Jail to await the decision of a grand jury. Jail officials took him off his morphine medication. He wrote in a letter declaring his innocence and predicted he'd be found dead in his jail cell from his daily suffering and torment. As predicted, he was found dead in his jail cell, from natural causes in August of 1878, he was only 47 years old. He left a young wife and 5 children. His friends took up a collection to help his family.∼One of the original founders of the city of Phoenix, Arizona. He had a dual reputation for kindness and a rough, tough side. He may have killed a dozen or more men, once shooting and killing a man in self-defense, then scalping him. He was also said to be addicted to morphine and alcohol. He died in the Yuma jail of natural causes while awaiting trial for a stagecoach robbery he did not commit.
Jack was an Indian Fighter and gold prospector by trade and a former Union Scout and Confederate Officer. He was married twice, his 1st wife was to, Mary Jane Gray in Alabama, they divorced and she remained in Alabama and remarried. He left one child, a daughter Elizabeth. He remarried and had seven more kids. His second wife was to Trinidad Mejai Escalante. They had five girls and two boys, and adopted two Apache Orphans, a boy and a girl. Jack was known as compassionate and sympathetic, never turned away a hungry, homeless stranger. But he also had a dark side. In his lifetime killed a dozen or so men, once killing a man in Wickensburg, Arizona in self-defense, then scalped him. He was addicted to Morphine due to old battle injuries, and abused alcohol. When drunk, could become mean and unpredictable. He was the First Postmaster and First Justice of the Peace in Phoenix.
Jack built a farm in the area of Phoenix and grew vegetables, he began looking for new irrigating ventures east of Phoenix, his new town of Phoenix consisted of a store, restaurent, post office, and flour mill. He moved back to Black Canyon and the Agua River in 1873, where he continued prospecting for silver and gold. A Mine named Tip Top was born and became very prosperous. The town of Gillette, Arizona grew around this flourishing Mine. Shortly after settling in Black Canyon, him and two others were arrested and convicted of a Stagecoach Robbery, though they were proven innocent later on, and the real culprits were apprehended and confessed. A Wells Fargo Detective had heard a remark that came out of a Saloon about Jack making a comment of robbing a stagecoach, but was only joking around and bragging, while intoxicated. He was their prime and only suspect at the time, because of the $20.00 gold pieces he was flashing around. The evidence was circumstantial. They were jailed at Prescott in Yavapai County, but the Judge ruled insufficient evidence and they were set free. But since the robbery happened in Maricopa County of Arizona, they were rearrested. They were taken to Yuma County Jail to await the decision of a grand jury. Jail officials took him off his morphine medication. He wrote in a letter declaring his innocence and predicted he'd be found dead in his jail cell from his daily suffering and torment. As predicted, he was found dead in his jail cell, from natural causes in August of 1878, he was only 47 years old. He left a young wife and 5 children. His friends took up a collection to help his family.∼One of the original founders of the city of Phoenix, Arizona. He had a dual reputation for kindness and a rough, tough side. He may have killed a dozen or more men, once shooting and killing a man in self-defense, then scalping him. He was also said to be addicted to morphine and alcohol. He died in the Yuma jail of natural causes while awaiting trial for a stagecoach robbery he did not commit.
Inscription
SWILLING / JOHN WILLIAM / "JACK" / APRIL 1, 1830 / AUGUST 12, 1878 / APCRP 2008
Family Members
Siblings
