John William (Jack) Swilling Collection

Soldier, prospector, entrepreneur, and gentleman John William (Jack) Swilling was born in South Carolina on April 1, 1830. He spent the formative years of his life in the South before enlisting in the military in 1848 and serving in the Mexican-American War. In 1854, he sustained a painful head injury that would affect him for the rest of his life. He married and had a child in Alabama as before moving West. Swilling joined the ox train of the El Paso-Fort Yuma (Leach) Wagon Road at that time and later served as captain of the Gila Rangers, a militia formed to respond to Indian attacks in the Gadsden Purchase area. In 1860, Swilling settled in the Pinos Altos area and joined the Arizona Guard. His unit was integrated into the Confederacy's fighting forces during the Civil War, but Swilling had deserted by July 1862. Swilling continued prospecting in the Gila and Hassayampa River areas and married Trinidad Escalante of Tucson in April of 1864.

After numerous other mining and farming ventures, Swilling settled in the Salt River Valley in 1867, founded the first ditch company, and constructed the canals that would feed the township that was to become Phoenix. In addition to ditch construction, Swilling served as Justice of the Peace, postmaster, and president of the county's Democratic Convention. He later moved to Black Canyon and started a successful mining company before he retired, mainly due to the growing discomfort associated with earlier injuries and substance abuse issues. In April of 1878 Swilling went to exhume the remains of friend Jacob Snively for Christian burial. During this journey he and two friends were accused of an armed stagecoach robbery and held for a pre-trial hearing. Although eventually found innocent, Swilling died in custody on August 12, 1878 while awaiting trial.