Life in Early Arizona

When I was a little girl I loved to hear my Grandma Russell talk about her life in frontier Arizona.  Her Grandparents came to Arizona in a covered wagon in 1879.  Grandma's parents followed the next year, although they were able to make most of the journey by train.  Grandma was born on their homestead in Mesa a few years later.  She used to tell the most delightful stories about early Mesa and growing up on the desert.  Grandma was a school teacher, but I think she always harbored a secret wish to be a writer.  She wrote many stories about her childhood, and I will share them with you in her own words.

Since today is  primary election day in Arizona, I think I will start by sharing one of  Grandma's recolection of her dad playing Uncle Sam.  Perhaps the earlier settlers of Arizona were more patriotic than they are today.  I remember 4th of July parades in Mesa, but it was a long time ago.  Perhaps it's because our cities have grown too big, but I think it might be good for us to go back to the old days when we celebrated being an American.

My Uncle Sam

by Ethel H. Stewart Russell

When I was a little girl we always celebrated the fourth of July. We loved our country and all the things it stands for. This was our opportunity to show our appreciation. Days were spent making the floats for the parade. On the first float leading all the rest was my papa who always played the part of Uncle Sam, and when he was dressed in his costume he looked just like the pictures of him. My sister and little brother and I made a ring around him and sang "There is no man like my Uncle Sam. Though you search all the world for the Same." Then Papa would grab mamma and dance us a cake-walk. He was full of fun and enjoyed playing Uncle Sam.

After the parade ended in the cotton wood grove north of town the games got under way. Base-ball, a tug of war, races etc. Then families and friends got together for a picnic lunch. It was a great day of visiting friends, trying our skills in games, and then the program of patriotic speeches and songs and instrumental music was something we all looked forward to for it was very outstanding.

Some years we had fire works in the evenings or an evening of dancing in costume with exhibition dancing which was very beautiful. The memory of these Fourth of July celebrations always calls to memory the picture of ‘my Uncle Sam.’

The old Swimming Hole

When I was a little girl we used to go swimming down in the floom pond at the canal. About five o-clock in the hot summer afternoon some one would often hook the horses to the old hay rack and come by for the neighbors to go for a swim. We’d throw in a bucket of grapes or pears or watermelons, sometimes we had time to make sandwiches and punch to eat afterward in the cool grass under the trees near by.

How good the water felt on those hot days! It came swiftly down the floom and even if you got over into the deep water it washed you right out into the shallow part again. We soon got used to being ducked in the water and could swim like little fish.

Then the ride home with our feet dangling over the edge of the haw rack just about sun down, singing songs and telling jokes. My, what fun we had! But one time as we were getting out of the water one of the mothers stepped on the bank of the stream near a rattle snake all coiled up ready to strike and he hit her right on her leg. Quickly they got into the wagon, one of the men cut the place on her leg with his pocket knife, then sucked the blood out as they were riding to the doctors office. She was all right in a little while.

That was the end of our swimming parties. My how we did miss those trips to the old swimming hole and the jolly rides home.