 Elizabeth Mason Gardiner, about 1838-1895 Textile Mill Worker and Hotel Manager Buried in Porter Cemetery, Lot 46, Grave D (Generic image created using Dall-E 3 via MicroSoft Bing) England’s industrial revolution of the early and mid-1800s created jobs for many women in textile factories.
Elizabeth Mason was born about 1838 in Gloucestershire, England. On April 1, 1862, she married a local man named Jehoiada Gardiner in the Registry office in Stroud, Gloucestershire. The young couple had decided to emigrate to the United States in hopes of making their fortune there. Three weeks after their wedding, Jehoiada boarded the ship John J. Boyd, sailing from Liverpool to New York. He intended to send for Elizabeth after he had found employment. Unbeknownst to him, she was already pregnant. She gave birth to their son, John Mason Gardiner, in December 1862. At first, the couple exchanged letters. However, when the letters stopped sometime around 1869, Elizabeth assumed that Jehoiada had died. Left to raise her son alone, she found work in a woolen mill. In 1882, Jehoiada turned up while visiting England. What a shock it must have been for Elizabeth to discover that her husband was not only alive, but a successful businessman in Arizona and remarried to another woman! Jehoiada, who was now calling himself John J. Gardiner, arranged for Elizabeth and their now 20-year-old son to travel at once to the United States—but he asked them to remain in Salt Lake City while he broke the news to his second wife that they were not married after all. Two years passed, and John J. was still working on a legal settlement that would provide for the woman who had been living with him as his wife for nearly fourteen years. Frustrated by the long delay, Elizabeth and her son John moved to Petaluma, California, where she began divorce proceedings herself. This got John J.’s attention. He persuaded her to drop her case and remain married to him. In 1885, Elizabeth and her son finally joined John J. in Phoenix. Elizabeth helped to manage the Capitol Hotel, and John J. gave his son a job in the Phoenix Water Company. In 1887, Elizabeth’s son John wed Honora Reppy. In due course of time, they presented John J. and Elizabeth with a granddaughter named Hilda and son named Charles. Elizabeth joined the local Church of Christ. During the last year of her life, she contended with heart disease and asthma but bore her sufferings with Christian fortitude. Death was expected and came on April 13, 1895. Elder W. H. Matlock was in charge of the funeral, after which she was buried in Porter Cemetery. © 2026 by Donna L. Carr. Last revised 23 June 2026. If you would like assistance researching our interred, you can find more information on our website. You can contact us at [email protected] at any time. Thank you for your interest to preserve the history of Arizona's pioneers!
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 Caroline Myrick Goodhue, 1837-1888 Opened First Ice Cream Parlor in Phoenix Buried in City/Loosley Cemetery, exact location unknown (Image generated using ChatGPT’s Dall-E 3) Mrs. Caroline Goodhue’s ice cream parlor helped to bring a touch of sweetness and civility to a frontier community establishing its identity in 1883.
She was born Caroline Myrick in Ontario, Canada. She and her husband, Peter Waldron Goodhue, were living in Visalia, Tulare County, California, when their daughter Ella Mary was born in 1857. Peter was operating a livery stable in 1860. Ten years later, the Goodhues were raising livestock and growing oranges on their ranch. On December 5, 1876, Ella (or Eleanor) wed Allen John Stroud in Melrose, Alameda County, California. Allen was the son of Ira Stroud of Fresno, California. In April of 1878, Eleanor, Allen, and their infant son joined the Ira Stroud family in their move to Phoenix. Carrie Goodhue was also in Phoenix by 1882. Since Peter was no longer with her, it is likely that he had died by this time, and Caroline had decided to join her married daughter. Evidently, she had a good deal of money to invest. In 1883, she purchased several lots in Block 31, near the downtown area. Ads for Mrs. Goodhue’s ice cream parlor began appearing in local newspapers in April, 1883, offering day and evening hours for families and private parties. Located at Montezuma Street and Washington, the ice cream parlor was conveniently placed near the Arctic Ice Works and the Phoenix Ice Factory, two businesses that were vital to preserving perishables in the desert climate. Of course, Mrs. Goodhue’s establishment was more than just a business—it was a social hub, offering Phoenicians and their guests a genteel place to gather. During late June 1882, 1883 and 1884, Mrs. Goodhue’s booth was among several others at the fiesta grounds in Phoenix, where residents celebrated the Feast of St. John despite the summer heat. In the fall of 1884, Mrs. Goodhue traveled to Canada to visit relatives. On New Year’s Day, 1885, a newspaper article celebrated her return, recalling with fondness the “happy associations in the hearts of our belles and beaux” and how her parlor was known for its tastefully arranged rooms, ice cream, cake, and social gatherings. Since no more ads appeared after 1884, perhaps Mrs. Goodhue’s health was in decline. She died on January 7, 1888, and was buried in City/Loosley Cemetery. Mrs. Goodhue’s presence in the business sphere reflects the entrepreneurial spirit of pioneer women, who contributed to the cultural and social life of Phoenix as well as its economic growth. © 2025 by Val Wilson. Last revised 17 June 2026. If you would like assistance researching our interred, you can find more information on our website. You can contact us at [email protected] at any time. Thank you for your interest to preserve the history of Arizona's pioneers!  Emma Beauchamp McGehon, 1861-1903 Ran a Stage Station Buried in City/Loosley Cemetery, Section B10, Lot 2, Grave 9 (Photo of Mrs. Emma McGehon and her son, Van Murray McGehon, from the archives of the Pioneers’ Cemetery Association, Inc.) Managing a hotel or boarding house was one way for a respectable lady to earn a living during the Victorian era.
Emma was born around 1861 in Santa Cruz, California, to Causten Van Rensler Beauchamp and Sarah Elizabeth Hinton, who was originally from Virginia. It should be noted that the name "Beauchamp" is usually rendered as "Beechum" in early documents, since that’s how it’s pronounced. The Beauchamp family moved to Phoenix from Santa Cruz, California, around 1878. They managed the Swilling Hotel (not as grand as it sounds—it was a simple adobe structure). Later, they operated the stage station on the Black Canyon Road near where it was crossed by the Arizona Canal. As her parents aged, Emma took over more of the management on the stage station. She cooked for the stage passengers and provided a few amenities to women travelers. She married William McGehon, a stage driver, in Phoenix on 6 March 1881. According to his World War I draft registration, their son, Van Murray McGehon, was born in 1879 (or 1880). Another male infant, born and died in 1883, is buried next to Emma. In 1902, Emma’s health began to decline. She died 17 October 1903 at St. Joseph’s hospital of shock and blood loss following surgery to remove a tumor. She was buried in City/Loosley Cemetery, Section B10, Lot 2, Grave 9. © 2019 by Donna L. Carr. Last revised 31 August 2019. If you would like assistance researching our interred, you can find more information on our website. You can contact us at [email protected] at any time. Thank you for your interest to preserve the history of Arizona's pioneers!  Mary Maud Peterson Kennedy, 1877 -1902 Dressmaker Buried in Rosedale Cemetery, Block 4, Grave 3 (Image courtesy of Microsoft Word clip art) Sewing and needlework, although not very well-paid, have always been one of the few occupations open to respectable women.
Mary was born August 7, 1877, in Greenwood, Cass County, Nebraska, to George Peterson and Lucinda Bice. In 1900 the family had moved to Homer Township, Bates County, Missouri, where Mary’s parents were farmers, and Mary and her sister Nettie were listed as servants. Mary and Nettie, however, left Missouri soon after and, by early December, were living in Pleasanton, Kansas, where they opened up a dressmaking business. Mary became a member of the Royal Neighbor Lodge in Missouri. The Society was a progressive women’s fraternal benefit society established in 1895 and an auxiliary to Modern Woodmen of America. The organization focused on assisting women and children in need and offering life insurance for women--an option never before available to women. Royal Neighbor is now the largest women-led life insurer in the country. It was not long before Mary met Benjamin F. Kennedy, a cattleman from Belgrade, Montana, and nephew of Judge Daniel E. Peterson. They were married April 17, 1901, in Amoret, Missouri. Shortly after the wedding, the young couple moved to Montana. Like so many others at the time, Mary was soon diagnosed with tuberculosis, and a move to a warmer climate was recommended. The Peterson family arrived in Phoenix sometime between 1901 and 1902. Benjamin and Mary then came to Phoenix so that Mary’s family of origin could care for her. On February 18, 1902, she died at her father’s residence. Mary was buried in Rosedale Cemetery. Her sister, Elica Card, who died in 1904, and her brother, Benjamin, who died in 1911, are also buried there. © 2020 by Patricia Gault. Last revised 13 March 2020. If you would like assistance researching our interred, you can find more information on our website. You can contact us at [email protected] at any time. Thank you for your interest to preserve the history of Arizona's pioneers!  Annie McMurtry Trott, 1859-1906 Surveyor’s Wife Buried in IOOF Cemetery, Block 22, Lot 2, Grave 7 (Grave marker photo courtesy of the Pioneers’ Cemetery Association) Margaret Anna McMurtry is believed to have been born on July 8, between 1856 and 1858, in White County, Illinois, to James Harrell McMurtry and Martha McMurtry neé Sharp. While the inscription on Annie’s grave marker says that she was born in 1859, her death record gives her birthyear as 1858.
The 1860 federal census found the widow McMurtry living in the household of a George W. Overton and working as a seamstress. Ten years later, the McMurtrys were farming in Gallatin County, Illinois, and Ann was recorded as being 13 years old. On February 22, 1879, Annie married Franklin P. Trott, in El Dorado, Saline County, Illinois. Trott was a civil engineer. Their first child, a daughter named Nellie, was born about five months later. The 1880 federal census recorded Annie and her baby daughter living with Martha, who was managing a boarding house in El Dorado. Franklin, a station agent for the Santa Fe Railroad, was not in the household (he was temporarily in Benton, Franklin County, Illinois), although he must have rejoined it shortly thereafter, since the Trotts had another daughter, Bessie, born in 1881. Shortly thereafter, the Trotts, accompanied by Annie’s widowed mother, moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where Franklin worked by turns as a civil engineer, county surveyor, deputy sheriff and water commissioner. As head of the zanjeros in Maricopa County, Trott was generally well-regarded. The Trotts had a home at 472 North 2nd Street in Phoenix and seem to have enjoyed some years of relative prosperity during the 1880s. Sadly, both of their daughters fell ill with scarlet fever in 1890. Nellie recovered, but Bessie, aged nine, died in December and was buried in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery. Like so many others of the time, Annie was eventually diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis. Not wanting to spend the summer in Phoenix, she traveled to Los Angeles in 1906, accompanied by her daughter Nellie. Annie died there on August 11, and her remains were returned to Phoenix for burial in the family plot. Franklin P. Trott lived until May 2, 1936. He and his daughter Nellie are buried in the Encanto Mausoleum at Greenwood Memory Lawn in Phoenix. © 2025 by Donna L. Carr. Last revised 14 February 2025. If you would like assistance researching our interred, you can find more information on our website. You can contact us at [email protected] at any time. Thank you for your interest to preserve the history of Arizona's pioneers!  Norma Jackson Helm, 1863-1891 Southern Belle Buried in Porter Cemetery, Block 12, Grave B (Grave marker photo courtesy of Donna L. Carr) Norma Jackson was born December 1863 in Madison, Morgan County, Georgia, to newlyweds Jesse Wade Jackson and his wife, Julia Tunnell. Although Madison is near Atlanta, it escaped destruction during General Sherman’s March to the Sea in 1864 because it was home to a pro-Union congressman, Joshua Hill.
Surprisingly for a white Southerner, Norma’s father was a Republican. As a matter of fact, he became a personal friend of Ulysses S. Grant, who arranged an appointment in the U. S. Revenue Department for him in 1881. The Jacksons resided in Washington, D. C. until March 1887, when Jesse passed away. His body was returned for burial in the family plot at Buckhead, Georgia. As her parents’ only child, the move to Washington had benefitted Norma. Raised in the genteel traditions of the Old South, she was expected to act as a gracious hostess at the tea parties and social events befitting her station in society. When she came down with consumption, she travelled to Los Angeles to visit an aunt. While there, she met Dr. Scott Helm and became engaged to him. In February 1890, a Los Angeles newspaper reported, “Miss Norma Jackson, of Capitol Hill, the only child of the late Jesse W. Jackson, was married on the 12th instant, at Phoenix, the capital of Arizona, to Dr. Scott Helm, a native of Kentucky, a graduate of Princeton College and Rush Medical College, [and] of Heidelberg, Germany. Miss Norma is well-known in Washington, where her grace, beauty and accomplishments won her many admirers. She was on the Pacific Slope visiting her aunt, where she was wooed, won and wed by the fortunate doctor.” As the wife of Dr. Helm, the foremost surgeon in the Arizona Territory, Norma entertained frequently and became known for her charm and hospitality. Her circle of acquaintances included her half-aunt, the much-married Mary Taylor Woolsey Sullivan Fry Baxter. Norma’s health took a turn for the worse late in 1890. In February 1891, the Helms celebrated their first—and last—wedding anniversary with an excursion to the Hole in the Rock near Scottsdale, where the party was serenaded by a local singer known as “Monsieur Mumm." Despite Dr. Helm’s expert ministrations, Norma died on April 30, 1891, at the age of 28, and was buried in Porter Cemetery. Dr. Helm did not remain a widower for long. In November, 1892, he married Miss Jane Beeler of Kentucky. © 2025 by Donna L. Carr. Last revised 4 January 2025. If you would like assistance researching our interred, you can find more information on our website. You can contact us at [email protected] at any time. Thank you for your interest to preserve the history of Arizona's pioneers!  Louise Cora Clough Dunn, 1840-1896 Miner’s Wife Buried in City Loosley Cemetery, Section 11, Grave 7 (Photo courtesy of her descendants) Louise Cora Clough was born in Maine around 1840. When she was a young girl, she appears to have been known as Caroline. The family eventually moved to Douglas County, Kansas, where her father, the Rev. Mace Richard Clough, was a Methodist circuit preacher and farmer. Judging from the birthplaces of their children, the move took place between 1850 and 1857. At the time, Douglas County was at the epicenter of “Bleeding Kansas," with settlements sharply divided between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions.
Louise married William B. Walling on November 22, 1857, in Lawrence, Kansas. Like herself, Walling was a New Englander, born January 31, 1835, in Vermont. Walling seems to have been in the lumber industry, so it was only natural that, around 1859, the couple would leave treeless, windswept Kansas for the mining towns of Colorado. The Wallings settled near Central City, Colorado, where William built a sawmill. Over the following years, he and Louise had several children: an unnamed child who died at birth around 1858, Frederick A. (1859-1946), Herbert Benjamin (1864-1947), Edward (~1867-), Addie (~1868-), May (1870-1953), and Elmer Ellsworth (1871-1965). After a dispute with his business partner which culminated in a shooting in self-defense, Walling moved his sawmill to Caribou, Colorado, and branched out into cattle-raising and real estate sales. He constructed a small steamboat and, on the Fourth of July, 1872, launched it at a popular amusement park built on a small lake south of Central City. Residents appreciated the novelty and lined up to buy tickets for excursions. But all was not well with the Walling marriage. They divorced on June 16, 1875, and Louise married John Casper Dunn in Denver just thirteen days later, on June 29, 1875. Dunn was a miner and a Union veteran of the Civil War. The year 1880 found the Dunns living in Denver, where Louise’s youngest child, Elmer Ellsworth, had adopted the Dunn surname. None of Louise’s other children, who had continued to use the Walling surname, were in the household. The Dunns may have moved to Phoenix, Arizona, after Louise developed pulmonary tuberculosis. The family was living near Five Points when she died quite suddenly on September 9, 1896. She had reportedly eaten a hearty supper and was washing dishes afterward when stricken with a hemorrhage from which she died a few minutes later. Louise was buried in Loosley Cemetery, Section 11, Grave 7. © 2022 by Donna L. Carr. Last revised 16 November 2022. If you would like assistance researching our interred, you can find more information on our website. You can contact us at [email protected] at any time. Thank you for your interest to preserve the history of Arizona's pioneers!  Sophia Augusta Wall Ames, 1861-1892 Baptist Minister’s Wife Buried in Masons Cemetery, Block 9, Lot 3, Grave 5 (Grave marker photo courtesy of the Pioneers’ Cemetery Association, Inc.) Sophia Augusta Wall was born on June 24, 1861, in De Ruyter, Madison County, New York. Her parents were William Frederick Wall and Mary Jane Coon, farmers.
On June 22, 1886, she married a divinity student, John Fremont Ames, in a double ceremony with her sister Zella, who married Fred Hendee. The newlyweds honeymooned at Niagara Falls, after which John accepted a call to work as an assistant pastor in Genoa, New York. The Ameses’ first child, Francis, was born there on April 19, 1887. Ames was ordained to the Baptist ministry on December 9, 1887. He then decided to study theology at Rochester Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in June 1890. Having indicated that he wanted to serve a congregation that really needed him, even though it couldn’t afford to pay him a salary commensurate with his education, Ames accepted a call to a church in Madison, South Dakota. While in South Dakota, the Ameses had a little daughter, Mary Lorena, born on August 2, 1891. Unfortunately, Sophie developed an intractable cough and was shortly diagnosed with tuberculosis. In hopes of improving Sophie’s health, the family moved in 1892 to Milton, Tennessee, where they rented a house from relatives. However, Tennessee did not suit them. The rainy weather aggravated Sophie’s cough, and John disliked the racial segregation which forbade him to preach to whites and blacks at the same gathering. Ames was then offered the pastorate of a Baptist Church in Phoenix. It seemed an attractive offer as the dry climate of Arizona was said to be salubrious for invalids. So the Ameses moved once more. On July 31, 1892, Reverend Ames was in his buggy on his way to church in downtown Phoenix when he overtook and passed a steam threshing engine. When the driver blew his whistle twice, the unexpected noise so frightened the reverend’s horse that it took off in a mad run. As the buggy careened around a corner, Dr. Ames either tried to jump or was thrown from the buggy. He suffered head trauma and his left leg was broken. He was carried into Frakes’ Livery, where Drs. Hughes and Dameron stabilized him. However, they were not optimistic about his chances for recovery. Since Sophie herself was too ill and distraught to nurse her husband, Rev. Ames was attended by others. He died on August 12, almost two weeks after his accident. Already an invalid, Sophie was prostrated by her husband’s death. She could not bear light or sound; throughout the hot summer evenings she sat on the porch with a wet cloth over her face. Though cared for by her sister-in-law, Fannie Card Wall, Sophia declared in October 1892 she was ready to join her husband. She lingered until November before passing away. The Ameses were buried in the Masons Cemetery. The orphaned Ames children were raised by George and Fannie Wall in Woodbury County, Iowa. © 2025 by Donna L. Carr. Last revised 4 February 2025. If you would like assistance researching our interred, you can find more information on our website. You can contact us at [email protected] at any time. Thank you for your interest to preserve the history of Arizona's pioneers! |