By Bob Cornett

Arizona has long been promoted as a great place to live, work and play. One of the earliest promotions for the territory was a guidebook sold more than 130 years ago.

Western expansion had begun in the 1840s with destinations mostly to California, Oregon, Utah and Colorado. By 1877, there was a growing curiosity about this "Territory of Arizona," but little was actually known. Gold and silver discoveries were national news but, before families migrated here, they were hungry for basic information about the opportunities in this unknown land. They had heard the lurid Indian tales, bits about endless deserts, little water availability and few opportunities to support oneself. Army personnel returning home shared their stories and early pioneers wrote home about their lives here. But, what was Arizona and where was it?

In 1877, author Richard Josiah Hinton believed a complete guidebook was sorely needed to promote Arizona. He traveled the territory, researched a wide bibliography and six months later, in 1878, cranked out nearly 600 pages titled "The handbook to Arizona." It was very detailed yet spoke to average people eager to learn more about this part of the Southwest. His handbook was timely: a new silver deposit had just been discovered in Tombstone in 1877.

Hinton’s handbook arranged chapters by topic rather than historic order. It included a foldout map showing access routes from both east and west. Whatever your interest, you could read in detail about Arizona’s offerings. For example, freighting was a major player in the economy with the option of 1,900 water miles from San Francisco down the Baja, up to the mouth of the Colorado River and then river steamer to Hardyville (near Bullhead City). The Colorado River portion of the trip could take from 5-60 days, depending on water level! From there you could use stage or freight wagons for delivery to various parts of the territory. Or you might use the Southern Pacific Railroad to Yuma and transfer there to stage or freight wagons. SPRR was improving access to the territory and was enhanced by the new telegraph which now connected Arizona with the rest of the nation. Leaving the train at Yuma you could reserve a seat on a Kerens and Mitchell overland stage. The company operated a web of nearly 2,000 miles with 24/7 service. Hinton, in his handbook, describes the 300-mile trip from Yuma to Tucson, giving potential newcomers a good feel for the land.

Many pages are devoted to mining: copper, silver and gold plus new discoveries of platinum, iron, lead, tin, nickel, gypsum and salt. Hinton says, "All of which…when its resources are developed, the richest and most productive state in the union." He concluded, "Now is undoubtedly the golden time for investment….interests can be acquired now for comparatively little money which will command fancy figures a year hence."

He points out that crops existed of wheat, barley and corn in southeast Arizona with timber abundant in the high country. A great amount of information is provided to potential cattle and sheep ranchers with details of areas offering nutritious grasses of black or blue grama and sideoats. For farmers, he claims nearly 3 million acres are served by rivers and irrigation ditches. Half of the rainfall comes when the temperature is the hottest and crops need it most. Hinton even provides soil and chemical analysis, including flow rates of the Colorado and Virgin Rivers. Climate charts showed the territory’s diversities. His description of the fauna and flora could easily confuse new citizens because it is so unlike any areas of the east. Any fears about potential "Indian problems" were dismissed as Indians were on reservations from the early 1870s.

One of Hinton’s few gentle warnings says, "It is by no means certain that Arizona is now a good place for the laborer without some capital. The cost of living, though much reduced, is still great…" He adds, "A man who is not only expert at his special trade, but is generally ‘handy,’ and has means enough to keep himself for a few months, could soon…..place himself where his services would be in demand at a good price." He gives the following rates for American labor: blacksmiths $3-4/day; wagon makers $4-6/day; masons and bricklayers $5-7/day; cooks $40-60/month and so on.

The 1870 census counted 668 persons in Prescott and Hinton guessed the population to be 4,000 by 1877. As a market town, Prescott offered 20 stores selling a combined 250 tons of merchandise yearly. Groceries were costly, with a loaf of bread 20 cents. House rent was $15-90 per month. Room and board was $8-10 a week. A brick schoolhouse on Gurley Street had 150 students. The public library had 50 newspapers and 263 books. Miners were paid $2 up to $4 a day, some including board. Skilled trades earned $5-8 a day. Ranch hands $30-40 per month, board included. Road descriptions in the area were mainly from one military camp to another. For instance, the road from Camp Verde to Fort Whipple through Cherry mentioned the creek crossings at Wild Cherry, Ash and Lynx Creeks.

Much is made of the Santa Cruz and Gila River valleys whose low level roads connected both Mexico and Arizona to the west coast. Phoenix had been laid out in 1868 and, by 1877 a few stores existed along with a few adobe houses and a population of 500. At the same time, Florence had grown to about 1,500. Long-established Tucson boasted about 4,500 citizens, mostly Hispanic. Hinton contrasted Prescott with Tucson: "Prescott….does not seem to be on the highway to anywhere especial." Whereas, "Tucson struck me while ‘so uncomely’ in its outward aspect, must have before it a large future of general importance."

Detailing much more than many may want to know, Hinton names all transportation companies, gives an archeological history, reviews Spanish and Mexican history, summarizes typical mining laws, military routes and distances, latitude-longitude for place names, mining terms in English and Spanish, how to roast or leach ore and on and on.

Several printings of Hinton’s handbook occurred over the years, seemingly a "best seller" as an early promotion of Arizona Territory. Today, it’s available to purchase or read in its entirety online. Go to books.google.com then choose Google Books and type in the title. You will find Prescott from pages 252-258.

(Bob Cornett is a volunteer docent at Sharlot Hall Museum.)

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(Hinton book cover, 1878) Reuse only by permission.

Richard Josiah Hinton’s, "The handbook to Arizona," published by Payot, Upham & Co., 1878, was the earliest effort to "sell" Arizona to the public.

Photograph credit: (From Hinton book)

Lithograph of Prescott by Britton, Rey and Co. of San Francisco, which appears in the Hinton book, "The handbook to Arizona," 1878.

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(ft120pb) Reuse only by permission.

Freighting, using mule or ox teams, in Arizona Territory in the 1870s was big business as described in Hinton’s, "The handbook to Arizona" published in 1878. This mule train is delivering supplies to Prescott, c.1880.