By Shirley Redfearne
The Arizona territorial offices of Secretary, United States Attorney, Marshal, Surveyor General, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, Governor, and Court Justices were filled by appointment by the President of the United States. The officials held their posts for four years but could be dismissed at the will of the President. Each was expected to remain on duty until a successor was appointed. Applicants pursued an appointment for reasons ranging from health and adventure to carpetbagging.
The Secretary of the territory was the ranking executive official when the Governor was not on duty. This occurred regularly in Arizona because of the distance between the various areas in the newly formed territory. Three of the 15 secretaries later became governor and the others probably had visions of succession. These men were usually young and ambitious, and were permitted to carry on other business activities, including law. They were generally influential and sometimes came from a different political party as the governor.
The laws of the Arizona territory detailed the tasks assigned to the Secretary. Some of those would come under the heading of "housekeeping" chores. In 1864 the legislature provided for an appointment of an assistant and later others also worked in the office. By 1877 the Secretary was also the territorial librarian and eventually was able to hire help. (It is interesting to note that one-fourth of the money appropriated for the library was to be spent on law books chosen by the Supreme Court justices. In addition, the library was to have a historical department "to collect, preserve and publish the natural and political history of this territory.")
The Secretary's office had to preserve and, if needed, published and make available copies of all original acts of the legislature, the proceedings of the board of territorial auditors, and all reports required by law. In the early days all deeds to land were kept in the Secretary's office, but later were transferred to county offices. Each new law had to be printed in the territorial newspaper, which was certainly welcome by the newspaper editors. The Secretary also arranged for the permanent publication of the government proceedings. The awarding of contracts for printing was often a major political issue and resulted in a fair number of "discussions." Some items were regularly printed while others were done only on the order of the legislature.
In addition, the Secretary issued the necessary commissions to all appointed and elected office holders, and was required to notify sheriffs of upcoming available offices for election and oversaw the tally. He was also allowed to keep the fees he collected for performing certain tasks which was often quite lucrative. However, this fee collection ended with a legislative act of March 18, 1903 by which not only were the fees to go to the treasury, but territorial official could no longer act as the law or resident agent for a corporation.
The first of the Arizona territorial secretaries was Richard Cunningham McCormick. He was born in New York City in 1832. His father's family had emigrated from Ireland prior to 1735 and was quite well to do. His family was wealthy so Richard had private tutors, which helped since he was frail and had health problems throughout his life. Instead of going to college he traveled and became a writer and journalist. He wrote two travel books and he edited Young Men's Magazine for a couple of years, and helped organize the YMCA. He also served as a newspaper correspondent while in the Crimea. At the request of William Cullen Bryant he joined the staff of the New York Evening Post. When the Civil War started he went to the front as a correspondent.
He became active in Republican politics and campaigned for Abraham Lincoln in 1860. In 1862 McCormick was a Republican nominee for a seat in the House of Representatives from New York but was defeated. He briefly served as chief clerk of the federal agriculture bureau. On March 7, 1863 McCormick was nominated by President Lincoln to be Secretary of the new Territory of Arizona. McCormick came overland to Prescott with Governor Goodwin and his party. He brought a printing press with him which he used to start The Arizona Miner" newspaper. In March of 1864 the Miner became the first newspaper to operate north of the Gila River.
When the seat of government was first moved to Prescott, the Secretary and the Governor had their offices in a tent, but by the early part of 1864, they moved into what is now known as the Old Governor's Mansion on the grounds of the Sharlot Hall Museum. McCormick owned the building. When the first territorial legislature met in September, it was McCormick's responsibility to have quarters ready for the session. This was accomplished by using rented space located opposite the town square. Once the lawmakers were at work there was a severe shortage of secretarial help and McCormick, with much help, worked diligently copying needed papers. Once the session was over, McCormick was responsible for the publication of the journals and acts of the legislature.
Secretary McCormick created the first territorial seal of Arizona and then implemented the one adopted by the first legislature. He brought with him to the southwest a collection of books. These books along with others he purchased, became the core of the territorial library. At first this was a small collection, but over the years it grew. Later an appropriation provided for the acquisition of the first law books for the Territory. In September of 1865 he received a letter of commendation from the acting Comptroller of the Treasury in Washington for his handling of the money belonging to the government under very trying circumstances. All of his accounts had been correct and accurately rendered.
Although the laws provided that the Secretary should be the acting governor only when the chief executive was out of the territory, it was not uncommon for McCormick to be empowered to act when Goodwin was only out of town. McCormick was frequently "in charge" in 1864 and 1865 while Goodwin traveled throughout the territory, California, and back to Washington. When McCormick returned from his own eastern travels in late 1865 he became acting governor until he assumed the post in his own right in 1866. He stepped down in 1869 to become Arizona's delegate to Congress. He was reelected twice and served until 1875 when he voluntarily left office. He was selected Secretary of the Republican National Committee in 1876 and was quite active in Rutherford B. Hayes' presidential campaign. He later became Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.
After leaving Arizona, McCormick continued to be involved in territorial matters. He was often consulted on federal patronage and he continued to buy and sell Arizona mining stock. Even with his chronic ill health he lived to be 70 years old and died at his home in New York in 1901. He was an able man and a major figure in early Arizona history and a significant though minor figure in national affairs. Blinded in one eye by a coachman's whip while traveling east from Arizona, he was described by a contemporary as a rather small, nervous man who moved quickly and decisively. He had a talent as a writer and as a speaker.
(Shirley Redfearne is a volunteer at the Sharlot Hall Museum)
Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number: (po1321p). Reuse only by permission.
Before starting westward in order to set up government in the new Arizona Territory the officials sat for this portrait. From left to right are: Henry W. Fleury, the Governor's private secretary; Associate Justice Joseph P. Allyn, U.S. Marshal Milton B. Duffield, Governor John Goodwin, U.S. District Attorney Almon P. Gage, and the subject of this article Richard C. McCormick Secretary of the Arizona Territory.