Description

Silas St. John (b.1835 - d.1919) was born in New York City on April 21, 1835. 

He married Julia Cook on April 18, 1861 in New York City. She died in childbirth. His second wife was Mary Magee and they had several children. His third wife was Mary Rodgers. Silas, in his pursuit of better things, frequently abandoned his children.

Silas St. John was a significant figure in Old West history. In 1857, he was employed by the San Antonio to San Diego Mail Line to carry the mail across the unsettled frontier of the Southwest. With him was the famous frontiersman "Bigfoot" Wallace. This line was called the "Jackass Mail," because the mail was sometimes carried on mule back.
In mid-1858, he was employed by John Butterfield's Overland Mail Company as a member of the construction crew to build the stage stations for the company. Arizona's Dragoon Springs Stage Station was the most westerly of the ten stone fortified stations on the route. The station was fortified because it was on the north-south Apache raiding trail to Mexico. It was at this station on September 9, 1858, that three members of the construction crew were massacred by three Mexican laborers. Silas survived the attack by a heroic effort with the loss of an arm. As this station is the only remnant of a Butterfield station in Arizona, it will be the centerpiece in Arizona when the Congressional bill gives the trail a National Historic Trail designation.
In late 1859, although he was still employed by the Overland Mail Company, he was appointed Acting Indian Agent for the Pima-Maricopa Indians who were farmers and supplied wheat for the mail line.
Unfortunately the plaque on his grave contains the erroneous information that Silas was a Wells Fargo employee and Dragoon Springs Stage Station was a Wells Fargo station. The plaque on the monument was stolen and restored to the monument. On the official Wells Fargo site under a heading of "The Homecoming of Silas St. John," about the restoring of the plaque, they state this about the erroneous information- "Problem: St. John was never a Wells Fargo employee--even though the bronze says he was."

The 1900 U.S. Census in Phoenix, Arizona listed his occupation as "reporter". The 1910 U.S. Census in Phoenix listed his occupation as "real estate agent".

Handwriting on photograph reads:" Mr. and Mrs. St. John, Superintendent and matron of Pioneer Home". However, this isn't correct. Photo of Silas St. John on familysearch confirms this is the man in this photo.

Silas St. John died on Septemer 15, 1919 in San Diego, California. He was buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in San Diego.

Sources: "The Miracle of Silas St. John and Arizona's Wild West" in Arizona Sonora News 4-10-2018; findagrave.com; New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1938; New Jersey, Births and Christenings, 1660-1980; U.S. Census 1900, 1910; California, Death Index, 1905-1939.