Description

Frederick "Fred" Augustus Tritle (b. 1833 - d. 1906) was born in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania on August 7, 1833 to Frederick and Martha (Cooke) Tritle. He went to the academy in his native town where he was admitted to the Bar in 1855. He moved to Iowa and practiced law there for a time before moving to California, and then Nevada. He was the first of the chief executives to make Arizona his life-long home.

He married Jane Catherine Hereford (1840-1925) on October 16,1862 in Sacramento, California. They had seven children: Frederick Augustus Jr., Jane Catherine "Kate" (Mrs. Eugene) Spencer, Frank Russell, Harry Russell, John Stewart, Francis Hereford, and Catherine Tritle.

Mrs. Tritle was extremely popular in Arizona and instrumental in forming the first club for women in the Territory, being elected president of the club six times.

Tritle was involved with several mines and railroads in Nevada and later became a stock broker. On behalf of the state of Nevada, Tritle presented the silver spike used at the Promontory Point ceremony in May 1869. He was a lifelong Republican, member of the first Nevada State Senate, and ran for Governor of Nevada in 1870, but lost the election.

Tritle visited Arizona in December 1880 to investigate several mines for investments and made it known that he was interested in filling the Governorship left vacant by the absent Frémont. President Chester Arthur appointed Tritle Governor of Arizona Territory in January 1882. He took his Oath of Office on March 8, 1882.

His first task was to restore the people’s confidence in the office of governor. Tritle faced several problems related to law and order in southern Arizona at the start of his administration. He favored confining Native Americans on reservations with the use of Federal troops and limiting their access to weaponry. A group of criminals known as the “cowboys” were also causing problems. Tritle supported the creation of volunteer militia groups and asked the legislature to appropriate funds to be offered as rewards for the apprehension of criminals.

Tritle saw several more of his recommendations to the legislature put into being. The first Territorial Fair was held November 10-15, 1884. In 1885 he saw the creation of higher education institutions in Arizona with the founding of the University of Arizona in Tucson and Tempe Normal School.

Tritle resigned as Governor of Arizona Territory on October 7, 1885 upon the election of Grover Cleveland, a Democrat, as President of the United States. Tritle continued to live in Arizona for the rest of his life. He maintined several business ventures, including the United Verde Mine and the Prescott & Arizona Central Railroad. Tritle served as Yavapai County Recorder from 1895 to 1897 and as a Supervisor of the 1900 U.S. Census in Arizona.

Handwriting on back of photograph reads: "Fred Tritle, Territorial Governor of Arizona, Prescott-in the 1890s."

Frederick A. Tritle died in Phoenix, Arizona on November 18, 1906 and was buried in Greenwood Memorial Park. Tritle Peak in the northeast part of Grand Canyon National Park and Mount Tritle in the Bradshaw Mountains south of Prescott are both named for him.

Sources: Arizona Memory Project; findagrave.com.