John Y. T. Smith (born John Smith; September 16, 1831 – July 15, 1903) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

businessman and politician who became the first non-Indian to live in what would become

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

. He served three times as a member of the

Arizona Territorial Legislature The Arizona Territorial Legislature was the legislative body of Arizona Territory. It was a bicameral legislature consisting of a lower house, the House of Representatives, and an upper house, the council. Created by the Arizona Organic Act, the l ...

, becoming

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hung ...

during his final term, and was appointed to a two-year term as Territorial treasurer.

Background

Smith was born September 16, 1831, near

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

. At the age of 10, he became a cabin boy on a riverboat. He worked on the

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

, and

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

rivers for three years before going to work on a farm near

Carlinville, Illinois Carlinville is a city in and the county seat of Macoupin County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,710. It is the home of Blackburn College, a small college affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The city ...

. In 1853 he left the farm and joined a group driving 500 head of cattle to California. In California, Smith worked as a miner and prospector. He left for

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

in 1858 as part of the

Fraser Canyon Gold Rush The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, (also Fraser Gold Rush and Fraser River Gold Rush) began in 1858 after gold was discovered on the Thompson River in British Columbia at its confluence with the Nicoamen River a few miles upstream from the Thompson's ...

, returning to California the next year. At the beginning of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, Smith enlisted in Company H of the

4th California Infantry The 4th California Infantry was a volunteer infantry regiment recruited from northern California during the American Civil War. It was organized at Sacramento, California, Sacramento, Placerville, California, Placerville, and Auburn, California, A ...

. His unit was initially stationed at

Yuma, Arizona Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 95,548 at the 2020 census, up from the 2010 census population of 93,064. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, Metropolitan ...

. In 1864 his unit was transferred first to

San Luis Obispo, California ; ; ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfway betwee ...

, and then Dunn Barracks near

San Pedro, California San Pedro ( ; ) is a neighborhood located within the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay and Los Angeles Harbor Region, Harbor region of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los ...

. Smith advanced through the ranks during his time in the military, achieving the rank of

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

. Following his discharge in December 1865, Smith became assistant wagonmaster on a supply train heading toward Fort McDowell, Arizona Territory. There he is credited with becoming the first non-Indian to live at what would become Phoenix. From February till June 1866, Smith oversaw a civilian workforce harvesting hay along the bank of the Salt River. By early 1867 he had built a hay camp and laid out a road between the camp and the fort. At the camp he built a house and had a small herd of cattle. Smith filed no claim to the land however and had abandoned the camp by late 1867. After leaving the camp, Smith became a post trader at Fort McDowell. Smith opened a store in Phoenix in 1872. A couple years later he formed a business partnership with

King Woolsey King S. Woolsey (ca. 1832 – June 30, 1879) was an American pioneer rancher, prospector and politician in 19th century Arizona. Woolsey Peak and other features of Arizona geography have been named after him, but he has also been criticized by h ...

to produce flour. Toward this end, Smith built Phoenix's second

flour mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separat ...

in 1876. He operated the mill till 1887 when it was replaced with a new mill. Smith operated his second mill till 1899 when he sold it. To differentiate him from several other men with the same name living within the territory, Smith was granted his initials by the

10th Arizona Territorial Legislature The 10th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which convened on January 6, 1879, in Prescott, Arizona Territory. The session was the last to be composed of nine Council members and eight ...

on January 29, 1879. The initials stand for "Yours Truly". Smith married Ellen E. Shaver, Phoenix's first schoolteacher, in 1873. The couple had two daughters and a son. Unusual for the place and time, Smith was a steadfast Republican. This did not prevent his participation in politics however. Smith was elected to the

5th Arizona Territorial Legislature The 5th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which met from November 10, 1868, to December 16, 1868, in Tucson, Arizona Territory. It was the last of the annual legislative sessions. Bac ...

in 1868. In 1873, he ran for Territorial delegate and placing third in a five-way race. He returned to the territorial legislature twice more, serving in the 14th and 15th sessions. During his final term he was

and influential in efforts to move the territorial capital from Prescott to Phoenix. Smith was appointed to a two-year term as Territorial treasurer in 1899. At the end of this term he was appointed to a two-year term on the Territorial Board of Equalization. Socially active, Smith was a

freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

who served as Grand Master of the Grand lodge of Arizona. In military orders he served as commander of J. W. Owens post No. 5,

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (United States Navy, U.S. Navy), and the United States Marine Corps, Marines who served in the American Ci ...

and was affiliated with the California chapter of the Loyal Legion. Smith died on July 15, 1903, during a trip to

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, where he was seeking medical treatment. He was initially buried in Phoenix with both Masonic and Grand Army of the Republic right. His remains were moved to Phoenix's Greenwood Memorial Park in 1914.

References

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, John Y. T. 1831 births 1903 deaths Businesspeople from Buffalo, New York People of California in the American Civil War Arizona Territory officials Members of the Arizona Territorial Legislature Arizona pioneers People from Carlinville, Illinois Politicians from Buffalo, New York 19th-century American legislators 19th-century American businesspeople Grand Army of the Republic officials