28 Facts About Trinidad Swilling

Trinidad Swilling Shumaker, known as "The Mother of Phoenix" was a pioneer and the wife of Jack Swilling, the founder of Phoenix.

Mrs Swilling was involved in local civic activities and promoted the public recognition of her husband as founder of Phoenix.

Trinidad Swilling was involved in dispute which made the local news as to who was the first white woman to settle in the Phoenix townsite.

In 1868, Trinidad Swilling founded the first pioneer home in the Salt River Valley.

Trinidad Swilling Mejia Escalante was born on April 15,1849, in Hermosillo, Mexico, a city located in the center of the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora.

Trinidad Swilling's grandfather was a Spaniard who moved to Mexico during the Spanish Colonial period.

When she was 17 years old she met John William Trinidad Swilling better known as Jack Trinidad Swilling, who happened to be in Tucson.

At that time Mr Trinidad Swilling held the rank of First Lieutenant of the militia.

Trinidad Swilling met and befriended King S Woolsey and went to Tucson on a flour-buying trip as a favor to Woolsey.

When Mr Trinidad Swilling first saw Escalante, he boasted to his friends that he was going to marry her.

On November 11,1867, Mr Trinidad Swilling founded the Trinidad Swilling Irrigating and Canal Company in Wickenburg.

Mr Trinidad Swilling built a small "Rock House" which Mrs Trinidad Swilling described as her "1st House".

Mrs Trinidad Swilling recalled being the first Mexican women in the Phoenix townsite, and that her friend, "Mrs Lough" was the first white woman in Phoenix.

The Trinidad Swilling Irrigating and Canal Company founded by Mrs Trinidad Swilling's husband had 16 investors which included Phillip Darrell Duppa and Bryan Phillips.

The canal, which became known as "Trinidad Swilling's Ditch," was successful.

In 1884, the Joint Head Dam was built in the location where Jack Trinidad Swilling began to build his ditch and where the Salt River is located.

Mr Trinidad Swilling established a mill and wanted to establish a new settlement called "Pumpkinville" in the vicinity of his mill, known as the Trinidad Swilling Mill.

Mr Trinidad Swilling was elected Justice of the Peace for the Phoenix Precinct and was Phoenix's first postmaster.

Trinidad Swilling organized a party which built an irrigation ditch from the Aqua Fria River to their property.

Mrs Trinidad Swilling suggested that Mr Trinidad Swilling and two companions, which included Andrew Kirby and George Monroe, founder of Castle Hot Springs, go on a trip to recover and rebury the remains of their old friend.

Trinidad Swilling was seen walking the streets of Gillett with a bag or sack containing the remains of Col.

Trinidad Swilling was released to the Hodges family, friends of the Swillings, and died in their home.

The Hodges family owned two lots in the Yuma Cemetery behind the old Catholic Church, and Trinidad Swilling was buried in one of them.

Trinidad Swilling was in a bad financial situation after Mr Swillings' death and was destitute when she arrived in Phoenix.

Trinidad Swilling found work as a seamstress to support her children.

Trinidad Swilling met Henry Schumaker, a German immigrant and on September 28,1887, she married him.

Trinidad Swilling was buried in the City Loosley Cemetery which is located inside the Pioneer and Military Memorial Park.

On December 27,1925, Trinidad Swilling Schumaker died in her home in Phoenix of liver cancer.