John Elden
John Elden
John Elden, originally from Maine, was a wounded Civil War veteran, early Flagstaff pioneer[1], and Alaska pioneer who settled for a while at the base of Mount Elden, just north of Flagstaff, Arizona, and is the individual for whom Mount Elden takes its name.[2]
John Elden settled at the base of what is today Mount Elden north of Flagstaff with his wife in February 1877.[3] They built their log home at what is today the base of Mt Elden from the abundant Ponderosa pines in the area using only hand tools and horses. The Eldens chose this home-site because a small spring nearby provided water for both domestic use and for their sheep and cattle.[4][5] Today this spring is known as Elden Spring. This location is also sheltered from cold north winds and warmed by the winter sun. Their three children, Helena, Eloise Felicia, and John, were born at the settlement.[5] The John Elden home-site sits just off the Pipeline Trail that runs along the side of Mt Elden, and is identified with a historical marker.
After the death of John Elden's youngest child, John Elden moved to California. In Cloverdale, Calif, Elden became a dairyman. When the Klondike Gold Rush peaked in 1898, he departed for the Alaska gold fields, where he spent most of the next 24 years. He returned to San Francisco around 1922, and died there, in Letterman Hospital, on Jan. 18, 1929. Elden is buried in San Francisco’s Presidio Cemetery.[6]
The murder of little John Elden
According to a story by Helena Elden Lindsey, the oldest daughter of John Elden, her six-year-old brother John is buried in a grave near the settlement. Legend has it that one day in 1887, a teamster named Bob Roberts attempted to water his head of mules at the nearby spring. Mrs. Elden confronted Roberts and insisted he water his stock elsewhere. Roberts was infuriated and, as he left, fired a random shot, which struck and killed little John Elden. A citizens' posse was formed to track down and catch Roberts, who led them on a long chase, eventually leading to the discovery of Robert's body in a wash. It has never been determined who killed Roberts. John Elden then left Flagstaff and moved his family to California.[7]
A wooden cross and picket fence originally marked the little John Elden grave, but has since been enclosed with stones and a cross made of pipe. The little John Elden grave is located adjacent to the John Elden home-site and is marked with a historical marker. The grave-site is located at 35.227270857419114, -111.60131051824222[8]
Although the story of the little John Elden murder is well documented at the historical grave site and in historical literature, no obituary records of either little John Elden or Bob Roberts were ever found. No deaths were recorded in the mid 1880s at the Coconino County courthouse that matched the circumstances of little John Elden or Bob Robert's deaths, and the Coconino Sun did not document the murder.[9] Some believe the story to be pure fiction.[10]
Portrait of John Elden in his American Civil War uniform Here:[11]
Portrait of John Elden shown in March 1927 after his return to California from Alaska Here[12]
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References
- ↑ Wilson, Randy (2 July 2017). "Elden descendants, historian have new story to tell". Arizona Daily Sun. Page 5, third paragraph.
- ↑ "Elden Mountain". peakvisor.
- ↑ Westerlund, John (5 August 2014). "Ask A Ranger: Murder at Mount Elden". Arizona Daily Sun. Page 1, Paragraph 2.
- ↑ Cline, Pratt (1976). They came to the mountain: the story of Flagstaff's beginnings. Northern Arizona University. p. 210. ISBN 0-87358-153-9. Search this book on
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 National Forest John Eldon Home-site Historical Marker
- ↑ Westerlund, John (5 August 2014). "Ask A Ranger: Murder at Mount Elden". Arizona Daily Sun. Page 5, paragraph 1.
- ↑ National Forest Little John Elden Grave-site Historical Marker
- ↑ Google Maps
- ↑ Wilson, Randy (2 July 2017). "Elden descendants, historian have new story to tell". Arizona Daily Sun. page 4, paragraphs 1 and 2.
- ↑ Vallejo, Alexandria (5 November 2018). "The Mysterious Elden Family Murder". Lumber Jack. Page 1, Paragraph 3.
- ↑ Wilson, Randy (2 July 2017). "Elden descendants, historian have new story to tell". Arizona Daily Sun. p. 1.
- ↑ Wilson, Randy (2 July 2017). "Elden descendants, historian have new story to tell". Arizona Daily Sun. p. 7.
- This page was last edited on 8 July 2023, at 04:19.
External links
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