All posts by Joe Knetsch

History Corner: John Wasson: Surveyor General in Apache Land, Part 1

Arizona was made a separate surveying district on July 11, 1870.  It was a momentous occasion for the young territory.  Governor Anson P. K. Safford, newly appointed after his stint as surveyor general of Nevada, recommended his Nevada friend, newspaperman John Wasson, for the new position.   At his side in the recommendation of Wasson...

History Corner: John Wasson: Surveyor General in Apache Land, Part 2

Part 1 in the January 2013 issue introduces John Wasson as a veteran newspaperman, beginning the role of surveyor general of Arizona Territory when it was made a separate survey district in 1870. Wasson’s political appointment stirred controversy; his early tenure included editing one of the most important newspapers in the territory and conducting his job...