Norman Lee Griffin
Born: 07 Oct 1834 – Otselic, Chenango, New York
Death: 28 May 1916 – Prescott, Yavapai, Arizona
Entered Pioneer Home Feb 6, 1911 at age 77
Lived there five years, four months
Norman Griffin was the second of six sons born to James Chipman Griffin and Delight Denison (1). He arrived in Prescott in 1863 at the age of 29 (2). Engaged in mining for many years, Griffin was also active in local politics. In 1880 he was a delegate to the Yavapai Republican County Convention (3).
He also joined with other key leaders of the region by becoming a Mason from the time Prescott's Aztlan Lodge was established (4). This was a key organization for civic involvement, as "it was here that the needs of the infant town were discussed and how these men of power and capital could see them achieved" (5).
Griffin is said to have built the first house erected in Globe, Arizona (6) as well as being one of the earliest settlers of Prescott.
Even before the Arizona Pioneers' Home was open Judge Griffin stated he wanted to be the first resident to enter the institution "as he was the first now living to arrive in the city" (7).Those early days in Arizona had many perils, not the least of which was horse and buggy travel. In 1899 Judge Griffin was involved in a serious accident two miles west of town when he had gone riding with Mrs. M. A. Vickroy of Alexandria, Virginia who was visiting in this vicinity "to recuperate her health". As reported in the Weekly Journal Miner the fatal runaway accident occurred when "a small dog ran out at the horse's heels, frightening the animal and causing it to run away, both occupants of the buggy being thrown out. Judge Griffin sustained quite serious injuries, remaining unconscious for two hours. Mrs. Vickroy was thrown so violently to the ground as to cause concussion the the brain." She later died from her injuries (8).
Three years prior to that incident a Mr. John Bowers of Lynx creek was brought to the Sisters' hospital at Prescott suffering from two knife wounds in his chest. He swore to a warrant charging N. L. Griffin with committing the deed (9). No follow up articles appeared regarding this incident.
While Mr. Griffin is referred to as "Judge" in many different newspaper articles related to his various mining claims, no record was found of him actually having served as a judge. He remained single and died in 1916 after an illness of less than two weeks (4).
Works Cited
1. FamilySearch PIN 9KBL-D6K https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/9KBL-D6K
2. Newspapers.com "Honored Pioneer Celebrates Birthday". Weekly Journal -Miner. 12 Oct 1910.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/42319722/?terms=Honored%20Pioneer%20Celebrates%20Birthday&match=1
3. Newspapers.com "Republicans in Council!! County Organization". The Weekly Arizona Miner (Prescott, Arizona). 30 July 1880. Fri.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/49588600/?terms=N%20L%20Griffin&match=1
4. Newspapers.com. "Over the Divide Goes Popular Pioneer". Weekly Journal-Miner (Prescott, Arizona) 31 May 1916. Wed.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/42314536/?terms=Pioneer.%2B%2BGriffin
5. Desmond, Drew. PrescottAZHistory. "Arizona's First Masons Helped Steer Early Prescott". Aug 19, 2018. http://prescottazhistory.blogspot.com/2018/08/arizonas-first-masons-helped-steer.html
6. Newspapers.com "Sketch of N. L. Griffin". Arizona Republic (Phoenix, Arizona). 16 Jul 1900. Mon. https://www.newspapers.com/image/42161869/?terms=N%20L%20Griffin&match=1
7. Newspapers.com. "Honored Pioneer Celebrates Birthday". Weekly Journal -Miner. 12 Oct 1910. Wed.https://www.newspapers.com/image/42319722/?terms=Honored%20Pioneer%20Celebrates%20Birthday&match=1
8. Newspapers.com. "A Fatal Accident". Weekly Journal-Miner (Prescott, Arizona). 22 Nov 1899. Wed. https://www.newspapers.com/image/39805198/?terms=N%20L%20Griffin&match=1
9. Newspapers.com "News in a Nutshell". Arizona Republic (Phoenix, Arizona). 22 Sep 1896. Tues.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/168681958/?terms=N%20L%20Griffin&match=1
Honored Pioneer Celebrates Birthday
Judge N. L. Griffin, the premier of the Hassayampa colony, celebrates today his 77th anniversary, and with that ripe age, he is also recalling the distant days of his early arrival and turns back the leaves in the Book of Time to 1863, as the year when he first came to Prescott to reside. In the latter record, he can truthfully say that he is the pioneer living resident of the city, and one of the oldest in the Territory at large, either one of which noteworthy distinctions cannot be appreciated in this generation, when it is taken into consideration what the pioneer passed through in privations and the perils that faced all in the era of the Apache warfare.
In a reminiscent mood yesterday, he related many interesting events of pioneer days. He camped on what is now the Plaza before there was a house in the city. This was in June of 1863. Later, when the gubernatorial party reached Chino Valley, and after Surveyor General Clark drove the first official stake in the ground at the old Dougherty building, in West Prescott, and designated it as the permanent capital of Arizona, Prescott came into existence. With the townsite established, Arizona received its first real estate boom. One locater of land was followed by another, and with the rush Mr. Griffin got into line and erected a snug little cabin of hewn logs on the identical corner that is today occupied by the Malvernon brick block, on the corner of Granite and Gurley streets. At the time the total habitations in the city could be counted on the fingers of both hands. As the town commenced to grow, and with the prestige of being the capital of Arizona, it was but a few months when the buildings could be counted by the score, and many were quite pretentious.
Judge Griffin found the little cabin inadequate and with the late Calvin Jackson, in 1864, erected on adjoining ground to the east of his original cabin, an adobe building, 50 x 100 feet, which withstood the ravages of time until the big fire of 1900 wiped it out of existence.
Judge Griffin in many instances relates interesting experiences, in which the struggle between the white and the red man followed for supremacy in the little hamlet and surrounding country. But the paleface triumphed and in a few years Prescott was big enough to get on the map as a desirable haven for prospector and explorer.
Judge Griffin reached Tucson in October, 1862, arriving from the Trinidad mine, in Sonora, where he was manager of the commercial interests of the company. He accompanied a wing of the Walker party to Rich Hill from that city, and verifies the fabulous wealth in native gold that was taken out by the original locators, which he estimates at several hundred thousand dollars, or as he aptly expresses it, "God only knows how much."
All the ground being taken up at that point, he came on to Lynx Creek, where he found one hundred miners at work. This was early in 1863. At the time thousands of people were rushing into the country, all attracted by the strike on Rich Hill. Soon they commenced to run to all sections, and in a few months every locality that had any colors in the gravel, was teeming with activity.
The arrival of the white man resulted in the Indian disputing his right. They wanted pay for the water, the grass was their, the timber belonged to the squaws to build fires, and from these grievances the crack of the rifle was heard and the devilish Indian war began. It raged for ten long years, and soon the country was almost depopulated.
Judge Griffin is as hale and hearty as men half his age, and stated that when the Pioneer home is opened he desires to be the first admitted to the institution, as he was the first now living to arrive in the city where it is located.
He is a New Yorker by birth, and Shenango county is the plicae where he first saw light. He has resided in this city continuously for over forty seven years, and in that time has never left the county for a longer period than one month. In the vernacular of the day, "This is going some."
Newspapers.com. Weekly Journal -Miner. 12 Oct 1910. Wed.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/42319722/?terms=Honored%20Pioneer%20Celebrates%20Birthday&match=1
1914 Visit From Brother
First Time in 60 Years They Meet (From Wednesday's Daily)
An epoch in the lives of two men occurred in Prescott on Monday when M. E. Griffin of Spencer, Iowa and his brother, Judge N. L. Griffin of thes city, met for the first time in over sixty years. Both have passed the goal of attaining the three score and ten mark and with that feat they are the only remaining ones on earth of what was originally a large family.
The visitor is yet active in business cares and at present is a leading banker in his home city. He is en route to the coast for the winter, and on his return trip East will again visit Prescott. He desires to have his brother take the back track over the old Santa Fe trail to the homestead of their boyhood days and it is probably the Hassayamper may decide to go and "grow up" with the county.
Mr. Griffin states that he has been engaged in the banking business under one roof since 1870, or for forty-four consecutive years, and when half a century is clipped off he proposes to retire as the directors are anxious to make a cleanup and get into new and modern quarters.
The visiting Griffin is charmed with Prescott's climate and stated he does not believe in reprimanding the prodigal son for coming to this country and staying so closely by it under the ideal conditions that are apparent in prolonging one's life, as there is an elixir in the ozone that is simply indisputable. "Maybe I'll try the medicine on the trip back if the Eastern business situation is agreeable,' was his closing remark as both got aboard the train for the north.
Newspapers.com. "First Time in 60 Years They Meet " Weekly Journal-Miner (Prescott, Arizona) 11 Feb 1914. Wed. https://www.newspapers.com/image/42312538/?terms=Judge%2BN.%2BL.%2BGriffin
Obituary
Newspapers.com. Weekly Journal-Miner (Prescott, Arizona)
31 May 1916. Wed.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/42314536/?terms=Pioneer.%2B%2BGriffin
Over The Divide Goes Popular Pioneer
(From Saturday’s Daily.)
After an illness of less than two weeks, the summons came yesterday to Judge
Norman L. Griffin, at the Pioneers’ Home in this city, from an affliction of
the brain. He was suddenly stricken ill
while conversing with friends on the plaza, and immediately thereafter lapsed
into an unconscious state, from which he never rallied until the day before
death came.
The passing of this pioneer Arizonan, takes away the oldest resident of
Prescott and one also of the best known and most beloved of men. He arrived in this section from Tucson on
June 7, 1863, or nearly six months before the gubernatorial party reached the
boundary line of Arizona, to officially proclaim the founding of the new
territory on December 29, 1863, at Navajo Springs. Of a party of zigat who made the perilous
trip from the south to the north, he is the last to be summoned. His early-day life in this section was
upright in all dealings and his citizenship was exemplary.
Characteristic of the early-day resident, Judge Griffin was kind, generous and
genial. He extended help to the
struggling and his old cabin on Lynx Creek was always open with a kind greeting
and warm welcome to any. He followed
mining, and prospered therefrom in later years.
One conspicuous trait of his long life was his fidelity to the cause of
Masonry, with which order he had affiliated for over 58 years. He became a member of this organization at
Plover, Wis., in 1858, and two years later was of a party who sought adventure
In the Southwest, arriving in 1860 at Tucson. The morale of the organization remained
intact until after their arrival in this section, all settling on Lynx creek
and at Rich Hill.
Judge Griffin was born in the state of New York on October
7, 1833, reaching the ripe age of 83 years.
He had been a member of Aztlan Lodge of Masons of this city since its
creation over 51 years ago, clinging faithfully and zealously to its faith from
beginning to end. He is survived by only
one near relative, a brother, residing at Benton Harbor, Mich., who also has
reached an advanced age and will not be able to come to Prescott to attend the
funeral.
