Henry Garfias facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Garfias
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Sheriff Garfias
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| Born |
Enrique Garfias
1851 |
| Died | May 8, 1896 |
| Occupation | Lawman, rancher, assessor, tax collector, constable, pound master, and street superintendent |
| Known for | Highest elected Mexican American official in Arizona during the 19th century |
| Opponent(s) | Various |
| Spouse(s) | Elena Redondo |
| Children | Louis Grafias |
| Parent(s) | Manuel Garfias and Maria Luisa Avila |
Henry Garfias (born Enrique Garfias; 1851–1896) was a brave lawman and the very first city marshal of Phoenix, Arizona. He was also known as a skilled gunfighter. During the 1800s, he became the highest-ranking elected Mexican American official in the Phoenix area.
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Henry Garfias' Early Life
Henry Garfias was born in Orange County, California. His parents were Manuel Garfias and Maria Luisa Avila. He grew up in Anaheim, California. His father had been a General in the Mexican Army and was very strict. When Henry was about 20 years old, he heard exciting stories about gold mines in Arizona. He decided to travel to Wickenburg to search for gold in the Vulture Mountains. In 1874, he moved to the new town of Phoenix.
Becoming a Deputy Sheriff in Phoenix
Even though Henry Garfias was slender and not very tall (about 5 feet 9 inches), he was strong and well-built. He spent a lot of time practicing his shooting skills. Soon, he was hired as a county deputy sheriff in Phoenix. People in town simply called him Sheriff "Henry" Garfias.
Phoenix was growing fast. Within a year of Garfias becoming a deputy, the town had many saloons and dance halls. The area was quite wild because the nearest military base, Fort McDowell, was over 30 miles away. This meant Garfias was often the main person keeping order. He was known for quickly responding to problems, which happened often, especially on Saturday nights.
The Mystery of the Ghost Bandit
Gillett was a mining town in the Bradshaw Mountains that had many problems with crime. Henry Seymour, the town's blacksmith, was secretly robbing the Wells Fargo stagecoach before it reached Gillett. In 1881, he robbed three coaches. No one suspected him because he was always back in his shop before the stagecoach arrived. The robber, who stole about $68,000, became known as the "Ghost Bandit."
Seymour usually hid the money he stole. But one time, he used some of the stolen money in a poker game at a local saloon. This made people suspicious.
Maricopa County Sheriff Lindley Orme sent Deputy Henry Garfias to investigate. Garfias spoke to witnesses who said they saw Henry Seymour, the blacksmith, with a rifle and several large sacks on the day of the last robbery. Garfias suspected Seymour was the Ghost Bandit and planned a clever trap.
When Garfias learned the next stagecoach was coming to Gillett, he hid near the Agua Fria crossing and waited. Soon, he saw Seymour, who was carrying a rifle. Garfias quickly arrested him.
Seymour was taken to Phoenix for trial and sent to prison. He never told anyone where he hid his treasure. After he was released from prison, he never returned to Gillett. This exciting case helped Henry Garfias become even more respected. He later became the first marshal of Phoenix.
Henry Garfias: Phoenix's First Marshal
In 1881, Phoenix officially became a town. Henry Garfias was chosen to be the town marshal. When the town held its first official election, he won. This made him the highest-ranking elected Mexican American official in the Phoenix area during the 1800s.
During his time as a lawman, Garfias faced many dangerous people. He was known for his courage and skill in handling difficult situations. For example, author Jeffrey R. Richardson wrote that Garfias once faced four cowboys who were causing trouble. Garfias, who was on foot, managed to stop them.
Another dangerous outlaw named Oviedo, also called the "Saber Slasher," hated Garfias and swore to harm him. One day, Garfias had a warrant to arrest Oviedo. When Oviedo saw Garfias, he grabbed his shotgun. Oviedo fired at Garfias but missed. Garfias then acted quickly, stopping the outlaw.
Later Years and Legacy
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Henry Garfias retired from his law enforcement duties in 1886. He lived on his ranch with his wife, Elena Redondo, whom he married in 1883, and their son, Louis Grafias, born in 1892.
He had a successful cattle ranch in Castle Springs. He also started a Spanish language newspaper called El Progreso with his brother-in-law, Francisco Xavier "Frank" Redondo. For 22 years, Garfias held various important public jobs, including assessor, tax collector, constable, pound master, and street superintendent.
By 1896, Garfias was not well. He was suffering from tuberculosis and pain from old injuries. On May 2, 1896, he was riding his horse when the animal threw him off and rolled on him. Garfias survived the fall at first, but he passed away seven days later. He was buried in the City Loosley Cemetery, which is part of the Pioneer and Military Memorial Park.
Newspapers at the time praised Henry Garfias. The Republican newspaper said:
The Phoenix Herald newspaper stated:
Henry Garfias was a truly important figure in Phoenix's history. It wasn't until 1954 that another person of Mexican descent, Adam Perez Diaz, was elected to the Phoenix City Council and became Vice-Mayor. And it took nearly a century for another Latino, Ruben B. Ortega, to become Phoenix's police chief in 1980.
See also
Arizona pioneers
- Mansel Carter
- Bill Downing
- Winston C. Hackett
- John C. Lincoln
- Paul W. Litchfield
- Joe Mayer
- William John Murphy
- Wing F. Ong
- Levi Ruggles
- Sedona Schnebly
- Michael Sullivan
- Trinidad Swilling
- Ora Rush Weed
- Henry Wickenburg
