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Safford, Anson P. K.

Governor of the Arizona Territory from July 9, 1869 to April 5, 1877. (February 14, 1830 – December 15, 1891)[1]

President Ulysses S. Grant nominated Safford as Governor of the Arizona Territory and was sworn into office on July 9, 1869. He created a volunteer militia to deal with the problem of hostile Indians and assigned a military force guarding the road between Fort Yuma and Gila Bend from Mexican outlaws. He petitioned the territorial legislature to make highway robbery a capital offense and the construction of a territorial prison. Through these measures, Indian hostilities were greatly reduced and encouraged ranching to come into the territory. His favored project as governor was the creation and nurturing of a public school system. He oversaw the passage of a property tax to finance the construction and operation of schools in 1871.[1]

In May of 1872, Jedd Ferris was tried and convicted of bank robbery and the murder of a bank teller in Dry Springs and sentenced to hang for the crime. Ferris' attorney made an appeal to Safford and convinced him to commute the sentence to life in prison. This leniency cost Safford some important political friends, which he took as a personal affront.[2]

Bret Maverick, having learned of Ferris' innocence directly from the man who had truly shot and killed the bank teller in Dry Springs, visited Safford in his office[2] in March of 1877.[2] Bret told Safford the story of Lefty Dolan's dying confession, but the statement carried little weight with Safford. The reminder of the affair disturbed the governor and he refused to consider the appeal.[2]

After two terms as governor, Safford refused a third term and left the office on April 5, 1877. Out of office, he helped to finance mining interests in the territory. In the early 1880s, he sold his interests in mining and moved to Philadelphia and then to New York City. He retired to Florida and died in December of 1891.[2]

See: The Long Hunt