TRAGIC JACK - Jack Swilling, Father of Phoenix

John William “Jack” Swilling, who established and later named the city of Phoenix, led an impressive and complex life as a scout, farmer, prospector, rancher, and entrepreneur. He fought in the war with Mexico, founded the Swilling Irrigation Canal Company, owned a number of mines, and captured Indian Chief Mangas Colorados to make New Mexico a safer place.

But Jack Swilling also had a dark side. He was addicted to opiate painkillers and alcohol and was accused of killing a dozen or so men – and even blamed to scalping one. Yet despite his many transgressions, he landed in jail for one he didn’t commit.

Falsely accused of a stagecoach robbery, Swilling languished in the Yuma County jail until he died a horrible death, just three weeks before the true guilty party was captured. He was buried in an unmarked grave and largely forgotten – until now.

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