It was also the year that parachutes, Oreo cookies and Life Savers candy were invented.
In the Gila Valley, four technological advances made life easier and more convenient.
Those advances follow:
 Telephone switchboards played an important role in communications in the Gila Valley in 1912.Photo by Jon Johnson |
Telephone service
Residents of southeastern Arizona experienced improvements in telephone service throughout the Valley. The big change in telephone service was a consolidation of the central phone offices of Thatcher and Safford. A new line was built along the railroad right-of-way to a new office where a bank of switchboards would be manned. This change meant that a person in Safford could be directly connected to a person in Thatcher without going through two separate switchboards. It wasn’t until several years later that Pima and Solomonville joined the consolidated service.
Pressurized water system
A new pressurized water system that was capable of moving water into kitchens took several years to complete. The idea was to eliminate outdoor hand pumps and buckets used to haul water into the house. One of the big complaints, though, was that water brought from sources on the mountain during the summer became muddy and often stopped running completely. Pressure came from the use of reservoirs built near Robinson Ranch, where the golf course was later located.
Electric light bulbs
Electric light bulbs began to replace candles and kerosene lamps, which were not only inefficient, but were fire hazards. L.G. Haby was the first to introduce electricity to homes and farms in the Valley. This advertisement from a 1912 issue of the Graham County Guardian was for a system for a single farm: “The Pony Motor operated on gasoline and had an open oil reservoir. It was connected to a direct current, or D.C. generator that was used to charge a bank of glass batteries that supplied direct current to light bulbs for lighting houses, hotels, and barns.”
Rail Service
Rail service improved travel to and from the Valley, and more modern conveniences were easily shipped to this rural area. The Southern Pacific Railroad that stopped at the Bowie Station became regular and reliable. Not only was passenger service both eastbound and westbound available, but even more important to the Valley was the importation of manufactured goods from all over the world.
Solomon-Wickersham wholesalers built a rail spur directly to its warehouse.
The company employed a full office of young men in white shirts and ties who entered detailed accounts of items to be distributed to local businesses.
Residents of southeastern Arizona experienced improvements in telephone service throughout the Valley. The big change in telephone service was a consolidation of the central phone offices of Thatcher and Safford. A new line was built along the railroad right-of-way to a new office where a bank of switchboards would be manned. This change meant that a person in Safford could be directly connected to a person in Thatcher without going through two separate switchboards. It wasn’t until several years later that Pima and Solomonville joined the consolidated service.
Pressurized water system
A new pressurized water system that was capable of moving water into kitchens took several years to complete. The idea was to eliminate outdoor hand pumps and buckets used to haul water into the house. One of the big complaints, though, was that water brought from sources on the mountain during the summer became muddy and often stopped running completely. Pressure came from the use of reservoirs built near Robinson Ranch, where the golf course was later located.
Electric light bulbs
Electric light bulbs began to replace candles and kerosene lamps, which were not only inefficient, but were fire hazards. L.G. Haby was the first to introduce electricity to homes and farms in the Valley. This advertisement from a 1912 issue of the Graham County Guardian was for a system for a single farm: “The Pony Motor operated on gasoline and had an open oil reservoir. It was connected to a direct current, or D.C. generator that was used to charge a bank of glass batteries that supplied direct current to light bulbs for lighting houses, hotels, and barns.”
Rail Service
Rail service improved travel to and from the Valley, and more modern conveniences were easily shipped to this rural area. The Southern Pacific Railroad that stopped at the Bowie Station became regular and reliable. Not only was passenger service both eastbound and westbound available, but even more important to the Valley was the importation of manufactured goods from all over the world.
Solomon-Wickersham wholesalers built a rail spur directly to its warehouse.
The company employed a full office of young men in white shirts and ties who entered detailed accounts of items to be distributed to local businesses.
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