Dave W. Girdner - Photos

Before 1935

This is a collection of photos of the "Arizona Girdners" prior to 1935

Here are some school photos taken in front of the first school at Oak Creek (District 16). The upper photo is from about 1909 and the lower from 1913.
In the upper photo, my grandfather, J. P. (James Pleasant) Girdner is on the right end of the back row. His three boys are in second row on right. Glen (light shirt with hat), Dale (eating a biscuit), and Stanley (looking down). Eva is on the right-front, looking to the right.
The "shack" we (older folk) have often referred to was also on the Girdner Ranch to house the school teacher.
(Dave W. Girdner, 13 March 1999)
Click on images for full-size photos.

My uncle Glen, with honorable discharge from the Army in January 1919 negotiated a three-year contract as a mail carrier. Parcel Post was new and his 64 mile route required traversing Oak Creek 14 times (up and back) from the Cornville post office to the next post office (on the Thompson ranch at Indian Gardens), seven miles up-creek from Sedona.
As was usual for that day, Glen rode a horse, or rode the horse leading a pack mule, and/or with the heavier holiday mail, drove a buggy. Primitive roads meant that he left Cornville on Monday ate lunch at the Dumas place at Red Rock where when needed he kept a fresh team in pasture. After staying the night at the end of his route, he'd deliver the return mail in a similar fashion, arriving home Tuesday evening. This mail run was (normally) repeated on Saturday and Sunday.
Spring floods would sometimes delay mail as 14 creek crossings were reduced as needed and some homes delivered to only as various modified routes could be negotiated. Some flood occasions found Glen camping overnight(s) until the water subsided sufficiently to cross.
Click on image for full-size photo.

My father, Dale H. Girdner claims that his older brother Glen invented "air mail" as sometimes with flooding from mountain snow runoff, he would literally throw some mail in a bag across a narrow gorge in the canyon.
p.s. My grandfather, J. P. Girdner, met a Mr. William A. Clark on the train from Kansas to Jerome in 1907. He was so impressed with this man, a senator from Montana, who purchased major interests in local mining operations, that Grandpa changed his oldest son Glen's middle name to "Clark". Later a new "planned company town" was named "Clarkdale". Senator Clark wanted the best and this community was designed to reduce crime and to promote family safety (in contrast to fire-prone and crime-renowned Jerome). During following years, Clarkdale was referred to by the locals as "The New Town".
p.p.s Due a Postal Department mistake, Cornville was (mis)named for a prominent regional rancher, Henry Mortimer Cohen.
(Dave W. Girdner, 13 March 1999 - reference pix: glenMail.JPG & MailGlen.JPG)
Click on image for full-size photo.

This is a collection of photos of the "Arizona Girdners" prior to 1935
	Here are some school photos taken in front of the first school at Oak Creek (District 16). The upper photo is from about 1909 and the lower from 1913. In the upper photo, my grandfather, J. P. (James Pleasant) Girdner is on the right end of the back row. His three boys are in second row on right. Glen (light shirt with hat), Dale (eating a biscuit), and Stanley (looking down). Eva is on the right-front, looking to the right. The "shack" we (older folk) have often referred to was also on the Girdner Ranch to house the school teacher. (Dave W. Girdner, 13 March 1999) Click on images for full-size photos.
My uncle Glen, with honorable discharge from the Army in January 1919 negotiated a three-year contract as a mail carrier. Parcel Post was new and his 64 mile route required traversing Oak Creek 14 times (up and back) from the Cornville post office to the next post office (on the Thompson ranch at Indian Gardens), seven miles up-creek from Sedona. As was usual for that day, Glen rode a horse, or rode the horse leading a pack mule, and/or with the heavier holiday mail, drove a buggy. Primitive roads meant that he left Cornville on Monday ate lunch at the Dumas place at Red Rock where when needed he kept a fresh team in pasture. After staying the night at the end of his route, he'd deliver the return mail in a similar fashion, arriving home Tuesday evening. This mail run was (normally) repeated on Saturday and Sunday. Spring floods would sometimes delay mail as 14 creek crossings were reduced as needed and some homes delivered to only as various modified routes could be negotiated. Some flood occasions found Glen camping overnight(s) until the water subsided sufficiently to cross. Click on image for full-size photo.
	My father, Dale H. Girdner claims that his older brother Glen invented "air mail" as sometimes with flooding from mountain snow runoff, he would literally throw some mail in a bag across a narrow gorge in the canyon. p.s. My grandfather, J. P. Girdner, met a Mr. William A. Clark on the train from Kansas to Jerome in 1907. He was so impressed with this man, a senator from Montana, who purchased major interests in local mining operations, that Grandpa changed his oldest son Glen's middle name to "Clark". Later a new "planned company town" was named "Clarkdale". Senator Clark wanted the best and this community was designed to reduce crime and to promote family safety (in contrast to fire-prone and crime-renowned Jerome). During following years, Clarkdale was referred to by the locals as "The New Town". p.p.s Due a Postal Department mistake, Cornville was (mis)named for a prominent regional rancher, Henry Mortimer Cohen. (Dave W. Girdner, 13 March 1999 - reference pix: glenMail.JPG & MailGlen.JPG) Click on image for full-size photo.