MS 5 - s 1860-1950 Sharlot Hall Museum Library and Archives 415 West Gurley Street Prescott, AZ 86301 www.sharlot.org 7 inches of textual material and photographic negatives Biographical History Charles Baldwin Genung was born at Penn Yan, Yates County, New York July 22, 1839 to Oshea and Amanda Genung. He relocated to San Francisco with his mother in 1850. She established a daguerreotype gallery in Downieville while Genung worked for the Sierra Citizen, a small newspaper in north-central California. In 1858 Genung and his mother went to Hong Kong to engage in portrait photography. They remained in Hong Kong for a year and returned to California in early 1860. Late in the summer of 1863, with his health in poor condition, Genung left San Francisco with John R. Howard and John W. Beauchamp to Los Angeles, where they bought horses for travel to Sonora, Mexico for a better climate. However, before leaving Los Angeles, Genung heard about a large gold lode found at Rich Hill in Arizona and joined Cal Myers and Ben Weaver to redirect their journey to Arizona. The party crossed the Colorado River and proceeded to La Paz and then up the river bottom to Bill Williams Fork. They then traveled up Antelope Creek to Weaver where they purchased their first mining supplies. Traveling across the Bradshaws to the Hassayampa River, they began prospecting at the future site of the Walnut Grove Dam and proceeded to prospect up the river where they discovered the Montgomery (Climax) lode which became the first quartz mine located north of the Gila River. Genung voted in the first Territorial elections in 1864 and assisted Henry Wickenburg in building the first arrastra to extract gold at the famous Vulture Mine north of Wickenburg (It is rumored that Genung was the first to refer to the town as Wickenburg). In 1867, George W. Dent, brother-in-law to President Grant, placed Genung in charge of the Colorado River Reservation where Indian labor built the first irrigation canal paid for with federal funds in Arizona. In March of 1871, Genung had spent all his capitol and turned to farming. He homesteaded Peeples Valley and began to raise potatoes, corn, and beans. Genung continued to live out his life as a farmer and rancher in Peeples Valley and became one of the best known citizens of Yavapai County. Genung died at his home in Peeples Valley on August 18, 1916 at the age of 77 and is buried in Citizens Cemetery in Prescott. For more biographical information on Genung, refer to Death in his Saddlebags: Charles Baldwin Genung, Arizona Pioneer, by Dan B. Genung, Sunflower University Press, 1992.
Charles Baldwin Genung married Ida Elizabeth Hester Smith February 16, 1869 at San Bernadino, California. Ida came to Arizona with Charles Genung in 1869. Ida E.H. Smith Genung was born in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa (7 October 1848) and died in Prescott, Yavapai, Arizona (11 November 1933). Grace Genung Chapman, daughter of Charles and Ida Genung born (17 May 1884) Peeples Valley, Yavapai, Arizona Territory. Grace Chapman served as the Yavapai County recorder from 1923 to 1954. Grace also served as a volunteer to many organizations and became acquainted with Sharlot Hall. They became lifelong friends. Grace died in Yavapai County (1 May 1959). Scope and Content Collection contains manuscripts and published articles from Charles Baldwin Genung as well as personal correspondence and notes. The collection also includes family photographs and related family records. System of Arrangement The collection is arranged in the following series: Series 1: Manuscripts and Published Articles Series 2: Personal Correspondence and Notes Series 3: Genung Family Series 4: Genung Family Photographs* * Photos are copy negatives and are for reference only. Sharlot Hall Museum does not have rights to use and will not reproduce or grant permission to use. Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use Unpublished and published manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder. Languages and Scripts of the Materials All materials are in English. Finding Aids Previous finding aids exist and are available upon request. Accruals No further accruals are expected. Related Archival Material Charles Genung mining deeds: Box 087 (A-J)/Folder G, Box 312/Folder 008 Personal correspondence from Charles Genung also found in Sharlot Hall Collection Description Control Collection was processed by Lori Espinoza according to Describing Archives: a Content Standard (DACS) in December 2010. 2
Series 1: Manuscripts and Published Articles 1897-1911 4 inches textual materials Series consist of handwritten and typed manuscripts of published and unpublished material by Charles Baldwin Genung, includes a scrapbook of clippings of published articles. Series 1: Manuscripts and Published Articles File/Item # File/Item Description (s) Box/Folder Series 1-1 Manuscripts 1911 Box 1.1 Series 1-2 Manuscripts 1911 Box 1.2 Series 1-3 Manuscripts 1911 Box 1.3 Series 1-4 Manuscripts 1911 Box 1.4 Series 1-5 Manuscripts 1909-1911 Box 1.5 Series 1-6 Manuscripts and Articles 1897, circa 1911 Box 1.6 Series 1-7 Scrapbook 1911 Box 1.7 3
Series 2: Personal Correspondence and Notes 1867-1951 1 inch textual materials Series includes a personal notebook belonging to Charles Baldwin Genung, miscellaneous correspondence and personal notes. Series 2: Personal Correspondence and Notes File/Item # File/Item Description (s) Box/Folder Series 2-1 Personal Notebook 1909-1915 Box 1.7 Series 2-2 Personal Correspondence 1901-1951 Box 1.9 Series 2-3 Personal Notes 1867, circ.1911 Box 1.10 4
Series 3: Genung Family 1879-1948 1 inch textual material Series consist of miscellaneous letters, notes and clippings belonging to Ida Genung and Grace Genung Chapman. Series 3: Genung Family File/Item # File/Item Description (s) Box/Folder Series 3-1 Ida Genung 1933-1936 1.11 Series 3-2 Grace Genung Chapman 1912-1948 1.12 Series 3-3 Affidavit of Birth for Genung children, Letter to C.B. Genung 1879-1881, 1910 1.13 Series 3-4 Copies of Genung Livestock Brand certificates 1915-1931 1.14 Series 3-5 Miscellaneous Circ. 1911 1.15 5
Series 4: Genung Family Photographs 1850-1952 1 inch photographic negatives Series consists of copies of negatives of Genung, Chapman and Wilburn family taken by them, 1850s 1950s. An inventory of these copies can be found in the box. * Photos are copy negatives and are for reference only. Sharlot Hall Museum does not have rights to use and will not reproduce or grant permission to use. Series 4: Genung Family Photographs File/Item # File/Item Description (s) Box/Folder Series 4-1 Photo negative copies 1883-1944 Box 1.16 Series 4-2 Photo negative copies 1850-1952 Box 1.17 6