Doing some research on my great-grandmother, Emmie (Moiwer) Smith's family, I came across a cousin whose had the unusual name of Arioch Wentworth and his surprising connection to Tombstone, Arizona, site of the famous O.K. Corral gunfight.
Arioch Wentworth
Arioch Wentworth was born in Corinna, Maine on October 2, 1850, the son of Horace and Sarah (Buxton) Wentworth. He was the only surviving son as he was the third male child born to his parents but the only one to survive infancy. His parents moved to Benton, Maine in 1856 and appear on the 1860 census there with him and his two older sisters with his father listed as a farmer. By 1870, the family had settled in Vassalboro, Maine where his father now owned a tanning and carrier shop and appears to have been doing very well based on his personal wealth. Arioch who now 19, was listed as working in his father's shop. According to his biography in the Bisbee Daily Review in 1919, "after his schooling had been completed, he worked for his father until 1880."
Arioch married Ellen R Hussey on May 6 1874 in Vassalboro, Maine and they had one son, Horace Bartholomew Wentworth born July 2, 1877 also born in Vassalboro. But as his above Bio stated he worked with his father until 1880 and it seems domestic family life was not what Arioch really wanted, as we learn by 1880, "he took up railroading and slowly grifting westward until he arrived at Fairbank in February 1885." Fairbank being a now famous ghost town in Arizona. I like the description of his "slowly grifting westward" as grift means "made money dishonestly as in a swindle, to engage in petty or small scale swindling." No further details on his grift, but it implies he may have been earning a living in a not so reputable manner. Also, Arioch abandoned his wife and son in Maine. By 1880, his family was living with relatives in Maine, eventually his son and wife settling in Portland, Maine. His wife, Ellen did not file for divorce until 1896 when she petitioned for the divorce from Arioch Wentworth on the grounds of utter desertion for more than 3 consecutive years. The divorce was decreed on February 4, 1897. The 1900 and 1910 census records do list Arioch as divorced, until 1920, when he was listed as a widower. This change may have been that he received notice that his former wife had died in 1919 in Maine.
Undated photo of Arioch Wentworth from Find-a-Grave
Arioch continued on with the New Mexico and Arizona railroad in Fairbank where voting records show that he was a clerk and then an agent for Wells Fargo. Arioch arrived in Tombstone, Arizona in 1892, then a well known mining camp town from the O.K. gunfight that had taken place just eleven years before he arrived in 1881. Once in Tombstone, he quickly became engaged in Public life being elected County Recorder for Cochise County for two terms and then elected County Treasurer for two terms. He invested in many of the businesses of Tombstone and became quite successful citizen. He was elected Mayor of Tombstone beginning in 1903 and only missing a few terms until 1910. He maintained the Tombstone Billiard Parlor until he retired in 1912 and sold his interests in the business. Arioch became a Justice of the Peace for Cochise County which he continued after he retired.
"Mayor, A. Wentworth, a staunch Democrat. When McKinley was elected, Wentworth said he wouldn’t cut his hair till we had a Democratic president. His locks were long and white before his dream came true.” Arizona Cattlelog, November 1949, Arizona Cattle Growers Association. President McKinley was elected in 1897 and followed by Theodore Roosevelt and Howard Taft. It wouldn't be until 1912, when Woodrow Wilson was elected that he would have cut his hair.
According to biography of Cochise County Treasurer's Office " Mayor Wentworth was a colorful character about Tombstone. He was famous for making 'jackrabbit' punch, was catcher on the 'Vinegarones' baseball team and had a bunch of cats. His pet cat family included 'Pete and Smoky,' accomplished trick cats who even turned summersaults."
In 1919, his most unique claim was being part of the Chinese Masons.
It is unclear how much contact Arioch had with his son and family in Maine after leaving his wife and son behind while he moved west to become a local success. The above newspaper account included that Arioch had a son, Horace living in Portland, Maine and two granddaughters, Elena and Cynthia Wentworth which implies that he had some knowledge of his family in Maine. Arioch probably maintained contact with his sister, Ruth Jones of Readfield, Maine as he named her in his will dated 1912. She may have kept him up to date on his son and family in Maine.
In 1920, Arioch Wentworth was 69 years old, a widower, and was renting a home on Fourth Street. He was listed as a Justice of the Peace and making a wage on his own account.
Arioch Wentworth died on March 2, 1921 in Tombstone, Arizona. His funeral was a rather big production for Tombstone and reveals how popular Arioch was the area at that time.
Bisbee Daily Review, March 3, 1921
Although, it is not known how close he was to his only son, but Horace did travel to Tombstone to settle things.
The Will of Arioch Wentworth which was dated January 2, 1912 asked that his funeral expenses be paid from his estate. He left $100 to his sister, Ruth Jones of Readfield, Maine and all the rest of his estate was left to his "Beloved son, Horace B. Wentworth" of Portland, Maine.
