Edwin A. Rigg (sometimes spelled Riggs) was born in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Went to California in 1849. Was a member of the California Column. After leaving the army he stayed in the Southwest. In 1881 he moved to Contention City where he was a justice of the peace. Cause of death was pneumonia. In 1938 there was a movement to have his body removed to Tombstone.
George Hand indicated in his Contention City Diary: "May 30, 1882, Judge Wallace, Bill Bradley & myself, accompanied by Rip [George Hand's favorite dog], went with a big basket of flowers to the cemetery and decorated the graves of of the late Col. E. A. Rigg & William Petty."
Note* After nearly half a dozen hikes to the San Pedro River area I finally located what was left of the Contention City Cemetery. Unfortunately there are no headstones left in the cemetery. Long ago the cemetery used to be enclosed by a wooden picket fence. If you look carefully at the cemetery photo you can still see some of the picket fence boards laying on the ground. Sadly it appears that all of the graves have been robbed or perhaps exhumed by legitimate means? Shallow depressions in the ground mark the locations of the individual grave sites. My guess is that no more than a dozen people were buried there. A post office was opened at Contention in April 1880. A Cochise County census in 1882 showed 452 people living there. The post office was closed in November 1888.
findagrave volunteer: Steve (#47394147), has provided the following information:
Colonel Edwin Augustus
Atlee Rigg was commander of the 1st California Infantry. He mustered out with his regiment at Los Pinos, NM, on Oct. 13, 1866. He married Emma A. Cooper (1842-1925) at Mesilla, NM, on Nov. 26, 1862. His daughter, Sarah
Adelia Rigg, was born at Ft. Craig, NM, on Dec. 5, 1863. He was a member of Tombstone's Burnside Post, Grand Army of the Republic.
Findagrave volunteer #47086228 has provided additional information:
Mr. Rigg was the assistant post master, along with being the JP...he also became a notary public.
Bibliography:
George Hand's Contention City Diary, 1882. Transcribed and edited by Neil B. Carmony.
Cochise County Stalwarts by: Lynn R. Bailey and Don Chaput.
See #3691400 William Bradley and #20024774 George Hand.
George Hand indicated in his Contention City Diary: "May 30, 1882, Judge Wallace, Bill Bradley & myself, accompanied by Rip [George Hand's favorite dog], went with a big basket of flowers to the cemetery and decorated the graves of of the late Col. E. A. Rigg & William Petty."
Note* After nearly half a dozen hikes to the San Pedro River area I finally located what was left of the Contention City Cemetery. Unfortunately there are no headstones left in the cemetery. Long ago the cemetery used to be enclosed by a wooden picket fence. If you look carefully at the cemetery photo you can still see some of the picket fence boards laying on the ground. Sadly it appears that all of the graves have been robbed or perhaps exhumed by legitimate means? Shallow depressions in the ground mark the locations of the individual grave sites. My guess is that no more than a dozen people were buried there. A post office was opened at Contention in April 1880. A Cochise County census in 1882 showed 452 people living there. The post office was closed in November 1888.
findagrave volunteer: Steve (#47394147), has provided the following information:
Colonel Edwin Augustus
Atlee Rigg was commander of the 1st California Infantry. He mustered out with his regiment at Los Pinos, NM, on Oct. 13, 1866. He married Emma A. Cooper (1842-1925) at Mesilla, NM, on Nov. 26, 1862. His daughter, Sarah
Adelia Rigg, was born at Ft. Craig, NM, on Dec. 5, 1863. He was a member of Tombstone's Burnside Post, Grand Army of the Republic.
Findagrave volunteer #47086228 has provided additional information:
Mr. Rigg was the assistant post master, along with being the JP...he also became a notary public.
Bibliography:
George Hand's Contention City Diary, 1882. Transcribed and edited by Neil B. Carmony.
Cochise County Stalwarts by: Lynn R. Bailey and Don Chaput.
See #3691400 William Bradley and #20024774 George Hand.
Edwin A. Rigg (sometimes spelled Riggs) was born in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Went to California in 1849. Was a member of the California Column. After leaving the army he stayed in the Southwest. In 1881 he moved to Contention City where he was a justice of the peace. Cause of death was pneumonia. In 1938 there was a movement to have his body removed to Tombstone.
George Hand indicated in his Contention City Diary: "May 30, 1882, Judge Wallace, Bill Bradley & myself, accompanied by Rip [George Hand's favorite dog], went with a big basket of flowers to the cemetery and decorated the graves of of the late Col. E. A. Rigg & William Petty."
Note* After nearly half a dozen hikes to the San Pedro River area I finally located what was left of the Contention City Cemetery. Unfortunately there are no headstones left in the cemetery. Long ago the cemetery used to be enclosed by a wooden picket fence. If you look carefully at the cemetery photo you can still see some of the picket fence boards laying on the ground. Sadly it appears that all of the graves have been robbed or perhaps exhumed by legitimate means? Shallow depressions in the ground mark the locations of the individual grave sites. My guess is that no more than a dozen people were buried there. A post office was opened at Contention in April 1880. A Cochise County census in 1882 showed 452 people living there. The post office was closed in November 1888.
findagrave volunteer: Steve (#47394147), has provided the following information:
Colonel Edwin Augustus
Atlee Rigg was commander of the 1st California Infantry. He mustered out with his regiment at Los Pinos, NM, on Oct. 13, 1866. He married Emma A. Cooper (1842-1925) at Mesilla, NM, on Nov. 26, 1862. His daughter, Sarah
Adelia Rigg, was born at Ft. Craig, NM, on Dec. 5, 1863. He was a member of Tombstone's Burnside Post, Grand Army of the Republic.
Findagrave volunteer #47086228 has provided additional information:
Mr. Rigg was the assistant post master, along with being the JP...he also became a notary public.
Bibliography:
George Hand's Contention City Diary, 1882. Transcribed and edited by Neil B. Carmony.
Cochise County Stalwarts by: Lynn R. Bailey and Don Chaput.
See #3691400 William Bradley and #20024774 George Hand.
George Hand indicated in his Contention City Diary: "May 30, 1882, Judge Wallace, Bill Bradley & myself, accompanied by Rip [George Hand's favorite dog], went with a big basket of flowers to the cemetery and decorated the graves of of the late Col. E. A. Rigg & William Petty."
Note* After nearly half a dozen hikes to the San Pedro River area I finally located what was left of the Contention City Cemetery. Unfortunately there are no headstones left in the cemetery. Long ago the cemetery used to be enclosed by a wooden picket fence. If you look carefully at the cemetery photo you can still see some of the picket fence boards laying on the ground. Sadly it appears that all of the graves have been robbed or perhaps exhumed by legitimate means? Shallow depressions in the ground mark the locations of the individual grave sites. My guess is that no more than a dozen people were buried there. A post office was opened at Contention in April 1880. A Cochise County census in 1882 showed 452 people living there. The post office was closed in November 1888.
findagrave volunteer: Steve (#47394147), has provided the following information:
Colonel Edwin Augustus
Atlee Rigg was commander of the 1st California Infantry. He mustered out with his regiment at Los Pinos, NM, on Oct. 13, 1866. He married Emma A. Cooper (1842-1925) at Mesilla, NM, on Nov. 26, 1862. His daughter, Sarah
Adelia Rigg, was born at Ft. Craig, NM, on Dec. 5, 1863. He was a member of Tombstone's Burnside Post, Grand Army of the Republic.
Findagrave volunteer #47086228 has provided additional information:
Mr. Rigg was the assistant post master, along with being the JP...he also became a notary public.
Bibliography:
George Hand's Contention City Diary, 1882. Transcribed and edited by Neil B. Carmony.
Cochise County Stalwarts by: Lynn R. Bailey and Don Chaput.
See #3691400 William Bradley and #20024774 George Hand.
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