Born at "Longwood", Prince Edward County, VA and reared at "Mildendo", Halifax County, VA, he received his advanced educational skills at Annapolis. According to his sister's account, he tired of schooling but stayed on at the request of his father until he resigned one month before graduation on May, 16, 1877. He wanted to make his fortune out west and traveled to San Francisco where he is found in 1878 as a freight clerk, in 1879 a book keeper; and on the 1880 census, he is working as a clerk for a stock broker. His domicile was the Russ House. His engineering skills enabled him to get a job as mine assistant in a smelter in Colorado for several years. In 1884 Austin is on the voter rolls in Benson, Az, a railroad hub. At that time he was the Superintendent of the Benson Smelter. He became the Superintendent of the Phoenix Stage Company and later Director and stock holder in the soon to be built Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad. By 1887 he was given the Superintendent and General Manager responsibilities to engineer and manage the excavation of the Highland Canal near Mesa, Arizona. While swimming with companions James Searles and T.L. Schultz at a deep bathing hole near his camp on late Thursday morning Sept. 13, 1888, he developed cramps and drowned in the Salt River. It was reported that his funeral was held the next day at the Lemon Hotel in Phoenix. The funeral procession started around 2 pm with six pall bearers and 64 carriages in attendance. His loss was sufficient cause for Territorial Gov. Zulick to travel to Phoenix on the 19th to ascertain how the canal construction would proceed. The St. John’s Herald wrote “He was a man of fine physique, kind-hearted, generous to a fault, always good-natured, and a better man never created.”
(Bio. by Jim Hutcheson)
(Bio. by Jim Hutcheson)
Born at "Longwood", Prince Edward County, VA and reared at "Mildendo", Halifax County, VA, he received his advanced educational skills at Annapolis. According to his sister's account, he tired of schooling but stayed on at the request of his father until he resigned one month before graduation on May, 16, 1877. He wanted to make his fortune out west and traveled to San Francisco where he is found in 1878 as a freight clerk, in 1879 a book keeper; and on the 1880 census, he is working as a clerk for a stock broker. His domicile was the Russ House. His engineering skills enabled him to get a job as mine assistant in a smelter in Colorado for several years. In 1884 Austin is on the voter rolls in Benson, Az, a railroad hub. At that time he was the Superintendent of the Benson Smelter. He became the Superintendent of the Phoenix Stage Company and later Director and stock holder in the soon to be built Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad. By 1887 he was given the Superintendent and General Manager responsibilities to engineer and manage the excavation of the Highland Canal near Mesa, Arizona. While swimming with companions James Searles and T.L. Schultz at a deep bathing hole near his camp on late Thursday morning Sept. 13, 1888, he developed cramps and drowned in the Salt River. It was reported that his funeral was held the next day at the Lemon Hotel in Phoenix. The funeral procession started around 2 pm with six pall bearers and 64 carriages in attendance. His loss was sufficient cause for Territorial Gov. Zulick to travel to Phoenix on the 19th to ascertain how the canal construction would proceed. The St. John’s Herald wrote “He was a man of fine physique, kind-hearted, generous to a fault, always good-natured, and a better man never created.”
(Bio. by Jim Hutcheson)
(Bio. by Jim Hutcheson)
Gravesite Details
His body was sealed in a metallic casket and brought to Phoenix by his fellow Tempe Patriotic Sons of America. His grave stone has been lost along with many others over the years due to vandalism and weather.
