Ora Rush Weed
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Ora Rush Weed (October 6, 1868 – May 4, 1942) was a Methodist minister who founded Weedville, a small farming community in Arizona. Weedville's utilities are provided by the City of Peoria. The area is
unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to: * Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality * Unincorporated entity, a type of organization * Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...
which means that the land is not governed by Peoria, the local municipal corporation, instead it is administered by the county.


Early years

Ora Rush Weed was born in Hardin, Ray County in Missouri. He was married to Phoebe Pomeroy Weed with whom he had 7 children. Weed became an ordinated Methodist minister. Soon, he moved with his family moved to Anderson County, Kansas. He was stern as a minister and believed that Methodism was too soft in the teachings of Christianity. Therefore, he moved to Gridley, Coffery, Kansas and finally to the
Territory of Arizona The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...
in 1911.Arizona Republic
/ref>Peoria Historic Preservation
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Weedville, Arizona

In Arizona, together with his family and some followers, he homesteaded the area which is located within 71st. and 75th Aves. between Thunderbird Blvd. and Acoma Drive. Rev. Weed established the Old Path Church, cemetery (1921) and boarding school, and a small religious community developed around these structures. Rev. Weed named his church and cemetery "Old Path" after a passage from the bible in the book if Jeremiah which states the following:
/ref> Rev. Weed named the small religious community"Weedville" after himself. Weedville sustained itself with farming, sales from a small country store which he ran, and by making and selling brooms made from broomcorn which Rev. Weed established. The brooms were made by former prison inmates. Weed donated land and buildings to the Southwest Indian School.


Death

Weed died May 4, 1942 in Glendale, Arizona and was buried in the Old Paths Cemetery. He was survived by his wife and six of his seven children. The 160 acres was sold off, with the majority of the land going to the Southwest Indian School and other religious organizations. The private cemetery still exists today and is maintained by Weed's descendants. The original Old Path Church bell hangs on a post located in the grounds of the cemetery. The Southwest Indian School has become the Southwest Indian Ministry Center. Much of Weedville remains an unincorporated county island.


Historic structures of Weedville


In pop culture

Arizona Republic writer Jim Cook had a chapter on Weedville in his 2002 book, "Arizona Liars Journal", published by Cowboy Miner Productions; .Pulling Up Weedville
/ref>Historic Peoria Places
/ref>Peoria Local Links and Resources
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Further reading

* Gilbert, Kathleen (2004) ''More Than A Century of Peoria People, Progress, and Pride'' (Heritage Publishers)


See also

*
Weedville, Arizona Weedville is a populated place situated within the city limits of Peoria in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It was a small community founded in 1911, in an area which, at the time, was outside the city limits of Peoria. The area is loca ...
*
List of historic properties in Peoria, Arizona A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...


Arizona pioneers

*
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*
Bill Downing Bill Downing a.k.a. William F. Downing (1860 – August 5, 1908) was a notorious outlaw during the Wild West era in Arizona. Downing had fled from the Texas Rangers posse who was after him when he came to Arizona. In Arizona, he was involved in t ...
*
Henry Garfias Henry Garfias (born Enrique Garfias; 1851–1896) was the first city marshal of Phoenix, Arizona. He was also a gunfighter who became the highest elected Mexican American official in the valley during the 19th century. Early years Garfias was bo ...
* Winston C. Hackett * John C. Lincoln * Paul W. Litchfield *
Joe Mayer Joseph Mayer (1846 – November 27, 1909) was an American businessman, gold prospector and pioneer who founded the town of Mayer, Arizona. Early years Mayer (birth name: Joseph Hoffmayer) was born in Olean, New York, to French immigrants. He d ...
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William John Murphy William John Murphy (August 23, 1839 – April 17, 1923) was an American businessman, contractor, land developer and founder of the Arizona Improvement Company. He is also remembered as the "Founder of Glendale, Arizona" and an important contrib ...
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Wing F. Ong Wing Foon Ong (February 4, 1904 – December 19, 1977) was the first Chinese-American not born in the United States to be elected to a state House of Representatives when in 1946 he ran for the Arizona House of Representatives and won. In 1966, ...
*
Levi Ruggles Levi Ruggles (1824–1889) known as the "Father of Florence, Arizona" was a soldier and pioneer who founded the town of Florence, Arizona. Early years Ruggles was born in the state of Ohio. He was a carpenter by trade and also a school teacher. U ...
* Sedona Schnebly * Michael Sullivan *
Trinidad Swilling Trinidad Swilling Shumaker This name uses marriage naming customs; the first is the surname of her first husband ''"Swilling"'' and the second surname is of her second husband ''"Shumaker"''. (April 15, 1849 – December 27, 1925), known as "The M ...
*
Henry Wickenburg Henry Wickenburg (November 21, 1819 – May 14, 1905) was a Prussian prospector who discovered the Vulture Mine and founded the town of Wickenburg in the U.S. state of Arizona. Wickenburg never married. Mrs. Helene Holland inherited Wickenburg’ ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weed, Ora R. 1868 births 1942 deaths American city founders Arizona pioneers People from Ray County, Missouri People of the American Old West