OK, so here's part 1--it's as interesting as Part II described above.
Doesn't look like Smith lived in it.
Guy Bennett, the guy who subdivided the land died in 1904. One of his heirs E. J. Bennitt sold it to Clinton Campbell in 1908. Campbell, who owned many properties around the area held it as investment property until 1924 and sold it to Smith's company, the Phoenix Roofing Company, who then quickly mortgaged it to J.C. Phillips--probably the Arizona Governor John Calhoun Phillips.
I don't get how this happened, but at the end of 1928 Phillips foreclosed on Smith and bid on his own house at auction.
Smith died in 1931 in Rochester and I think he divorced by 1927. His son Tom, who I am certain lived in this house from 1921 - 1928, died around the same time--there appear to be some odd circumstances around this that I'm not sure about yet.
Phillips held onto the house for a while and during his tenure as governor, if its the same person. Judging by the considerations on the final deed between Phillips and the estate, there are two scenarios: The former Governor donated the house I'm in now for the war effort to Charles Luke for $1, or just wanted to further screw Smith's ex-wife Sarah Smith, who was left out of the will but sued the estate for interest.
In short, this house was owned by a former city councilmen, an acting governor, and the brother of a war hero. Hell yeah.
Prev
Linear Mode
