Henry A Proctor (1863-1927)

Henry A Proctor Family 1904Henry A. Proctor was born in Elliot, CA in 1863. Henry tried to come with his brothers to Arizona in 1876 but they sent him back on the stage after a whole day’s ride. In 1884, HAP came to the San Simon, AZ area where his brothers had a ranch.

HAP received a U.S. land patent in 1891. In 1896, he married Francisca P. Pierson in Pima county. They had four children Mary E. in 1898, Edward V. in 1901, Ann M. in 1902 and Walter M. in 1905. He purchased property in Pima county in 1905, 1908 and 1910. After 1910 he lived North of the Rillito river in the Tortalita mountains and west of Santa Catalinas. From 1915 to 1921 he bought and sold more property in Pima county.

In 1916, there was a fire at the barn on the ranch at Rillito. It was later deemed arson. In 1926, he was a plaintiff in a water rights lawsuit against Pima Farms Company. Proctor and Pima Farms were competing Santa Cruz River surface water appropriators. HAP was first in time and downstream. The court ruled Pima Farms could continue to pump even though it affected Proctor’s prior appropriation. But Pima Farms was required to provide Proctor water for what it cost him before Pima Farms’ appropriation. (Pima Farms Co. vs Proctor) He moved to California not long after the trial. He was a member of the Arizona Pioneer’s Historical Society and Elks Lodge.

Henry A Proctor with brother-in-laws Dowdle in the 1880s

Henry A Proctor with brother-in-laws Dowdle in the 1880s

He died at his home in Ocean Park, CA in 1927. He is buried at Evergreen Memorial Park.

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Family Line

George William Proctor III