Pitts, James A.

James A. Pitts was born on February 13, 1869 in Polk County, Missouri. He and his brother William (Bill) spent their boyhood in Missouri, Texas, and New Mexico, during which time the family picked cotton, herded sheep, farmed, ranched, and worked for the Santa Fe Railroad. In 1887, the Pitts moved to Flagstaff. While in school, young James met-and become lifelong friends with - Henry Fountain Ashurst, the future "Silver Tongued Orator" who represented Arizona in the U.S. Senate for decades.

In 1889, James Pitts began working for the railroad depot; he also worked as a deputy sheriff and tax collector. He became an active member of the Flagstaff community, participating in Methodist-Episcopal Church activities and literary clubs. Pitts married Eva Ashurst, Henry's sister in September, 1890. It appears the couple had two children, Harvey and Albert. The family moved to Needles, California in 1883, where James had work with the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. Late in 1894, Pitts moved to Williams, where he was employed as a bookkeeper by shop owner Max Salzman.

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