The Pioneer & Military Memorial Park Cemeteries are filled with a history lessons about Phoenix, Arizona. Every tombstone has a story. Some are filled with dignity and honor. Some have shocking stories of murder and mayhem. Some people say that as you walk among the old tombstones, you can hear whispering and unexplained sounds.
Charles Peterson was born in Germany in 1851. He traveled to the United States and married his wife, Lena, in 1892. Together they had six wonderful children. Peterson lived in Phoenix for a great many years, was well known, and had lots of friends. He was in the brick business and lived in a cottage near his brickyard at the southern limit of the Linville Addition on the corner of Henshaw Rd and 3rd Street. (Street was between Lincoln and Buckeye Road)
Peterson had been riding his bicycle parallel with the street car and between the two tracks along 2nd Avenue and Washington Streets. This is very near to where the Phoenix Light Rail travels today. The car was slowing up as it approached the 2nd Avenue crossing and rang its bell. Mr. Peterson was in the lead for a just a short distance. He suddenly turned in front of the street car, his bicycle wheels slipped, and down he fell. One report stated that his pant legs became entangled in the sprocket or other mechanism of the bike. This caused the bike to jerk him right and across the trolley track.
His body lay diagonally across the South rail, his head turned outside the rail and his feet between the rails lying toward the approaching car. The motorman stopped as quick as he could, but the front wheel had already passed part way across Peterson’s body. It crushed the left side of his abdomen and lower part of his ribs--crushing the ribs over the heart. Charles Peterson died on December 28, 1904. He was only 53 years old. He was a member of the Oddfellows, United Workman, and Woodman of the World. His funeral was held at 2pm under the direction of these groups and he was buried in the IOOF section of the Pioneer & Military Park Memorial Cemetery.
With all the deaths centered around Washington Street and Central Avenue in Phoenix’s early days, don’t be surprise if you see a ghost.
You can come and visit Charles Peterson’s grave at the next open house at the Pioneer Cemetery open house on Sunday November 28, 2010.
Visit www.azhistcemeteries.com
Debe Branning nazanaza@aol.com
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