John Henry Dobson
ABT 1874 - 1949
diedLong Beach, California, USA
bornNorth Gore, Ontario, Canada
SchooltblData
BiographyRancher.He came to Arizona in 1890 to work for his brother, Wilson Wesley Dobson. He rented 80 acres near Mesa, which he later purchased. He returned to Canada, c1894, and operated a general store at Rouleax, Saskatchewan, and started raising wheat. When the construction of Roosevelt Dam was completed in 1911, he returned to Mesa with his family and expanded his land holdings by homesteading land near what is now Dobson and Baseline roads.
He served on the Board of Governors of the Salt River Project, and became president of the Salt River Valley Water Users Association, 1930-1932.
He was one of the first large-scale cattle feeders in the Valley, and at the height of his operations, fed about 20,000 head of cattle a year. He also raised wheat, and served briefly as president of the Hayden Milling Company in Tempe, c1916. In 1929 he bought the George Scott Sheep Company in Show Low. The sheep were pastured in the White Mountains during the summer months, and then driven down to alfalfa pastures near Chandler for the winters. He later acquired the Duffield Sheep Company, which was based in the Superstition Mountains. Dobson was also closely associated with Dr. A. J. Chandler, owned business properties in the Town of Chandler, and built his home in the center of the San Marcos Golf Course. With another associate, John Andersen, he established the State Land Bank in Chandler. In 1930 was a rancher. In 1930, 1931, -'32 lived at 247 E 8th. In 1932 was pres of Salt River Vslley Water Users Assn. In 1936 was a cattle feeder
H. Clifford Dobson obit, TDN, Aug 1970
The Taming of the Salt (SRP), p. 126-130
Double Butte Cemetery, Tempe
Tempe CD, 1916-1917,-'30, '31, '32, '36, '38
Person TypeIndividual