James Edward [Jason] Hanna
21 Oct 1874 - 12 Nov 1939
diedCordes Junction, Arizona, USA
bornSmiths Landing, Arkansas, USA
SchooltblData
BiographyBlacksmith and roadbuilder.Came to Tempe in 1894.
Most of his early boyhood was spent in Texas and New Mexico. His family arrived in Flagstaff, AZ, by covered wagon from Lookout, NM, on 4 Jul 1888.
Within a few months, they established a farm on the Middle Verde. He was educated under the direction of the Reverend R. A. Windes, one of Arizona's
first teachers and missionary preachers, and later graduated from Prescott High School, and
came to Tempe in 1894, where he attended the Territorial Normal School.
After marrying Lula Pearl Gregg in 1897, they lived at the Niels Petersen ranch, where he worked.
He was in charge of all of the horse and mule shoeing during the hauling of construction materials to the Roosevelt Dam site. At other times he farmed, rode the range for several cattle outfits, including the J-R and C-R Ranches in the Baker Mountain country.
Worked for T. J. Parry in 1918.
Engineer at Pacific Creamery, 1919.
Worked in various capacities for the Salt River Valley Water Users' Association and began a
very successful road building career, working for 12 years as construction foreman for the Pacific Construction Company, paving contractors.
Worked five years as district foreman for the Maricopa County highway system. Was a truck operstor in 1923
He and his wife were killed in an automobile accident on the Black Canyon Highway south of
Cordes.
Was a member of the Good Templars Lodge, the Odd Fellows, and the Knights of Pythias.
Member of the American Legion in 1928.
Was an active deacon in the Tempe Christian Church.
Lived at the Niels Petersen Ranch (c1900), at a ranch 5 miles southeast of Tempe on Baseline Road (1906), on McAllister Avenue (1910), 920 Van Ness Avenue (1916, 1923, -25, -'26, '28), '30,-'31, '32; 943 Van Ness Avenue (1918), and 920 Van Ness Avenue (1924, '31).
OSB 52; OSB 87
BIO-Hanna
Old Settlers Collection, THM
Federal census (Tempe), 1900, 1910
Painter Scrapbook, p. 105
Tempe CD, 1905-1919, -23, -25, -'26, '28,'30, '31, '32
Tempe Telephone Directory, 1924
Double Butte Cemetery, Tempe
Person TypeIndividual
