many accounts he was a joker and yarn spinner and while drinking he spread tall tales about his exploits to all who would listen. Friends remembered Jack Swilling as an honest, hard-working, and generous man always ready to help those in need of a meal or a place to sleep. He was known to put his own life at risk for others, literally riding to the rescue when help was needed in the face of an Apache attack. On Thursday afternoon, February 19, 1931, the Maricopa Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, in a simple ceremony with the presence of Arizona Governor George W. P. Hunt, unveiled and dedicated to the memory of Jack and Trinidad Swilling, a fountain which stands in the park directly in front of the courthouse building in Phoenix. The fountain has a small bronze plaque with the following inscription: "In memory of Lieut. Jack W. Swilling, 1831–1878, who built the first modern irrigation ditch, and Trinidad, his wife, 1850–1925, who established in 1868 the first pioneer home in the Salt River Valley." See also Phoenix, Arizona List of historic properties in Black Canyon City, Arizona References Notes Further reading Bates, Albert R. (2008) Jack Swilling: Arizona's Most Lied About Pioneer (Wheatmark Publishing Co., Tucson, AZ) Wilson, R. Michael (2007) Tragic Jack: The True Story of Arizona Pioneer John William Swilling (TwoDot) External links Jack Swilling Exhibit, 1992 with historic documents and photos, at Salt River Project Swilling's cabin in Black Canyon City 1830 births 1878 deaths Confederate States Army officers Arizona folklore American city founders People from Anderson, South Carolina American military personnel of the Mexican–American War Military personnel from Phoenix, Arizona Businesspeople from Phoenix, Arizona People of Arizona in the American Civil War Arizona pioneers Arizona Territory 19th-century American businesspeople