Clum, John P., 1851-1932

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John P. Clum was an Indian agent at the San Carlos Indian Reservation in southeast Arizona from 1874 to 1877. He later served as founder and editor of the Tombstone Epitaph newspaper, postmaster, and mayor of Tombstone, Arizona, as well as postal inspector and lecturer in Alaska. His son, Woodworth Clum, was an editor of the Washington Star newspaper, and the author of a book about his father entitled Apache Agent .

From the guide to the John P. Clum papers, 1860-1970 (bulk, 1874-1932), (Univeristy of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections)

Indian agent and newspaper publisher.

From the description of Clum papers, 1881-1965 (bulk 1881-1935). (Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division). WorldCat record id: 41406769

Indian agent, newspaper editor, and postal inspector. This material was collected by Wallace E. Clayton, co-owner of the Tombstone Epitaph, in researching the life of Clum, founder and first editor of the paper.

From the description of John Philip Clum collection, 1874-1917. (University of Arizona). WorldCat record id: 28015038

Born on 1 September 1851 near Claverack in the Hudson Valley of New York, John Philip Clum attended Rutgers University, but dropped out of college for health reasons and came West. Arriving in Santa Fe in 1871, he soon became a government astronomical observer with the Signal Corps. From 1874 until 1877, Clum served as Apache agent on the San Carlos Indian Reservation in Arizona Territory.

He adeptly handled the Apache outbreaks from the reservation by asking the military to withdraw to a distance of five miles from the reservation. To limit confrontations between the Apaches and the nearby settlers, Clum helped the Indians to implement agricultural pursuits which would make them self-supporting. He also encouraged them to set up their own law enforcement and judicial systems. As a result of these practices, Clum succeeded in converting many of the Apaches to a more sedentary existence. It was his Apache police force which tracked and captured Geronimo in 1877. Clum soon became a victim of the political situation in Washington. The Indian Commissioner had given the Army permission to once again come onto the San Carlos Reservation. Discouraged by the government's indifferent and unfair treatment of his Indian charges, Clum protested to Washington, and resigned from the Service when his objections were ignored.

In 1877, Clum became editor of the Tucson Citizen . In 1886, after three years as editor of the Citizen, Clum founded and became the first editor of the Tombstone Epitaph, having been attracted to that town by news of the rich silver strike there. Besides publishing the Tombstone Epitaph, Clum was elected Mayor of Tombstone and was appointed Postmaster from 1884-1886.

Clum went to work for the U.S. Postal Service in Washington, D.C. in the late 1880s, but in the early 1890s, he was out west again, serving as Postal Inspector in the western judicial district of Texas. On 5 March 1898, Clum was appointed Post Office Inspector for the Territory of Alaska and charged with the organization and extension of the postal service there. He retired from this post in 1908.

After his retirement, John P. Clum traveled a great deal. A fine speaker, he was employed by the Southern Pacific Railroad as a lecturer. Also, Clum began to write his memoirs, which, after his death, his son Woodworth completed. The resulting book, Apache Agent, was later made into the motion picture, Walk the Proud Land, starring Audie Murphy.

John P. Clum died of a heart attack 3 May 1932 at the age of 81.

From the guide to the John Philip Clum collection, 1874-1917, (University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Kelly, William H. (William Henderson), 1902-. Papers relating to the first Helldorado, 1929 : celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of Tombstone, Arizona, 1929. University of Arizona Libraries
creatorOf Lake, Stuart N. Papers of Stuart N. Lake, 1854-1963. Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
referencedIn Gregory, Leslie E., 1878-1946. Gregory papers, 1879-1946. Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
referencedIn Williamson, Daniel R., 1863-1940. Williamson papers, 1899-1940. Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
referencedIn Mazzanovich, Anton, 1860-1934. Anton Mazzanovich Papers, 1885-1934 (bulk 1924-1934). University of Arizona Libraries
creatorOf Clum, John P., 1851-1932. John Philip Clum collection, 1874-1917. University of Arizona Libraries
referencedIn AHF Subject Photograph Collection, ca. 1850-ca. 1990 [picture]. Arizona State University Libraries
referencedIn Woody, Clara T., 1885-1981. Woody papers, 1876-1979 (bulk 1920-1979). Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
creatorOf Clum, John Philip, 1851-1932. Clum papers, 1881-1965 (bulk 1881-1935). Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
referencedIn Cochise County (Ariz.). Cochise County court series, 1881-1924 (bulk 1881-1900). Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
referencedIn Nichols, Charles A., 1878-1970. Nichols manuscripts, ca. 1950. Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
referencedIn Mazzanovich, Anton, 1860-1934. Mazzanovich papers, 1926-1934. Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
referencedIn Collection of papers relating to Wyatt Earp selected chiefly from the Stuart N. Lake Papers, with some from the Fred J. Dodge Papers, 1890-1953 (bulk 1925-1936) University of Arizona Libraries
referencedIn Clum, John P., 1851-1932. John Philip Clum collection, 1874-1917. University of Arizona Libraries
referencedIn Clayton, Wallace Edward, d. 1998. Clayton research, 1877-1932. Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
creatorOf Dodge, Fred James, 1854-1938. Papers of Fred James Dodge, 1890-1938. Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
creatorOf John P. Clum papers, 1860-1970 (bulk, 1874-1932) Univeristy of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections
referencedIn Brown, Rollin Carr, 1844-1937. Brown family papers, 1889-1934. Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
creatorOf Duke University. SHARE. SHARE records, 1968-2001. Duke University Libraries, Duke University Library; Perkins Library
creatorOf Clum, John P., 1851-1932. It all happened in Tombstone. Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
creatorOf Clum, John P., 1851-1932. John P. Clum statement ... of the services rendered by him ... from 1871 to 1911 : San Dimas, Calif. : typescript, [1926?]. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Lockwood, Frank C. (Frank Cummins), 1864-1948. Lockwood papers, 1913-1946. Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
creatorOf John Philip Clum collection, 1874-1917 University of Arizona Libraries, Library Special Collections
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Brown, Rollin Carr, 1844-1937. person
associatedWith Cashman, Nellie, 1844-1925. person
associatedWith Clayton, Wallace E., person
associatedWith Clayton, Wallace Edward, d. 1998. person
associatedWith Clum, John Philip, 1851-1932 person
associatedWith Cochise County (Ariz.) corporateBody
associatedWith Dodge, Fred James, 1854-1938. person
associatedWith Duke University. SHARE corporateBody
associatedWith Earp family. family
correspondedWith Gregory, Leslie E., 1878-1946. person
correspondedWith Kelly, William H. (William Henderson), 1902- person
associatedWith Lake, Stuart N. person
associatedWith Lockwood, Frank C. (Frank Cummins), 1864-1948. person
associatedWith Mazzanovich, Anton, 1860-1934. person
associatedWith Mazzanovich, Anton, 1860-1934. person
associatedWith Nichols, Charles A., 1878-1970. person
associatedWith United States. Office of Indian Affairs corporateBody
associatedWith Williamson, Daniel R., 1863-1940. person
associatedWith Woody, Clara T., 1885-1981. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
West (U.S.)
Tombstone (Ariz.)
San Carlos Indian Reservation (Ariz.)
Arizona
Subject
Apache Indians
Apache Indians
Frontier and pioneer life
Indian agents
Indians of North America
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1851-09-01

Death 1932-05-02

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