Early Jewish Politics in Graham County and Cochise County
Values Codes I – L – E
The Arizona territorial legislature established both Graham County and Cochise County in 1881 along the southeastern border with New Mexico.
Graham County’s first election was held in 1882 and voters chose three Jews for public office:
Adolph Solomon (1853-1905), owner of a general merchandise business, won a seat in the territorial legislature. Isadore Solomon (1841-1930), a successful local businessman, was elected county treasurer. A. M. Franklin (of the Jacobs banking family) won a two year term on the county board of supervisors. In 1884, Franklin won a second term on the board.
In Cochise County, Tombstone held its city election in 1882 and chose Hyman Solomon (1835-u.), a wholesale wine and liquor dealer, as town treasurer.
In 1885, Tombstone elected David Cohn (1850-1923), a cigar dealer and miner, to its city council. In 1887, Cochise County elected Cohn as a county supervisor for two years and the supervisors chose him to be county board president.
In 1896, Tombstone elected Abraham Emanuel (u.-1917), a miner and livery owner, mayor for two years, and re-elected him in 1898 and 1900.
Tombstone, AZ in the 1880’s, #WS1221
Source
- Mark Rutzik, Breaking New Ground: The Untold Story of Early America’s Jewish Electoral Pioneers – 1788 to 1920, 2025.
Mark Rutzick is the curator of this Early Jewish Politics exhibit.
