Larcena Pennington Page

In 1857, in hopes of economic prosperity, the Pennington family traveled west, originally with the intention of settling in California. From Keechi they headed west with three wagons pulled by oxen and mules, and a herd of cattle. The wagon train forded the Pecos River, where several of the cows drowned; it continued to Paso del Norte. From there they followed the Rio Grande north to Mesilla and then moved west toward Tucson. They passed through several canyons where Apache were known to spring surprise attacks, including Doubtful Canyon, Apache Pass, and Cooke's Canyon. (A wagon train was later attacked there in the Battle of Cookes Canyon in 1861.) They passed through the San Simon Valley, Sulphur Springs Valley, the San Pedro and Dragoon Springs on their way west.

In June 1857, the Penningtons temporarily stopped at Sonoita Creek, next to Fort Buchanan, because their animals were either exhausted, or had been stolen by Apache, and Larcena had contracted malaria. The men obtained a contract from the government to supply the fort with hay and the women sewed soldiers' uniforms for pay. When they completed the contract, the Penningtons moved west to Calabasas, along the Santa Cruz River. Before September 1859 they moved into the former residence of Governor Manuel Maria Gandara, who was displaced after the United States victory in the Mexican–American War.[1]

While at Fort Buchanan, Larcena met lumberjack John Hempstead Page and fell in love. The two married on December 24, 1859, becoming the first American citizens to be wed in Tucson. At that time, the settlement had fewer than one thousand people.[1]

Page had not been killed and returned to camp to discover both his wife and Mercedes missing. He assumed they had been taken by Apache and gathered Randall and a few other men from the mill to help follow their trail. Just before sunset, when the Apache and women captives were about 15 miles (24 km) from the camp, east of the present day Helvetia, one of the Apache noticed Page's party approaching from behind. The Apache quickened their pace but Larcena could not keep up. While the group was standing atop a ridge, the Apache made Larcena remove her skirt and corset. As she turned to continue walking, one of the natives struck her in the back with a lance. She fell over the side of the ridge, about seventeen feet, becoming lodged against a pine tree. The Apache followed Larcena down the ridge, thrusting their spears into her and throwing rocks at her. One of the rocks hit Larcena in the face and she fell unconscious.

The Apache dragged her body into a snow bank behind a tree to hide her body from the trail. They removed her boots and one of them put them on. Larcena woke up a short time later and could hear her husband's voice coming from the trail. She tried to call, but was too weak for him to hear her. Because one of the Apache was wearing Larcena's boots, Page followed his trail and passed unknowing by his wife. He trailed the Apache to the Rincon Mountains and beyond the Catalina Mountains. Still unable to find his wife, Page went to Tucson and recruited a posse for a second attempt. Another posse also formed in Tubac but it was also unsuccessful.[1][4]

Larcena remained in the snow bank for about three days before waking up in the middle of the night. First she ate some snow and looked after her wounds, for she had been "bruised with stones and cut with sixteen lance wounds in her back and arms."[1] She made her way down the ridge, sleeping again until sunrise. On the next morning, she began looking around trying to understand where she was. Knowing that the camp and the lumber mill were to the southeast, she looked in that direction and sighted a "small sharp-pointed hill."[1] Historians have identified this from her account as Huerfano Hill, about 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Helvetia. Because of her wounds and loss of blood, for the next several days Larcena crawled the 15 miles (24 km) back to camp. She survived on "seeds, herbage and wild onions, with snow water to drink."[1]

According to Forbes, "Night by night (unable to lie on her back because of her wounds) she crouched upon her knees and arms on the ground and dreamed of food; but when in her sleep she reached out for the pot of beans before her, she awoke to find her hands clutching only gravel."[1] One day, Larcena came across a bear's nest and wanted to sleep there but she knew it was a bad idea and went away. Ten days after her "terrible journey" began,[1] on March 26, she climbed to the top of a ridge and saw the road that leads to Madera Canyon and the camp. Hearing the sound of voices and wagon wheels, Larcena attached her petticoat to a stick to signal for help. She also screamed but the people in the wagon passed on without seeing or hearing anything. When Larcena reached the camp, two days later, she found a smoldering campfire, some flour and some coffee that was still on the ground from when the Apaches cut open the sacks of food. Using water from a nearby stream, and a piece of her clothing, Larcena prepared some bread on the fire, made some coffee, and then rested for the night.[1][4]

On the next morning, March 31, Larcena followed the road east to the Big Rock and the lumber mill. Forbes says that "as she drew near she was seen, but not at first recognized. With clotted hair and gaping wounds, nearly naked, emaciated and sunburned, she was at first mistaken for an unfortunate outcast squaw and the men ran for their guns."[1] It was only when Larcena called out her name that she was recognized. But even then, one man, named Smith, insisted that she was a ghost because he couldn't believe that a twenty-three-year-old woman could survive so long under such trying circumstances. One of the men took Larcena into a building and had her fed and washed while another man went to get a doctor in Tucson and inform John, who was preparing for a third expedition to find his wife. On April 2, Larcena was taken to Tucson where she fully recovered under the care of Dr. C.B. Hughes. The young Mexican girl, Mercedes, was later found by the United States Army and traded for Apache prisoners at Fort Buchanan.[1][4] She later married Charles A. Shibell and had four children, but died at age 26.[1]

William Fisher Scott, second husband of Larcena Pennington Page.

In August 1870, she married William Fisher Scott, a Scottish lawyer and judge. Larcena and William had two children, William P. (born September 1871) and Georgie Hazel (born October 6, 1872).[6][7] Larcena refused to leave Arizona, despite all the hardships she went through there. Larcena became a Christian and was one of the first members of the Congregational Church in Tucson. She was also named president of the Arizona Historical Society. Larcena lived a relatively quiet life from then until her death.