Letters

The Biographical section contains mostly newspaper articles, and a few short biographical summaries about Charles Brinley. There is also a partial genealogy of the Brinley family. The certificates section has several documents appointing Charles Brinley to various positions, such as Commissioner of Deeds, Revenue Collector, Deputy Collector of Customs, and Vice Consul to Mexico. The Correspondence section contains letters and invitations mostly sent to Brinley but also a few that he wrote himself. Many of the letters have to do with Brinley’s various legal and political positions. The Documents section holds various assorted papers including a divorce case handled by the Territorial Assembly, petitions, and notes on laws. Also in this section are the 1863 minutes of several meetings about the creation of the town site of La Paz, Arizona.. The map section contains a map of the railways of southern California. The Postcard section has three advertisement postcards from the early 1900s, as well as a complimentary railway pass for the Prescott and Arizona Central Railway Company from 1891. The Certificates contain Brinley’s appointments to various offices 1868-1901. See container list.

The correspondence and photographs in this collection are significant for their volume and detail.  The correspondence between Zenobia Lacy (mother) and son Dale Ralston 1904-1918 is voluminous. Their letters document a hard life along the Colorado River whether it was prospecting, building canals, farming, road construction or land speculation. Some of the print material is fragile. There are over 200 photographs, most taken by Dale Ralston from  the 1920s to 1930s, of mining and survey sites, canals and levees, the construction of the Phoenix-Yuma Highway, and his friends, pets, cars, colleagues, and wife, Ludmelia.  Album fragments dating from 1897 to the 1920s also include early family photographs and images of Quartzsite, Arizona. See container list.

This collection is primarily composed of business correspondence involving Hall’s many financial ventures. The papers are largely focused in the early 1920s but extend back as far as Besides Hall’s papers, there are also papers belonging to Dick’s brother Ernest Hall, Wenden Justice of the Peace, Cecil Harrington, and the state border inspection station at Ehrenburg. The collection is divided into six series. See container list.

Eugene Francis Sanguinetti was a prominent Yuma businessman. He was born on May 16, 1867 in Coulterville, California to Antone Sanguinetti and Rosa Camiccione. He came to Yuma at AGE 16, inspired to seek his fortune by the success of his neighbor’s eldest son. Soon after his arrival he was hired as a clerk by John Gandolfo, a local merchant and friend of the Sanguinetti family. Sanguinetti quickly rose from clerk to a full partner.  Soon thereafter he bought out Gandolfo to become the sole owner of the business. Sanguinetti quickly began expanding his business from a simple general store to a large commercial empire.  Organized into six series. Series I – Biographical, Series II – Correspondence, Series III – Financial Records, Series IV – Legal Documents, Series V – Memorabilia, Series VI – Scrapbooks. See container list.

Included in the papers of Albert Eiden are letters to Eiden from the Harada family, describing life in the Poston Japanese Internment Camp.  There is also correspondence to Eiden from their son, Takeshi Harada, a Japanese-American in the U. S. Army during World War II. See container list.

The bulk of this collection consists of biographical files copied from Carl Hayden’s pioneer biographies, newspaper clippings, journal articles, microfilm and the internet.  These sources reflect a wide date range and provide the raw material for Frank Love’s newspaper columns, books, class room lectures and public presentations.  The mining materials are especially rich. Many folders include his notes and commentary about conflicting reports in the historical record, quality of the sources, or where alternative conclusions could be drawn. Note that this collection includes only a small sample of Frank Love’s newspaper columns, books, and magazine articles. There is comparatively little personal correspondence with his readers or with other historians.  Arranged in three series then alphabetical and chronologically within. Titles of folders largely represent the original.  Series I: Research Files – includes correspondence, interviews, notes, draft fragments.  Series II: Publications – consists of programs, articles, published materials by other authors or organizations. Series III: Writings – by Frank Love, by his students or were sent to him for feedback. See container list.

This collection contains materials related to the trials of Louis Douglass, Willard Doughty, and Dan O’Connell for the murders of miners Jack Hayden and Hart. The materials largely consist of assorted documents acquired or produced in the process of the trials including warrants, subpoenas, witness interviews, interrogations, and letters. Photographs taken of the victims bodies, and the car used by the defendants are also included in this collection. This collection also contains a number of nitrate negatives of letters passed between the defendants while in custody. Due to the storage requirements of nitrate film, these negatives are stored separately in the conservation lab freezer at the Arizona Historical Society Museum in Tempe, Arizona. See container list.

Helene Alberta Thomas was born July 5, 1901 in Raton, New Mexico, and was the eldest child of Jonathan Bertie Thomas and Katherine Helen Wendel. Helene’s father was the engineer on a passenger train on the Santa Fe railroad when it wrecked in Earl, Colorado in 1905, killing him instantly. Helene received a degree in chemistry in 1922 from the University of Kanas. Her first job was with the Kansas State Food Lab. She then obtained a Master of Arts degree in Bacteriology in 1924 and went to work for the Kansas State Public Health Lab. The collection consists of biographical files, newspaper clippings, and correspondence, business papers from Thomas Laboratories and photographs, all with a date range of circa 1900-1986. See container list.

John and Anna Stofella immigrated to the United States sometime in the mid to late 19th century from Europe (their precise point of origin differs between sources). John spent some time as a miner in California before opening a general store and saloon in Yuma. Built near the railroad, the saloon was a popular place for railroad workers.  In addition to his mercantile efforts, John Stofella also loaned money and took   mortgages as security.   John Stofella died in 1914 leaving the store to his wife, Anna, who managed the store until her own death in 1925. This collection contains materials concerning John and Anna Stofella focusing on the general store that was operated from 1899 to 1925. The biographical material includes photocopies of a Stofella family scrapbook, as well as materials relating to historical preservation of the Stofella store building. The financial folder contains an assortment of bills and checks. The collection also contains a number of ledgers used in the operation of the general store. Materials are organized by document type and chronologically within. See container list.

Jose Maria Redondo was an important figure in the early history of Yuma. He was born in Altar, Sonora, Mexico on March 30, 1830. There is little information on his early years in Mexico. In 1849 he left his family’s ranch in Sonora to find his fortune in the California gold rush. In California he met and married Piedad Contreras from a prominent Sonoran family.   The majority of this collection is biographical material relating to the Jose Maria Redondo family and their numerous relatives and descendants. In addition to the Redondo family, there is material related to the allied families of Balsz, Bossung, Contreras, Elias, Figueroa, and Ronstadt families. This genealogical material represents complex family relationships. Some are confusing due to re-usage of names in the same and subsequent generations. See also Yuma Biography Collection. This collection is arranged in six series. See container list.

The brief summary of the Klan by B. Johnny Rube entitled “Yuma County’s Invisible Empire: The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan” indentifies the organization coming to Arizona in 1921. The Yuma Klan held their meetings at Somerton, Arizona ten miles southwest of Yuma. It was claimed that over 2,000 persons attended some local Klan meetings with “at least 50 or more men” becoming members. Most individuals left the Yuma membership early in 1925. This collection consists of correspondence, publications, membership materials, and blank forms associated with the Yuma County Ku Klux Klan Chapter. Also contained in the collection is a catalogue of official robes and banners for purchase, along with a brief pamphlet of Klan organizational history in western Arizona. There are eight photos and ten negatives depicting materials in the collection. One oral recording of the Somerton Star talk by Dr. Minor about the Ku Klux Klan was transferred to the Oral History collection, AHS-Tucson. See container list.

The center of this collection is a series of letters sent by Lavern Smith to his parents. All of Lavern’s letters date from before his deployment into combat, and discuss daily activities and concerns at the various camps where he was stationed. In addition to Lavern’s letters, there are letters sent to the Smiths by their nephews Albert Ferguson who served in the army in Belgium and France, and Alva Haigood who also served in Belgium. The collection also contains several letters from Lavern’s girlfriend, Peggy (last name unknown), to his family. Aside from the correspondence there is a reproduction of a book entitled “Combat History of the 79th Inf. Div.” This edition of the book was apparently printed in the war zone with captured German printers due to high demand and limited resources. See container list.

Lizzie Frank was the Yuma city assessor and tax collector from 1919 to 1939. She was born in Yuma, Arizona on June 11, 1884 to Abraham and Tomasa Frank. She graduated from Second Avenue Grammar School and began working for E. F. Sanguinetti in The Toggery. In 1919 Lizzie was elected to city assessor and tax collector. She was a member of the Yuma Business and Professional Women, the Yuma Woman’s Club, and the Delta Club. She died on September 26, 1965. This collection contains material covering Lizzie Frank’s business as a debt collector during the late 1930s and early 1940s. There are also a few non-business related papers. The collection is organized into 2 series: Series I – Business, Series II – Personal. See container list.

This collection consists of materials concerning Marcell Moser and her immediate family. There are a variety of personal and business documents representing a long period of time including school records, awards and publications. In addition to the documents there are a large number of family photos spanning more than a century of Marcell’s family history. The majority of the photos are black and white images on photo paper. However there are also a few photos in older photographic mediums such as tintypes and an ambrotype. Other materials include a scrapbook from Marcell’s time at college and assorted memorabilia. The collection is arranged into 16 series. See container list.

Mary Elizabeth Post was an influential school teacher in early Yuma. She was born in Elizabeth Town, New York on June 17th 1841. Her early years were marked with a love of learning, which was supported by her father who purportedly hired tutors to come to their home when the local school was not in session. By the time she was 15, Mary had begun to teach classes as well as take them. In 1862 Mary’s family moved to Iowa where she followed, teaching in a number of different schools around the state.  This collection is arranged in seven series: Series I: Biographical, Series II: Correspondence, Series III: Hall of Fame, Series IV: Manuscripts, Series V: Memorabilia, Series VI: Photos, Series VII: Publications. See container list.

Omer Trent (O.T.) McCoon was born at Fort Scott, Kansas in The family moved to Oregon where his father George Henry McCoon sold Singer Sewing Machines. Omer and his brother Otis became involved in construction and real estate in Fresno, California. Otis went on to specialize in construction and urban development in the San Francisco area.  O.T. became head of the Fresno Realty Syndicate. He reportedly sold over 200,000 acres of grape and fig land before moving his family to Yuma, Arizona in 1916 where he envisioned huge opportunities for agricultural growth. Arranged in four series:  Series I: General, Series II: Publications, Series III: Photographs, Series IV:  News Clippings. See container list.

R. Peter Woodard was an influential educator in Yuma, Arizona. He was born in Hereford, Arizona in 1915. He graduated from Bisbee High School in 1931, and received teaching degrees from Arizona State College in Flagstaff, the University of Arizona in Tucson, and Arizona State University in Tempe. He began his life in Yuma teaching at Sunnyside School before serving a three- year stint in the military during World War II. He returned to Yuma upon his release from service and took a teaching position at Fourth Avenue Junior High School. Soon afterwards Pete became Superintendent of Yuma School District 1, a post which he held for 26 years from 1948 to 1975. In 1980 he was named Yuma’s Man of the Year. He died in 2007 at the age of 92. This collection documents the District 1 Yuma Elementary Schools. The scrapbooks primarily contain news clippings but also include photographs, correspondence, and memorabilia. The dates of the material coincide with the dates that Peter Woodard served as superintendent of the school district. See container list.

“In the eyes of the world, I am probably called a loner because my family wants no part of living in the hot spot of Yuma…”  So writes Ruth Foster in a brief biographical statement written after a 33-year career teaching English at Yuma High School. She was born September 3, 1903 in Denver, Colorado – the eldest child of Isaiah W. Foster and Cora E. Mosteller.  She graduated from Colorado State Teachers’ College in 1927 and came to Arizona in 1928 where she taught in the Duncan and Marana high schools before coming to Yuma. Ruth received a master’s degree from the University of Arizona in 1937. She was a highly regarded educator who maintained strong connections to leaders in education state and nationwide.  One of her hobbies was writing which is reflected in her prolific correspondence. This collection is remarkable for documenting the professional career and the community service life of an unmarried woman that begins in the late 1920s and ends with the women’s rights movement. In a diary entry, Ruth Foster mentions cleaning out her early files to make room for more recent works in progress. This may explain why the bulk of her correspondence dates from the 1960s despite lifelong friendships and close ties to her brother and sister-in-law.  Because Ruth served in many professional and community leadership roles, the organizational work, community activism, and issue-based research are richly detailed. Original order is unknown. This collection is arranged in four series and chronologically within. Series I: Personal (biographical material); Series II: Correspondence (general, personal, professional) Series III:  Organizations; Series IV: Writings. See container list.

Stephen H. Sturges was one of ten children born to William W. and Hattie (Black) Sturges on August 9, 1896. In 1907 the family moved from Meadville, Missouri to Yuma where his brother Charlie bought a 40-acre farm. The Sturges boys went to work early. Stephen said, “I could go to school only every other year. Farm work came first, school second.” He finished high school at age 22. He went on to become President of Sturges Farms which cultivated 2,500 acres, rented 2,000 additional acres, and also held state leases on 2,000 acres. He experimented with almost every crop and agricultural process known to the Yuma area. As of this date, very little remains of Stephen Sturges’ personal and business papers. The bulk of this collection consists of checks and invoices in a narrow date range from 1954-1956. Given his contributions to Yuma agribusiness and his reputation as a generous, civic-minded man, this is a real loss to the historical record.  However, he and his wife live on through the Stephen H. Sturges and Rose P. Sturges Charitable Trust.  This collection is arranged in four series and chronological or alphabetical within:  Series I: General Correspondence, Series II: Investments, Series III: Cancelled Checks, Series IV: Invoices. See container list.

Thomas Molloy was an attorney in early Yuma. He was born in Ireland around 1863. He arrived in the United States in New York but soon found himself drawn west to Arizona where he settled for a time in Phoenix before coming to reside in Yuma in 1901. In 1903 Thomas was admitted to the Bar after passing his law examinations. During his time in Yuma he served as a prison guard, Clerk of the Court, and Yuma County Attorney. He was also present when President Taft signed the proclamation of Arizona’s statehood. He died of surgical complications in 1923. This collection contains papers concerning the lives of Thomas and Anna Molloy. The majority of the legal documents concern Thomas and a title company. Anna’s papers document her mining interests. The writings are a random selection of materials given to one or the other of the couple, including a humorous attempt to translate the rules of chess into legalese. The materials are organized alphabetically, then chronologically within. See container list.

The collection consists mainly of letters Verna Lee Raymond wrote home to his wife, Blanche, while he was deployed with Company L, 158th Infantry during World War II. The finance papers consist of bank statements and receipts that reflect a short period of his business life here in Yuma. See container list.

The bulk of the collection is comprised of scrapbooks and yearbooks created by Yuma Business and Professional Women’s Club.  In addition to these there are two folders of correspondence primarily from the early 1920s many of which were sent to the club by the National Federation. The administrative folder includes various documents pertaining to the running of the club including officer lists and financial papers. The memorabilia folder holds tickets for a 1921 musical show put on by the club to raise funds for obtaining a meeting space for the club, as well as an award ribbon. The publications folder contains a number of news clippings and assorted pamphlets, as well as copies of the periodical National Business Woman, produced by the National Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Clubs. There are no series. See container list.

The Yuma Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1905 to represent the interests of local business owners. From the beginning, the Chamber has promoted Yuma as a place to visit and live.  In 1925 it created Fly Field, the first airport in the City of Yuma. In 1954 the chamber played a major role in convincing the Baltimore Orioles, a major league baseball team, to hold their spring training in Yuma. Other projects include developing a convention center, building a desalinization plant, organizing various conferences, and supporting a wide range of civic initiatives. The bulk of this collection is material generated by various Yuma Chamber of Commerce committees from the 1960s to mid-1980s.  It includes newsletters, correspondence, and news clippings. Folders are arranged alphabetically within each series and chronologically within each folder. The collection is organized into five series: Series I – General, Series II – Committees, Series III – Publications, Series IV – Photographs, Series V – Scrapbooks. See container list.

The Yuma Water Users Association is an organization dealing with water issues in the Yuma area. It was originally organized in 1903 shortly after the Reclamation Act was passed by the United States Congress. The Association was originally created as a non- profit to represent its members in negotiations with the Bureau of Reclamation. In 1904 Congress created the Yuma Project under the Bureau of Reclamation with the intention of making the Yuma area more agriculturally profitable. Towards this end, construction was begun on Laguna Dam in 1905. Water diversion to the Yuma area was handled by Laguna Dam until 1941, when the diversion point for Yuma was switched to Imperial Dam. Through a contract with the Bureau of Reclamation in 1951, the Yuma Water Users Association assumed control of the works and facilities of the Yuma Project including both irrigation and power generating facilities. In 1962, a supplemental contract was signed giving the Association control of the Siphon Drop Power Plant and its various facilities such as transmission lines and irrigation works in California. This collection is comprised of seven series: Series I: Correspondence, Series II: Documents, Series III: Finance, Series IV: News Clippings, Series V: Photographs, Series VI: Publications, Series VII: Wage Stabilization Board. See container list.