By Dorothy Chafin
(This is part of a continuing series of articles by Chafin reminiscing about her hometown. During World War II, she worked downtown at the Harmon Audit Company and met wealthy and famous people.)
Jeb Stuart of Texas owned a ranch in Paulden, which he managed until his father died and he had to return to Texas to run the family business. Until that time, I thought he was the real thing.
L. David Dozier, an Anheuser-Busch heir, owned a ranch in the Kingman area, but always had his tax work done in our office. He was a fun person to work for and I missed him when he kidnapped his two daughters and went to Mexico to live.
The cattlemen who were the "real thing" were also interesting, fun, attractive and wonderful to know.
They included: Norman and Johnnie Fain from Arizona families and active in the Cattle Growers organization on every level. Norman was active in politics and served in the state Senate for several years: he was asked to run for governor, but he declined.
W.C. Denny owned a large ranch in the Seligman area. His father crossed the U.S. three times: first in a covered wagon, then on a train and finally by air. What a history his life encompassed. His son, Dick, was the father of the famous ball player, John Denny. Dick had a terrific sense of humor and the courage to try anything.
One time while driving through the Phoenix area, he saw a sign, "calves for sale." He made arrangements to buy the calves, and then looked for pasture to lease. Then he went to the bank to borrow the money to pay for both. I worried about that deal, but he sold the calves at profit and paid off the bank.
For many years I had my office just off the lobby in the historic Hassayampa Hotel on East Gurley in Prescott. It was accessible and became a popular meeting place for clients, ranchers and friends. Many notes were left with me to pass onto others when they came in. I became a clearinghouse for cowboys looking for work and ranchers looking for cowboys to hire. I thoroughly enjoyed my work there.
My work naturally lead me to extra-curricular activities that were related: I served on the board of the Fair Association, the Rodeo Committee and the Quarter Horse Committee for several years. I also worked with the school board of Williamson Valley District No. 2 and members John Thompson who owned the Las Vegas Ranch at Simmons now owned by Delbert Pierce), Jack Dew, manager of the Wilson's Long Meadow Ranch (now owned by the Putenneys) and Kemper Chafin at the Seven V Ranches (now owned by the Pierce family).
They were a great board to work for. I hired bus drivers and schoolteachers with their approval, in addition to doing clerical work. In those years the board had charge of the school at Camp Wood, and a bus that picked up the children from Walnut Creek and Williamson Valley and brought them to the Prescott schools. Bus drivers for that run of 40 miles each way, with the roads half unpaved and often muddy, were hard to find. Teachers who wished to live some 50 miles from town on the top of a mountain inaccessible in the winter were also hard to find.
One spring, a young schoolteacher had agreed to return the next fall and I sent him a contract that was never returned. I was ready to go out to Camp Wood to pick up the contract when I heard the rumor that a Camp Wood man was in the county jail for having shot a mountain lion without a hunting license. It seems the lion was treed on the school grounds and the teacher was concerned about the children. The teacher didn't carry a gun. Another man at the scene did, so he killed it. This apparently discouraged the teacher. The next year, another teacher was hired.
Of course my "city" clients were great too. In order to make a success of business in a town the size of Prescott, one had to excel in smarts. The privilege of knowing Lester Ruffner and Lester W. Ruffner was enough. I may have worked without pay; both shared wonderful stories of Prescott. Lester Ruffner pushed me to accept a state office in the Business and Professional Woman's Club. He said the rewards would be greater than the suffering (I had to make speeches) and he was so right. Thanks to a group of competent women who did the work, my year as state president was a success, bringing our club many awards.
Marvin Rohrer and Donald Bloom were wonderful bosses. They owned the drug store on the northwest corner of Montezuma and Gurley. Both encouraged me to be active in the Chamber of Commerce. When I became the first woman to serve as the president of that group, a report appeared in the Los Angeles Times. You can be sure I got respect from the LA relatives after that!
Both men also encouraged me to be active in politics, which was also very rewarding. I met many people attending rallies, once with Barry Goldwater as pilot, landing in an open field at the Hay's Ranch. My return to Prescott was in a pickup truck back to reality!
My hometown rewarded me well for the many activities I participated in and I still think it is the best place in the world to live, but let's keep it a secret!
Dorothy Chafin moved to Prescott in 1933 and is active in the local arts and music associations in town.
Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number: (). Reuse only by permission.
The author worked for an auditing company that had an office in the Hassayampa Hotel during World War II. It was here, and through "extra-curricular" activities, that she learned of everything from the hazards of teaching in Camp Wood to the quickest way to make money with calves in Phoenix.