Description

Formal studio portrait of William N. Kelly in his Grand Knights Templar uniform.

William Needham Kelly (b. 1836 – d. 1917) was born in 1836 in Beverly, Massachusetts. He arrived in Prescott in early 1865, where he married Martina Stephens, the daughter of his future business partner Varney Andrews Stephens, in 1868. In 1869-1870 he was the proprietor of the Pioneer Meat Market on Granite Street and one of his houses on that street became a school. In 1870 he helped establish the business of Kelly & Stephens with his father in-law, Varney Stephens (b. 1820 - d. 1904), which was first engaged in freighting, then in stationery and they finally added clothing. The business existed until 1900, when it was destroyed in the 1900 Great Fire that destroyed downtown Prescott. Stephens died on September 21, 1904.

William was very much involved in Prescott civic affairs and very successful in his merchandise store located on the northwest corner of Gurley and Montezuma Streets. He became Mayor of Prescott twice for a total of five (5) years. He had many mining interests; he and Varney Stephens were partners in the Nevada Mining Group in Groom Creek. William also registered many land claims and was the Register for the U.S. Land Office for eleven (11) years. Kelly died on January 7, 1917.