Desert Messenger

May 16, 2012

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May 16, 2012 Desert Messenger celebrates the Arizona Centennial with Voices from The Past in Quartzsite, AZ Excerpts from "In the Shadow of Saguaros" by Rosalee Oldham Wheeler JOSEPHINE BRAWLEY HUGHES - The Mother of Arizona Arizona Territory was formed on February 24, 1863. John A. Gurley had been appointed by President Lincoln to be the fi rst territorial governor, but died be- fore making it to Arizona. The Territory was without a governor until December 29, 1863 when President Lincoln appointed John Goodwin. From Governor Goodwin to Governor Richard Sloan in 1912, Arizona was governed by 17 Ter- ritorial Governors. The state of Arizona was admitted to the Union on February 14, 1912 with George W. P. Hunt as the state's fi rst elected governor. Each of the territorial governors brought special knowledge and talents to help make Arizona a great state, one being Louis Cameron "L.C." Hughes. Accord- ing to Governor Hunt, he believed that the greatest talent of Governor Hughes was his wife, Eliza- beth Josephine Brawley Hughes. Known as Josephine she came to Arizona from Meadville Pennsylvania where she was born on the family farm on De- cember 22, 1839. She graduated from Edin- boro State Normal School in nearby Erie where she met and later married L.C. Hughes in 1868. Before mar- rying the future governor of Ari- zona Miss Brawley had remained at Edinboro as a teacher. A bride at age 29 Josephine's parents were happy that their fi ercely strong and indepen- dent daughter had met a man, who like her, was an advocate of women's rights and the abolition of slavery. L. C. became a sergeant in the Civil bors in order to provide adequate lighting to her street. She also ordered the construction of a water cistern, believed to be the fi rst in Arizona be- cause she worried that water sold on the streets was unsanitary. In 1873, L.C. became superintendent across the untamed West of 1871. L.C. opened a law practice and became a member of the Tuc- son city council later being appointed probate judge. His fi rst election to offi ce came about in 1872 as county attorney. As L.C. moved up the ladder of elected offi ce, Josephine worked to improve the living conditions in Tuc- son, which her family in Pennsylvania thought in- humane. She had candles shipped to Arizona for use in her home as well those of her neigh- War where he suffered a wound and was relieved of duty in Tucson. Josephine traveled to Arizona to be with her hus- band. Imagine, this brave woman, trav- eling with their baby daughter Gertrude, of schools and Josephine convinced him to open the fi rst school for girls in the area where she served as the school's fi rst teacher. In 1874, L.C. and Josephine added a son, John to their family followed RV & TRUCK REPAIR BEST AUTO SERVICE YOU CAN DEPEND ON! 585 N. Central Quartzsite Open Mon-Fri 8-5 928-927-8787 Johnny DelPino, Owner www.DesertMessenger.com by a daughter Mabel in 1877. A third daughter died shortly after birth, and Josephine had her buried in their yard because she worried that her baby's corpse would be eaten by coyotes if buried at the cemetery. A member of the Congregational Church, Josephine invited Frances W. Willard, president of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union to be a speaker at the newly chartered Tuc- son Chapter of the WCTU. As the fi rst president of the organization, she and Frances became friends and toured Arizona to set up chapters speaking about the values of sobriety. In 1884, the organization began pushing for whiskey sales to be banned during SAVE $$ SAVE GAS Bring Your Winter Home To AMERI-CAN TRAILS RV PARK 1 YEAR FREE RENT & LEASE Large Sites, Central Location 310 N Central Blvd., Quartzsite, AZ Phone 928.927.5733 Full Service Cardiovascular Office in Quartzsite! LOST TREASURES PAGE 17 SEE Page 13 election days and for a law forbid- ding boys under 16 to be allowed into saloons. The WCTU's efforts helped laws to be passed against alcohol be- ing sold on Sundays. In 1893, L. C. Hughes became Arizo- na's 11th Territorial Governor, and the Hughes family opened Arizona's fi rst daily newspaper, "The Arizona Daily Star". Josephine used her articles at the "Star" to oppose alcoholism and to express her view of the modern role of women. In 1891, Josephine convinced Laura M. Johns to visit Arizona, and together, they formed the Arizona Suf- frage Association, which lobbied for SEE HUGHES PAGE 17 CARDIOVASCULAR DIVISION OF IMS Diagnose and Treat • chest pain • shortness of breath • leg pain • varicose veins • leg swelling • palpitations LOCATED in Palm Plaza 255 N. Central Blvd. #5 Quartzsite Cardiac Services Provided • stress testing • echocardiograms • vascular ultrasound • PAD screening • coronary angioplasty/stenting • peripheral angioplasty/stenting All testing done on-site No need to travel 928-927-6105

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