As Prescott has transitioned from a frontier town in the late 1800s to the modern mid-sized city that it is today, a colorful array of settlers and pioneer families have left their mark.
And, from the ranching families with large land holdings, to the local politicians and businessmen, the long-time residents continue to have an impact on the community.
A number of names stand out. Among them: Goldwater, Ruffner, and Fain.
As far back as the 1870s, Prescott’s history notes the presence of members of the Goldwater family.
According to the history book “Prescott – A Pictorial History” by local historian Melissa Ruffner, Mike Goldwater’s son, Morris, began managing the family’s new Prescott store in 1879. The new brick building on the corner of South Cortez and Union streets offered high-fashion goods and home furnishings.
After arriving in Prescott in 1876 at age 24, Morris Goldwater went on to set a record in city government that has yet to be surpassed. Throughout much of the early 20th century, Goldwater served as Prescott’s mayor, ultimately putting in about two decades in office, culminating in 1927.
Current Mayor Jack Wilson marvels at the longevity of the early politician.
“I don’t think anyone’s ever going to do that again,” Wilson said of Goldwater’s time in Prescott’s top office – all without pay. “I was impressed by the amount of time he served.”
Decades later, in 1962, Morris Goldwater’s nephew, U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater, laid the cornerstone for the new Prescott City Hall, just as his uncle had done for the previous city building.
Another pioneer family – the Ruffners – also arrived in the area in Prescott’s formative years.
According to historian Melissa Ruffner, the family’s first pioneer ancestor, Morris Andrew Ruffner, arrived in 1867. “An ex-Confederate soldier, he homesteaded along the Verde River and in 1876 discovered the Eureka copper mine,” Ruffner said.
Shortly before Morris Ruffner’s death in 1884, his nephew, George C. Ruffner, arrived in 1882 and ultimately worked as a cowboy, freighter, frontier sheriff, and ranch owner.
George C. Ruffner became Yavapai County Sheriff in 1894, and went on to serve five non-contiguous terms as sheriff, until his death in office in 1933. He also was instrumental in organizing one of Prescott’s signature events, when he helped organize the first rodeo in Prescott in 1888.
In 1903, Sheriff Ruffner won a funeral home in a faro game at the Palace Saloon, Melissa Ruffner said, and turned the business over to his younger brother, Lester Lee, who operated the Ruffner Funeral Home.
Later generations of Ruffners included businessman Lester Ward (Budge) Ruffner and his wife Elisabeth Ruffner, a noted community historian, along with their children, including the historic author, Melissa.
Both Elisabeth and Melissa have received the state’s “CultureKeepers” award, helping to celebrate Arizona’s 100 years of statehood in 2012.
While the history of the Fains veered more toward the Verde Valley and the Prescott Valley area, it also has had a direct impact on Prescott.
According to Prescott Valley historian Jean Cross, the Fains first arrived in Yavapai County in 1874, when William and Cary Fain settled in the Verde Valley near Fort Lincoln, known today as Camp Verde.
Their youngest son Granville – later known as Dan – was born in 1879, and took an early interest in ranching. According to the account by Cross, Dan Fain eventually built up the largest land holdings in Arizona, earning the title of “King of the Range.”
Later, Norman Fain, the son of Dan and his wife Mildred, moved to the Prescott side of Mingus Mountain. Cross estimates that Norman Fain and his wife, Johnie Lee, moved to Yeager Canyon on Mingus Mountain in 1935.
Along with ranching, Norman Fain became interested in politics and served three terms as an Arizona State Senator in the 1940s. He was instrumental in the construction of Highway 69 connecting Prescott to the new interstate.
In 1966, Norman Fain was involved in the start of the new community of Prescott Valley, according to Cross’s history.
“The Fain family, led by Norman’s son William and his sons, still engage in the cattle industry, as well as the Fain Signature Company, which is involved in the commercial and industrial development of the area,” Cross said.