ARIZONA BIOGRAPHIES




WILLIAM ELLSWORTH
1872 - 1947


Born in Leeds, Utah, on August 17, 1872. the son of Utah pioneers of the Mormon faith. William Ellsworth s early life was one of continuous migrations.
In 1876 his parents moved to Kanab under direction from the church to colonize the area. In 1879 they made the arduous trek across the Grand Canyon and settled in Arizona at the little town of Taylor. In 1883 they moved to Luna Valley and in 1884 to Safford, which was trails end for the family.
At the age of twelve Eflsworth began his business career by buying a team and wagon and delivering farm products to Clifton, Globe and other mining camps. By the time he reached maturity he was conducting a flourishing freighting business and was the owner of many wagons and much livestock.
In 1910 he consolidated his livestock interests by forming a partnership with the late Jim Smith of Wilicox, stocking the Smith range with mother cows. In 1912 he purchased the Hundred and Eleven ranch on the San Simon north of Bowie. He later acquired the old Davis ranch, the H X, the Toll Gate, the Ash Peak and Hackberry ranches.

In 1894 William Ellsworth married Mary Wanslee at Safford and to them were born five sons and four daughters, all of whom are living at this date.
In his later years Ellsworth also operated ranch property in Colorado.
As his sons grew into manhood Ellsworth and sons, Rex and Reed, purchased the Seeley holdings in Cochise county and were soon in control of one of the largest spreads in southern Arizona, over a thousand sections of rangeland.
Active in church affairs and in the Arizona and the Graham Cochise Cattle Growers Association, he was also the first President of the Gila Valley Irrigation District and long associated with educational institutions.
William Ellsworth died of a heart attack on April 19, 1947. Mrs. Ellsworth survives him and, with their children, operates the extensive ranch holdings.

 WILLIAM FLAKE
1839 - 1932


Born in North Carolina. July 3, 18:39. young William Flake moved to Utah with his parents in 1849 by wagon train.
In 1850 his father was killed while examining a colony site in California. but, undaunted, his mother took the family to the new settlement of San Bernardino the following year. returning to Utah in 1837.
In 1858 William Flake married Lucy White and a year later started a cattle ranch at Beaver, Utah.
In 1877 he. and other Mormon colonizers, left with a wagon train and herds of cattle for the Little Colorado region of Arizona, arriving in January, 1878.
The colonists lived in their wagons that winter and were forced to cut up sacks and canvas for clothing. In the spring Flake traded cattle for James Stinson s ranch, which was under irrigation and growing crops of corn and wheat. That summer Flake s family and their more poverty-stricken neighbors lived largely on beef and roasting ears, but by fall had fairly well provided for the coming winter. In the fall of

78, Erastus Snow. an Apostle of the Church. arrived and, deciding that Flake s ranch was a promising place for a settlement, joined with Flake in creating the town of Snowflake.
Those were trying days for the Mormon colonists, and William Flake took a leading part in settling and lending a helping hand to new arrivals.
When Apache County was created in 1879, Snowflake was temporarily the county seat, and the first term of court was held in Flake s home.
Noted for his generosity, William Flake furnished thousands of free meals to neighbors. businessmen and chuck-line riders alike. He established the Thanksgiving time custom of furnishing free wood and free beef to every widow or needy person in the community a practice that is carried out to this day by his descendants.
Hale and hearty in his old age, he rode the range until a short time before his death at the age of 93. He was a thorough cowman in every respect.

BURDETTE A. PACKARD
1847 - 1935


 For many years. Colonel Packard as he was called was one of the most prominent cattlemen and bankers in Arizona. Born in Portville, Yew York. on November 1, 1847 he came to the Territory in 1880 with his first wife and settled in the booming Tombstone silver camp during its man for breakfast days.
Two years later. he started a cow outfit in the Dragoons, with headquarters at the Cocliise Stronghold. However, he sold out in I 885 and bought a large ranch in Sonora. just below Douglas.
In the late l880's Packard and Colonel Bill Greene of Cananea fame, entered into partnership, running cattle on both sides of the border in what was known as the Turkey Track brand.
At One time. Packard and Greene ran around 15,000 cattle and controlled 200.000 acres of range land in addition to a large, cultivated ranch near Tempt . Part of the land on which the city of Douglas was built once belonged to Packard.
Packard and Greene dissolved their partnership in 1908, with Packard retaining 5.000 cattle, the range near Douglas and tile Tempe farms. In the same year, he acquired control of the First National Bank of Douglas, and was its president until his death on March 12. 1935. He also served in both time Senate and House of tile state legislature during this time.
As a lover of good horses, Colonel Packard  along with J. C. Adams anti Tom Pollock  is said to have been responsible for time first Fair in Phoenix and to have financed it for several years.
Colonel Packard s first wife died in 1893 and in 1903 he married Mrs. Carlotta Holbrook of Tucson.
A son, Ashley B. Packard and two daughters. Gertrude and Dorothy all dead now resulted from his marriages. Of the Packard family, only Ashley s wife. Mrs. Rachel Packard, now lives in Douglas.
After Colonel Packard s death, part of tile old Turkey Track range in Mexico was sold to D. V. and Kemper Marie. who still operate it.
 

FRED FRITZ JR.
1895-


Fred Fritz. Jr.. a Past President of the Arizona Cattle Growers Association. was born in Clifton July 8, 1895. He has spent his entire life in the cattle business. operating the XXX Ranch started by his father on the Blue River in 1886.
The father. Fred Fritz, Sr.. was one of the truly pioneering type. who drove stage for a time, spent some years in Old Mexico, and was in on time early days of Tombstone. Bisbec and other mining camps. It was while trapping beaver on time Blue that he selected that remote region for a ranch site.
Bringing his bride from Texas to Clifton in 1894. He maintained a Part time home in Clifton where young Fred had his schooling.
The father died on time ranch in 1916 and was buried there. Fred Jr. then took over the outfit, gradually buying the interests of the other heirs until he now owns it alone.
Fred Jr. served in World War I and,  back on time ranch, seen became well known and respected for his intelligence and business ability.
This resulted in his serving in the State Legislature for 14 years. He has the rare distinction of having been both Speaker of the House and President of the Senate.
With cattle as his first and greatest love, Fred helped organize the Greenlee County Cattle Growers and served as it's Secretary and three times as President.
Likewise prominent in state and national livestock affairs, be served on many committees and was President of the State Association in 1946 and 1947. Also, since his range is adjacent to the New Mexico boundary, he attends most of the meetings of the cattlemen of that state.
In 1924 Fred Fritz, Jr., married Kathleen Anderson. They maintain a home in Clifton as does his mother, who is still active at 81.
 

JOHN G. BABBITT
1908-


John G. Babbitt. President of the Arizona Cattle Growers Association, 1951-.52. was born in Flagstaff May 19, 1908.
John s father. Charles, is still living, time last of time five Babbitt brothers who arrived in time little lumber town of Flagstaff in the spring of 1886. when time settlement was comprised of only a few log houses.
It was then that time Babbitt family began their commercial and livestock activities that have made time name Babbitt well and favorably known throughout the state.
Shortly after time arrival of the Babbitt brothers in Flagstaff (when Coconino County. created in 1891, was still a part of Yavapai, and cattle and sheep ranges were being taken up) they purchased a trail herd of about 1.000 head of cattle from Kansas. Thus the CO Bar brand was established. In the years following, the family spread out in livestock until they had vast holdings in both cattle and sheep. while at tile same time their commercial enterprises spread and flourished.
Over the years Charles and William Babbitt devoted their attention to time livestock end of the business.
John,  following in tile footsteps of his father. prefers livestock, and while he is also concerned with tile business enterprises. he devotes a lot of time to the operation of tile CO Bar, time W Triangle and the Spur outfits.
Public spirited. John Babbitt has served two years as president of the Cattle Growers, is past President of the Arizona Senate, and is current president of the Board of Regents of the University and State Colleges.
He is a graduate of Loyola University and the Babson Institute and has spent some time in stock brokerage in Boston.
While in time East he married Elizabeth Quimby, September 16, 1933. When it got so he couldn't see enough of the sky at one time he returned to Arizona.
John and Elizabeth Babbitt have two children, Betty Ann and John, Jr.

William H. Perry
1844- 1929

William Perry who for many years ran cattle on the upper Agua Fria and the Perry Mesa in Yavapai County, was born in Pepperell, Mass., November 9, 1844. When he was nine, he moved with his parents to California, by way of Panama. arriving at the end of the Gold Rush.
As he grew to manhood. Perry acquired ranch property in California. When he learned of Arizona's vast, idle ranges. He returned to Massausetts in 1873,
married Mary Clark, and took his bride back to California. Selling his property. he bought :3,000 sheep to take to Arizona.
Then began a years trek. With a wagon for a home and with their herders and sheep, Perry and his bride crossed the great Mohave Desert
and circled through southern Nevada and Utah. At Lee s Ferry on the Colorado, they swam the sheep across while the wagons crossed on the ferry
In 1874. Perry located east of the Cordes. near the mouth of Ash creek. There he made a ranch home and ranged his sheep until he sold em in 1881 and began acquiring cattle. He established the A Dot brand, later sold to Lon Harmon. In 1900 he established the Bar Box brand, which was maintained until its sale in 1949.
Not long after the death of his wife, in 1915, Perry more or less tired from ranch management. William Perry was widely known for his friendly disposition, so travelers made it a point to stop at the A Dot, where they were always heartily welcomed.
Perry loved his home range of mesas and canyons. It was most fitting, therefore, that when he died in Peoria, in June, 1929, his wishes were carried out and his body was cremated and the ashes scattered over Perry Mesa.
The six surviving children of  William and Mary Perry are: Mrs. Homer Redden, Tempe; Mrs. Carl Harvey, Bakersfield, Calif.; William Perry, Peoria; Mrs. Arthur Haynes, Phoenix; Mrs. Maude Daly, Chandler; and Eben P. Perry, Avondale.

C.C. Griffin
1861-1913    


Cliff Griffin. as everyone called him, was a tenderfoot who loved Arizona and the life of a cowman from the time he arrived here in 1884.
Born in Washington. D. C., February 14. 1866 he rejected his fathers plan to make him a minister, saying he wanted to be a cowboy. As a result he came to Globe at eighteen and for a time worked for Jim Hazard s outfit on Salt River.
Two years later he bought a small ranch near the mouth of Pinto Creek (now under Roosevelt Lake) and in 1888 married Laura Bell Hocker.
In 1 903 after selling his land to the government as a part of the Roosevelt reservoir site. Cliff bought the Samuel's ranch in Pleasant Valley and moved the family there. The house in which the family lived was built by Al Rose. a Graham partisan in the Pleasant Valley War, who was killed during the feud.
In 1909 Cliff sold the Rose ranch to Zee Hayes and moved to Tempe in order that his daughters might receive good schooling. City life was too much for him, however, and in 1912 he bought the 76 outfit on Rye Creek and moved there. In a short time he resold it but bought it back again in 1920. When he died in Globe on October 23. 1943, he still owned the 76. His daughter Margaret, Mrs. John Arrner, now looks after it for her mother who lives in Globe.
Cliff Griffin was one of the few ranchers in the Tonto country who, during the first year or two after the Forest was created in 1905, would allow a Forest Ranger to stay at his place overnight. Like most stockmen, he did not relish government control of grazing, but with most of the rest, gradually accepted it as the Forest Administration improved.
Handicapped by deafness from early youth. Cliff Griffin was one of the best liked cattlemen of Gila county.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Griffin of Globe, and daughters, Mrs. John Armer and Mrs. Fred Armer, Globe, and Mrs. A. B. Cox, Burlingame, California.


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