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Stuart Family Papers 1888-1967 (bulk 1931-1967)

MSS-77

Historical Note

William Plato Stuart, 1879-1960

William Plato Stuart was born to Burton Alexander and Emma Newlin Stuart in Snow Camp, North Carolina on December 18, 1879. He was educated in the public schools of his native state and the Oak Ridge, North Carolina Institute. During 1897, he served with Cuban Insurgents. Between 1898 and 1901 he worked a cowboy in New Mexico.

In October of 1901, he came to Morenci, Arizona and worked as the credit clerk in the Detroit Copper Company's store. He was employed by the Greene Cananea Copper Company as a clerk from 1902 until 1905, when he was made executive accountant of the company, a position he held until 1909. He served in the same capacity for the Ray Consolidated Copper Company in Ray until 1911.

In 1912 he began his official newspaper career as a reporter for the Los Angeles Tribune. Later that year he became editor of the Arizona Democrat of Phoenix. He became the editor of the Mesa Tribune in 1914. He returned to California and served as news editor of the San Diego Union from 1914 to 1916. In 1917 he returned to Arizona as editor of the Douglas Dispatch (1917-1920). His association with the Prescott Courier began in 1921 when he took over as publisher. He also served as president of the Arizona Newspaper Association from 1940 to 1941.

In 1937 Stuart was appointed Collector of Internal Revenue, Arizona District. He organized the Central Arizona Broadcasting Company (Radio Station KCRJ) in 1939, serving as its president. He was chairman of the Yavapai County Democratic Committee from 1926 to 1938 and chairman of the Democratic State Committee from 1934 to 1936.

Stuart married Ruby Kelly (1884-1971) on September 16, 1903. The couple divorced in January of 1931, and Stuart married Della (Gillespie) Tovrea in 1936. He had one daughter, Dorothy (Stuart) Keesling (1904-1981), by his first wife. Stuart died of heart disease in Phoenix, Arizona on November 27, 1960.

Della Cora (Gillespie) Tovrea Stuart, 1888-1969

Della Cora Gillespie was born to James Stephens and Irene (Anderson) Gillespie in Blanco City, Texas on October 8, 1888. She was educated in the public and high schools of Texas and attended the University of Texas. She married Edward Ambrose Tovrea on December 26, 1906 and William Plato Stuart on November 16, 1936.

Della Tovrea was elected a director of the Tovrea Packing Company in June of 1932 upon the death of her first husband, Edward Tovrea. She was Secretary and Treasurer of the Prescott Courier in May 1936 and President of the Central Arizona Broadcasting Co. in September 1937.

Della Tovrea Stuart was a staunch supporter of democratic principles and had long been one of the leaders of the Democratic Party in Arizona. She served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention at Philadelphia in 1936, being the only woman delegate from Arizona to attend that year. On April 6, 1940 she was elected Democratic National Committeewoman from Arizona, a position she held until 1956. Della Stuart died in 1969.

Edward Ambrose Tovrea, 1861-1932

Edward A. Tovrea was born to Arthur T. and Rose (Hood) Tovrea (both Native Americans of French English ancestry) in Sparta, Illinois on March 20, 1861. He was educated in the public schools of his native state. In 1897 he moved to Northern New Mexico, where he engaged in freighting and construction contracting.

In 1883, he moved westward into Yavapai County, Arizona, where he freighted between Ashfork, Jerome, and Phoenix. He later moved to Phoenix, where he established a prosperous meat market and began his career in the meat packing industry. From Phoenix he moved to Jerome and then to Bisbee in 1901 where he established a slaughterhouse from which he supplied his retail meat markets located in the Bisbee, Warren, and Douglas areas. In 1919 Tovrea moved back to the Salt River Valley and founded the Arizona Packing Company in Phoenix. This business later became the Tovrea Packing Company.

As one of the early pioneers of the Southwest, Tovrea played a major part in its development. He was active in the civic and political interests of the community, having served as mayor of Jerome from 1899 to 1900 and as a member of the Constitutional Convention of Arizona (1910).

Edward Tovrea was twice married: first to Lillian Isabella Willott (1865-1926) in 1885 and second to Della Gillespie. He had five children by his first wife: John Arthur (1886-1936), Fred E. (1888-1898), Harry Raymond (1890-1947), Clyde (1893-1916), and Philip Edward (1894-1962). Edward Tovrea died died of kidney and heart disease in Phoenix, Arizona on February 7, 1932.

Scope and Content Note

The Stuart Family Papers consist of correspondence, records, printed materials, and newspaper clippings primarily documenting the business and political activities of William Plato Stuart and Della Tovrea Stuart from 1931 to 1967. The collection includes records from the various meat packing businesses that Edward Ambrose Tovrea founded, including the Tovrea Packing Company of Phoenix, Arizona. The collection has been divided into nine series.

Series I: Personal Papers hosues correspondence, genealogical papers, legal papers, and financial records showing William P. Stuart and Della T. Stuart. Sub-Series A: Stuart Family Genealogical Papers includes news clippings and biographies of William P. Stuart and Della T. Stuart as well as William P. Stuart's will (1937). Sub-Series B: Correspondence generally relates news of family, friends, and events in Prescott, Arizona. Letters between William and Della Stuart occasionally mention Democratic politics in Arizona and around the country with particular references to the Roosevelt and Truman administrations. Correspondence between William and Ruby Stuart (his first wife) describe events at Bisbee, Cananea, and at the Cananea Consolidated Copper Company and are more affectionate in character. One item of particular interest is William Stuart's letter of August 23rd, 1911(?) in which he describes a baseball game between the teams from Cananea and El Paso. The letter identifies players by name and mentions game scores and roster changes for Cananea.

The correspondence from Dorothy (Stuart) Kessling to William Stuart contains comments on national politics and foreign affairs, including the WPA, the CIO, China, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Her letter of September 27, 1940 includes her comments on Henry F. Ashurst's electoral defeat, the Roosevelt/Wilkie election, and wartime conditions in Riverside, California. Correspondence between Edward A. Tovrea and Della Tovrea includes Edward's identity card (with a photograph) and reservations and itineraries for a steamship cruise around the world (1927). Letters from R. Aumas of France relate incidents of looting by refugee Spanish Civil War soldiers in France (March 29, 1939), and include comments on the potential for world war and the state of international alliances (June 23, 1939). A letter received by William Stuart from James S. Casey (Box 3, Folder 4, January 30, 1930) includes a list of undervalued properties in the Phoenix area and a document describing real estate valuations in Arizona during 1925-1926.

Sub-Series C: Legal/Financial Records consists of lists of unpaid accounts, deeds, and financial agreements between William P. and Della T. Stuart. The English Mastiff Record contains correspondence and publications regarding Mastiffs in general and the Stuarts' pet in particular.

Series II: Collector of Internal Revenue, Arizona District houses primarily administrative correspondence relating to William P. Stuart's service as Collector from 1937 to 1955. Henry F. Ashurst and Carl T. Hayden are regular correspondents in these files, but their letters are generally brief and administrative in nature. John R. Murdock's letter to Lynn Lockhart of February 14, 1939 (Box 4, Folder 2; see also Box 5, Folder 1, February 11, 1939) offers his support for Stuart despite allegations of improper lobbying activities.

Of particular interest are some letters documenting income tax investigations. John McPhee's (Director of Publicity, Moeur for Governor campaign) letter to William Stuart of August 29, 1934 includes a list of unpaid Maricopa County real estate taxes owed by opponent Rawleigh C. Stanford and notes that "You have the Governor's permission to use these figures editorially ..." Stuart's letter to Carl T. Hayden (February 23, 1950) requests an explanation from the U.S. Dept. of Justice for dismissal of a tax evasion case against the Tanner Construction Company of Phoenix.

Series III: Political Correspondence contains mostly letters received by William P. Stuart relating to Democratic Party politics in Arizona and around the nation. Many of the files document the efforts of the Arizona State Democratic Committee to secure political appointments, elect delegates to the Democratic National Convention, and bolster support for New Deal programs.

Correspondence with Henry F. Ashurst generally concerns appointments to federal posts, employment opportunities for Democrats during the Depression years, and federal funds for various construction projects. Ashurst's letter to Frederick E. Fox (January 22, 1940) concerns the history of the Babbitt family and contains Ashurst's personal memories of the Babbitts. The Barry Goldwater correspondence includes his address at Miami, Arizona (November 13, 1957) on the American copper industry and reinstatement of the federal copper tariff. Goldwater's letter to Stuart (April 3, 1958) on his proposed "right to work" amendment to the Taft Hartley Law includes a copy of the legislation.

The Carl Hayden correspondence files generally contain routine letters concerning federal appointments and Stuart's work as Collector of Internal Revenue. Some of Hayden's earliest letters (January 2, 1925 and June 17, 1930), however, discuss the development of the Lower Colorado River Basin and the Boulder Canyon Project in particular. Correspondence from February of 1939 describes Lynn Lockhart's allegations of Stuart's improper lobbying activities at the Arizona State Legislature. A typed transcription of an 1877 manuscript entitled A Vacation Trip contains descriptions of farms throughout western Yavapai County and names various residents in the Prescott area. The transcription is enclosed with Hayden's letter of January 8, 1945. Hayden's letter of December 8, 1948 includes a copy of George E. P. Smith's paper The Future of Irrigation in Arizona (1945).

The Benjamin B. Moeur correspondence is comprised of letters relating to state government finances and unemployment during the Depression. Correspondence with Grace Sparks often concerns federal funding for construction projects in Yavapai County including highways and military training facilities. The file also contains correspondence regarding the establishment of the Will Rogers Memorial (November 13, 1935) and control of twig blight in the Prescott National Forest (December 7, 1935). Letters from Mulford Winsor include his comments on the Colorado River Compact (September 11, 1923) and Carl Hayden's announcement of his candidacy for the US Senate.

The miscellaneous correspondence at the end of the series includes a number of interesting items. Support for the re-election of Senator Ralph H. Cameron is detailed in S. J. Gnash's letter to H. J. Southworth of Prescott (April 6, 1926), which also includes a printed copy of Fred Colter's remarks before Congress (January 25, 1926) on Colorado River development. Also enclosed is a copy of the brief for USA vs. Ralph H. Cameron (1922), a perjury indictment that was later dismissed. Joseph H. Morgan's (Arizona Supreme Court Judge) letter to Stuart (April 9, 1946) describes his court experience and legal philosophy.

Series IV: Arizona Highway Department contains correspondence and administrative documentation describing the department and its relationship to the Arizona Highway Commission from approximately 1920 to 1945. C. E. Addams (Chairman, AZ Highway Commission) is a regular correspondent in these files. Many of the letters address prioritization of construction projects and unemployment relief during the Depression. Rex Rice's letter to William Stuart (June 5, 1934) concerning the dedication of Chiricahua National Monument is written on official dedication stationery and includes photographs. The Arizona Highways Magazine file contains correspondence that mostly relates to bids and contracts for printing. The Report on Investigation of the Arizona Highway Department is an audit conducted by a private accounting firm (Smart, Gore and Co.) in 1923.

Series V: General Correspondence is comprised of subject files relating to William P. Stuart's various interests. The Arizona Constitution file includes a 27-page memorandum describing legal cases involving constitutional interpretation. It is enclosed with James S. Casey's (Lawyer, Bisbee, Arizona) letter of January 24, 1930. The memo is divided into the following sections: Period of Radicalism; the War Period; Workman's Compensation; Taxation; Extent of Executive Powers.

The Arizona Newspaper Association files contains administrative documents including a proposed constitution, bylaws, and articles of incorporation. A letter from Wesley W. Knorpp (R&G Publishers, August 5, 1935) describes his opposition to proposed federal legislation on copyright of photographs.

The Associated Press/United Press file generally concerns subscription costs for various wire services in Arizona and contributions of news by various Arizona members. Monte Bourjailly's (United Features Syndicate) letter (January 4, 1933) concerns subscriptions to syndicated comic strips and includes samples. The Central Arizona Broadcasting Corporation file describes Stuart's attempts to purchase or expand radio stations in Central Arizona (particularly KCRJ). Frank Stollenwerck was the attorney representing Stuart in licensing hearings before the Federal Communications Commission and is a regular correspondent in this file.

The Civilian Conservation Corps file is mostly comprised of correspondence regarding employment applications and locations of work camps. Walter V. Martin's letters to Stuart (1937-1938) are mostly personal but occasionally describe conditions at the CCC work camps at the Grand Canyon and at Kaibab National Forest.

The Colorado River Compact file contains related correspondence from Mulford Winsor, George W. P. Hunt, and Harold J. Ickes (US Secretary of Interior) as well as typescripts of Stuart's editorials on the subject. The Mining file contains correspondence relating to mining taxes in Arizona and national tariffs. The file includes a press release offering a reward for information about a theft of evidence of damage caused by blasting and "mining of stopes" by the United Verde Copper Company. Post Offices materials relate to appointments of postmasters and establishment of post offices in Arizona. The file includes a number of letters from Isabella Greenway. The Taxes file mainly concerns a proposed state tax on tobacco products.

The Unemployment file includes informative letters regarding transients and transient relief in the Prescott area. Stuart's letter to A. W. McMillen (US Dept. of Labor) describes transients riding on Santa Fe Railroad trains and asks for assistance. The Whipple Barracks file includes correspondence regarding the transfer of the facility from the War Department to the Veterans' Administration and expansion of the hospital facilities. The Works Progress Administration file features a letter (August 6, 1935) from C. E. Griggs (Phoenix City Engineer) to W. J. Jamieson (WPA) regarding the politics of funding construction of a city park at 9th St. and Polk (now Verde Park).

Series VI: Democratic Party contains correspondence and other materials divided into two subseries: William P. Stuart Files and Della T. Stuart Files. Sub-Series A: William P. Stuart Files contains correspondence, reports, and printed matter mostly related to Democratic politics in Arizona. The Report on Arizona to James Farley includes lists of Arizona democratic office holders and post-election returns and statistics. The Isabella Greenway Correspondence is mostly related to Arizona political appointments and nominations. A report on the Citizen's Re-Employment Association that contains financial summaries and relief statistics is included with Greenway's letter of November 18, 1931. The E. W. Lowery correspondence mostly relates to tax reduction amendments to the Arizona Constitution. The Franklin Roosevelt Correspondence is mostly personal and routine, but his letter of May 4, 1932 documents Roosevelt's desire for an instructed Arizona delegation at the 1932 Democratic National Convention.

Sub-Series B: Della T. Stuart Files includes correspondence, newspaper clippings, and other papers related to her work with the Democratic National Committee from 1935 to 1956. The correspondence from 1955 to 1956 (Box 11, Folder 2) concerns various public appearances by Adlai Stevenson.

Series VII: Prescott Courier contains correspondence, reports, legal and financial records, and printed matter describing Stuart's administration of the newspaper. Editorial Correspondence generally contains responses to Prescott Courier editorials, including the response of J. Edgar Hoover (March 20, 1950). The Franklin Alcorn Company, Payne Hall Incorporation, and Fenger Hall Company files document marketing of Prescott Courier advertising space to potential buyers across the country.

Series VIII: Edward Ambrose Tovrea Papers contains correspondence, genealogical and biographical information, and administrative files relating to Della T. Stuart's first husband and his business interests. The files are mostly comprised of financial records relating to Tovrea's meat packing businesses in Phoenix, Arizona, and California. The majority of these records were produced by Della Tovrea Stuart as she managed the businesses after Edward's death.

The Memorabilia series includes various cards, certificates, and broadsides mostly relating to William P. Stuart.

Arrangement

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

To view this collection, make an appointment at least five business days prior to your visit by contacting Ask an Archivist or calling (480) 965-4932. Appointments in the Wurzburger Reading Room at Hayden Library (rm. 138) on the Tempe campus are available Monday through Friday. Check the ASU Library Hours page for current availability.

Copyright

Arizona State University does not own the copyright to this collection. We recognize that it is incumbent upon the researcher to procure permission to publish information from this collection from the owner of the copyright.

Access Terms

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Stuart Family Papers, MSS-77, Arizona State University Library.

Provenance

Della Tovrea Stuart's estate donated the Stuart Family Papers to the Arizona Collection in 1969 (ACC# 1969-00076).

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