Zefferino Ceria Prina (1862-1922)

Z.C. Prina, from the Portrait and Biographical Record of Arizona, 1901.

   Our month-long theme of strangely named mayors concludes today, and the following write-up takes us to Arizona and one of that state's more oddly named public figures, Zefferino "Z.C." Prina. A native of Italy, Prina would become a businessman of some repute in Graham County, Arizona, first settling there in the late 1890s. In addition to success as the owner of a ranch and ice/creamery business in the city of Safford, Prina would be elected to two terms as mayor of that city, later serving as a county commissioner and member of the city council.

   The first Italian native to be profiled here, Zefferino Ceria Prina was born in Genoa, Italy on June 19, 1862. Both of his parent's names apparently have been lost to history, and he would reside in the country of his birth until the age of nine, whereafter he immigrated with his father to the United States. The pair first settled in Galveston, where young Zefferino was "bound out"  by his father to a local Italian couple. This period of Prina's young life is remarked as being "gloomy and cheerless" by the Portrait and Biographical Record of Arizona, which notes that during his apprenticeship:

"His best intentions in this household were misconstrued and treated with incredible severity, the lady of the mansion especially taking particular delight in whipping him long and hard."

    Prina resided in this unsettling atmosphere for about nine months, later escaping and returning to his father. They continued to reside in the Houston and Austin area and in 1876 Zefferino took work on a cattle ranch, where he would develop a longstanding interest in "the raising and selling of stock." He relocated to Arizona in 1884 and after settling in Cochise County became affiliated with the Chiricauha Cattle Company, who in turn sent Prina to Safford, Arizona to look after a ranch under their ownership. He remained here for two years and in 1897 resettled in Safford permanently. Prina married here on November 16, 1897, to Martha Wanslee (1880-1944) and later had five children: Eva (1899-1978), Ruth (1900-1987), Zeff Jr. (1904-1978), Eunice (1906-1972) and Grant (born ca. 1911).
    Soon after permanently settling in Safford Prina began establishing his business roots in the community, purchasing an interest in a local flour mill and a hardware store. In 1900 Prina established the Safford Ice and Creamery Company, and along with his partner George Olney, provided "the entire Gila Valley" with a "sufficient quantity" of ice. In the succeeding years, Prina continued his rise in the Safford business sector, being a dealer in grain and hay, and a livestock dealer/rancher. In the early 1910s, Prina entered the automotive industry, taking work with the Michigan Motor Company managing sales. 
    Prina's rising success in various Safford business enterprises also saw him become active in the Graham County political scene. He served as a city councilman for Safford in the early 1910s and in May 1912 was sworn in as Mayor. Prina served two terms as Safford's mayor and during his term became the manager and president of the Arizona Life of Phoenix, an insurance company based in Safford. Following his term as mayor, Prina continued to serve Graham County in a number of political capacities, including time as a County Commissioner and Highway Commissioner. 
   Ranching and agricultural pursuits proved to be a consistent theme in Z.C. Prina's life after his mayoralty and the Pacific Coast Livestock Breeder relates that he continued to buy and sell "range cattle" until 1918, whereafter he "disposed of his range interests and retired from active work on the range." This same work notes that Prina still maintained an interest in milling four and his ice and creamery plant, and was the proud owner of one of "the most productive farms in his vicinity."

From the Pacific Coast Livestock Breeder, Vol. I, November 1920.

   A few years prior to his death Zefferino C. Prina was named to the Advisory Board of Directors of the Imperial Livestock and Mortgage Company. The life of this prominent Safford, Arizona resident came to a tragic end on April 13, 1922, as the result of a vehicle rollover near Tucson. As the Copper Era and Morenci Leader reported in its April 14th edition, Prina and four others had been en route to Globe, Arizona to attend a Shriner's convention when Prina (the driver of the vehicle) encountered a turn in the road. The vehicle then

" Swerved into an embankment on the right hand side and in an attempt to right it, it was thrown too near the edge of the hillside on the left hand side of the road and went over, turning three times as it made its decent."

    The Copper Era notes that Prina was instantly killed in the accident, while two others were injured. Following funeral arrangements on the Saturday following his passing, Prina was buried at the Safford City Cemetery. Prina's widow Martha would also be interred here following her death in 1944.

From the Bisbee Daily Review, April 16, 1922.

From the Copper Era and Morenci Leader, April 14, 1922.

Thollie Wilbur Druley (1879-1952)

From the 1933 Indiana State Senate composite portrait.

    In the near two hundred year history of the Indiana state senate you'd be hard-pressed to find a name funnier than Thollie Wilbur Druley, a two-term senator from the county of Wayne. A farmer and teacher in that county for a good majority of his life, Mr. Druley is also one of the more obscure Hoosier political figures I've profiled thus far, and the following write-up on Druley could not have been possible without the help of the Wayne County Historical Museum in Richmond, Indiana.  As it stands now there is but a tiny amount of information available online in regards to Mr. Druley, and I'm pleased to relate that upon the completion of the following article there will be at least one biography for him available online, and this would not have been possible without the help of Sue King and the staff at the Wayne County Historical Museum!!

  A lifelong resident of Wayne County, Thollie Wilbur Druley was one of three sons born to local farmer Joseph S. Druley and Mollie Rutter Druley, his birth occurring in Boston Township on January 2, 1879.  His early life was centered around work on the family farm as well as attending Richmond High School. He continued his education at Earlham College and Purdue University and married on November 25, 1903, to Emma Elizabeth Minneman (died 1967). The couple would later become the parents of three children: Pauline (1905-2005), Ivan (1907-1998) and Byron (1911-1984).

   Around 1910 Druley took over the operations of the family farm from his father and would continue to farm for the remainder of his life. Druley began a longstanding connection to civic and religious affairs in Richmond when in October 1910 he spoke at a rally celebrating Richmond's centennial, and in addition to farming was a school teacher and member of the Boston township school board.  As a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Richmond Druley is also recorded as having taught Sunday school classes for many years.

   Beginning in 1918 Th0llie Druley took on the position of superintendent of the Wayne County Sunday School Association and in this role was prominent in the running of Wayne County's annual Rally Day. In the October 1928 notice (shown below) Druley is also noted as being a member of the Wayne County "organization committee" that would take part in the Indiana Young People's conference being held in Richmond that month.

From the Richmond Item, Sept, 23, 1928, (courtesy of the Wayne County Historical Museum.)

    Thollie W. Druley made his first move into Hoosier state politics in 1921 when he became a candidate for the state legislature from Wayne County. As one of three Democratic candidates vying for the seat, Druley garnered only 800 votes, being defeated by Republican incumbent James M. Knapp, who polled 5, 473. Druley's political fortunes changed in 1930 when he was a successful candidate for the Indiana senate. 

    Taking his seat at the start of the 1931-33 term Druley was the primary sponsor of the so-called "Druley bill" during that session of the legislature. The bill (which "provided for diverting fees from county officials to the general fund and for placing all county officials on straight salaries to be fixed by county councils") was noted as having resulted in "much agitation", which culminated in a rather humorous incident in 1932. The Vidette-Messenger reported in its August 3rd edition that the Druley bill had been stolen from the desk of state Rep. J.W. Ellyson, and that a grand jury investigation into the theft had been announced by then-House Speaker Walter Myers. However, the brouhaha proved to be short-lived, as Rep. Ellyson (who had been in possession of the bill) had inadvertently left it in the "legislative reference bureau" a day before it was discovered missing.

    In November 1932 Druley was elected to a second term in the senate and served until the close of the session. He was an unsuccessful candidate for a third senate term in November 1934, narrowly losing the election to Republican Albert Ferris, 10,886 votes to 10,292.  Druley made one further attempt at reelection in 1941 when he was a candidate for state representative, being defeated in November by Lee J. Reynolds (1877-1955), who bested him by over 4,000 votes.

From the 1931 Indiana State Senate composite portrait.

    After his time in state government, Druley returned to his farm on the "Boston pike" and busied himself with memberships in several fraternal groups, including both the Eagles and Lion's lodges and the local Masonic chapter. The life of this oddly named state senator came to an end in rather unusual circumstances on the afternoon of March 27, 1952 as the result of a tractor accident that occurred on his farm. On that date Druley had been using a tractor to remove boulders from a field on his property when it overturned, pinning him underneath. Byron Druley discovered his father two hours  later and his death was recorded by his death certificate as being the result of a "crushed chest"

    Following funeral services at the Trinity Lutheran Church Thollie Druley was interred at the Lutherania Cemetery in Richmond. He was survived by all of his children and his wife Emma, who passed away in 1967. Pauline Druley Kaufman, the Druley's eldest child, was also the last surviving of their three children, dying in March 2005, six months short of her 100th birthday.

Druley's obituary (courtesy of the Wayne County Historical Museum), from the Palladium, Mar. 28, 1952.