The Douglas family was a prominent Arizona mining family whose
members greatly figured in the mining and political life of the state of
Arizona.
James Douglas was born in Quebec, Canada in 1837 to a
Scottish family and whose father, James, the first, was a prominent
surgeon and alienist. James Douglas studied Liberal Arts at the
University of Edinburgh and Queen's College in Ontario. Upon completing
degrees he decided to attend medical school at Laval University. It was
at Laval that he met a Professor Thomas Hunt who encouraged him to take
an interest in his father's mining properties. This relationship would
lead to Douglas's long career in mining.
Professor Hunt and
Douglas developed and patented a process for reducing copper ore called
the Hunt-Douglas process. This process would bring Douglas and his
family to the United States, and ultimately to Arizona. The Douglas came
to the Southwest in 1880 when a small metals firm called Phelps Dodge
hired Douglas to survey land in Morenci and Bisbee. Settling in Bisbee,
Douglas continued to work for Phelps Dodge as assayer. He rose through
the ranks of the company eventually becoming its president in 1908. He
died June 25, 1918.
James Stuart Douglas was born in Quebec,
Canada in 1868 and was the eldest son of James and Naomi Douglas. James
S. Douglas was seven years old when his family immigrated to
Pennsylvania, and in 1889 he joined his father in Arizona Territory.
James was educated in Canada and New York, and even attempted
homesteading in Manitoba during his youth. James Stuart returned to
Arizona Territory and tried his hand at dry farming in Sulphur Springs,
east of Bisbee. This proved to be a failure, which lead him to the
family business of mining. James S. Douglas joined Phelps Dodge as an
assayer and rose steadily in the company becoming superintendent of the
Phelps Dodge Copper Basin, the Big Bug, and Senator Mines by 1900. Along
with W. H. Brophy he founded the border town of Douglas, Arizona which
he named for his father James Douglas. In addition he founded the Bank
of Douglas, and the Bank of Bisbee, and for a time was the President of
the Nacozari Railroad Company.
When the first World War broke out
in 1914, James Stuart left for France where he was in charge of
distributing American Red Cross stores, but before he left he acquired
the rights to a mine called Little Daisy, later renamed United Verde
Extension, in Jerome, Arizona. Experts undervalued the mine and there
was no expectation that it would yield much, but James "Rawhide Jimmy"
Douglas directed his men to dig deeper than the previous owners, and
what would emerge is one of the richest loads the mining community had
ever seen. At its apex the mine paid out $150,000,000 in gold, silver,
and copper ore.
After the war, James S. Douglas returned to
Arizona and focused his efforts on philanthropic matters. Growing
increasingly disquieted with the state of U. S. politics, Douglass
decided to return to Canada in 1939. Douglas would remain in Canada for
the rest of his life, seldom visiting Arizona. James S. Douglas died
January 2, 1949.
Lewis Williams Douglas was July 2, 1894 in
Bisbee, Arizona Territory to James Stuart Douglas and his wife,
Josephine. The early part of his childhood was spent in Bisbee and
Nacozari de Garcia a where his father worked as a manager Phelps Dodge
copper mines. When he was 11 years old, at the urging of his grandfather
James Douglas Sr., was sent to Hackley School in Tarrytown, New York,
and later Montclair Academy in New Jersey, graduating in 1912. Douglas
attended Amherst College graduating in 1916 with a degree in economics.
After graduation, he briefly attended Massachusetts Institute of
Technology focusing his studies on mining engineering. When United
States entered World War I he left school to enter Officers Training
Camp in San Francisco. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant
attached to the 91st Infantry Division, and later served on General
William Johnson's staff. At the close of the war Douglas received the
Belgian Croix de Guerre and a citation from General John Pershing.
Upon his return from Europe, he taught classes at Amherst and took
law classes at Harvard University. It was also during this time that he
meet his wife, Margaret "Peggy" Zinsser, and were married in 1921.
Lewis Douglas entered political life when he decided to run for the
lower house of the Arizona State House of Representatives. He served a
single term in the Arizona State House of Representatives before turning
is eyes to running for the vacant Congressional seat that Carl Hayden
had left so that Hayden could run for U. S. Senate. Douglas served as
Arizona Congressman at large district from 1927-1932. He was selected by
President Franklin Roosevelt to serve as Director of the Budget in 1933.
Douglas would later serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom
from 1947 to 1950.
Returning from Great Britain in 1950, Douglas
settled in Tucson, Arizona. He would remain active in business and
politics for the remainder of his life, serving on numerous boards and
supporting candidates at both the state and national level. Lewis
Douglas died in Tucson, Arizona March 7, 1974.
The Douglas family
was a prominent Arizona mining family whose members greatly figured in
the mining and political life of the state of Arizona.
James
Douglas was born in Quebec, Canada in 1837 to a Scottish family and
whose father, James, the first, was a prominent surgeon and alienist.
James Douglas studied Liberal Arts at the University of Edinburgh and
Queen's College in Ontario. Upon completing degrees he decided to attend
medical school at Laval University. It was at Laval that he met a
Professor Thomas Hunt who encouraged him to take an interest in his
father's mining properties. This relationship would lead to Douglas's
long career in mining.
Professor Hunt and Douglas developed and
patented a process for reducing copper ore called the Hunt-Douglas
process. This process would bring Douglas and his family to the United
States, and ultimately to Arizona. The Douglas came to the Southwest in
1880 when a small metals firm called Phelps Dodge hired Douglas to
survey land in Morenci and Bisbee. Settling in Bisbee, Douglas continued
to work for Phelps Dodge as assayer. He rose through the ranks of the
company eventually becoming its president in 1908. He died June 25,
1918.
James Stuart Douglas was born in Quebec, Canada in 1868 and
was the eldest son of James and Naomi Douglas. James S. Douglas was
seven years old when his family immigrated to Pennsylvania, and in 1889
he joined his father in Arizona Territory. James was educated in Canada
and New York, and even attempted homesteading in Manitoba during his
youth. James Stuart returned to Arizona Territory and tried his hand at
dry farming in Sulphur Springs, east of Bisbee. This proved to be a
failure, which lead him to the family business of mining. James S.
Douglas joined Phelps Dodge as an assayer and rose steadily in the
company becoming superintendent of the Phelps Dodge Copper Basin, the
Big Bug, and Senator Mines by 1900. Along with W. H. Brophy he founded
the border town of Douglas, Arizona which he named for his father James
Douglas. In addition he founded the Bank of Douglas, and the Bank of
Bisbee, and for a time was the President of the Nacozari Railroad
Company.
When the first World War broke out in 1914, James Stuart
left for France where he was in charge of distributing American Red
Cross stores, but before he left he acquired the rights to a mine called
Little Daisy, later renamed United Verde Extension, in Jerome, Arizona.
Experts undervalued the mine and there was no expectation that it would
yield much, but James "Rawhide Jimmy" Douglas directed his men to dig
deeper than the previous owners, and what would emerge is one of the
richest loads the mining community had ever seen. At its apex the mine
paid out $150,000,000 in gold, silver, and copper ore.
After the
war, James S. Douglas returned to Arizona and focused his efforts on
philanthropic matters. Growing increasingly disquieted with the state of
U. S. politics, Douglass decided to return to Canada in 1939. Douglas
would remain in Canada for the rest of his life, seldom visiting
Arizona. James S. Douglas died January 2, 1949.
Lewis Williams
Douglas was July 2, 1894 in Bisbee, Arizona Territory to James Stuart
Douglas and his wife, Josephine. The early part of his childhood was
spent in Bisbee and Nacozari de Garcia a where his father worked as a
manager Phelps Dodge copper mines. When he was 11 years old, at the
urging of his grandfather James Douglas Sr., was sent to Hackley School
in Tarrytown, New York, and later Montclair Academy in New Jersey,
graduating in 1912. Douglas attended Amherst College graduating in 1916
with a degree in economics.
After graduation, he briefly attended
Massachusetts Institute of Technology focusing his studies on mining
engineering. When United States entered World War I he left school to
enter Officers Training Camp in San Francisco. He was commissioned as a
second lieutenant attached to the 91st Infantry Division, and later
served on General William Johnson's staff. At the close of the war
Douglas received the Belgian Croix de Guerre and a citation from General
John Pershing.
Upon his return from Europe, he taught classes at
Amherst and took law classes at Harvard University. It was also during
this time that he meet his wife, Margaret "Peggy" Zinsser, and were
married in 1921.
Lewis Douglas entered political life when he
decided to run for the lower house of the Arizona State House of
Representatives. He served a single term in the Arizona State House of
Representatives before turning is eyes to running for the vacant
Congressional seat that Carl Hayden had left so that Hayden could run
for U. S. Senate. Douglas served as Arizona Congressman at large
district from 1927-1932. He was selected by President Franklin Roosevelt
to serve as Director of the Budget in 1933. Douglas would later serve as
the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1947 to 1950.
Returning from Great Britain in 1950, Douglas settled in Tucson,
Arizona. He would remain active in business and politics for the
remainder of his life, serving on numerous boards and supporting
candidates at both the state and national level. Lewis Douglas died in
Tucson, Arizona March 7, 1974.
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