About 1893 young Walter C. Fortune (1874-1914) departed Maryland for Arizona. By 1897 Walter was running his own freighting business, hauling ore from the mines near Crittenden and Patagonia. [The Oasis, 2/20/1897]. The 1900 U.S. Census lists him as a boarder with the Joaquin Quiroga family in Patagonia and in 1905 he sells his freighting outfit to concentrate on ranching. [The Oasis, 2/18/1905].
Anna Pugh (1874-1966) moved to Nogales about 1896 with her family—her stepfather, Daniel Pugh; Mrs. Pugh, the woman Anna believed to be her mother; and a foster sister, Elsie. The Pugh family led a somewhat nomadic existence, living in Colorado and Texas, before moving to Arizona.
Anna obtained an Arizona teaching certificate and began teaching at Calabasas in 1898. In the early 1900s she filed a homestead claim for 160 acres near Walter’s ranch. On May 1, 1907 “two of Santa Cruz County’s most popular young people were united in marriage.” [The Border Vidette, 5/7/1907].
Prior to her marriage to Walter, Anna took steps to learn the identity of her biological father. She wrote to Paul Vogt, who had been married to Mrs. Pugh, to inquire. Mr. Vogt revealed that Anna’s parents were Hermann and Anna Hellmann and that Anna was born in Germany instead of New York as she’d been told.
He said Mrs. Pugh was Hermann Hellmann’s sister, and she had stolen Anna from her parents. Anna wrote to Germany and received a letter from her father who told her about her siblings and informed her of her mother’s death.
One sister came to visit Anna in Arizona and resided in Duquesne for a time. [The Oasis, 4/21/1906].
Anna immediately applied for citizenship as Anna Hellmann and was able to change her name on her homestead claim.
Walter and Anna ranched on their properties. Walter also operated Valentin Valenzuela’s meat market which he purchased in 1907. Anna taught at Lochiel, Harshaw, Tubac, and Washington Camp.
They had two daughters: Elizabeth (1909-1995) and Margaret (1912-1993). In 1911 Walter was elected Santa Cruz County Supervisor. Tragically Walter was killed in 1914 when a flash flood of Harshaw Creek swept away his buggy. [Arizona Daily Star, 12/25/1914].
Anna continued to ranch and teach after Walter’s death. She taught at Patagonia Elementary from 1914 until her retirement in 1940. [Arizona Daily Star, 4/19/1940]. She expanded the Fortune ranch holdings to 600 acres, living in the adobe house Walter built. [Arizona Daily Star, 7/29/1962]. After retiring from teaching she taught herself to type and reported local news to the Arizona Daily Star and the Arizona Republic. She was an active member of the Patagonia Seventh-day Adventist congregation.
Daughters Elizabeth and Margaret attended Patagonia schools and pursued careers. Elizabeth “Beth” taught for many years in Douglas and never married. Margaret became a registered nurse, married Dr. James Bryant (1890-1963), and had one son, John Fortune Bryant (1944-2006). The Bryant family resided primarily in southern California, but Margaret returned to Patagonia in the 1960s.
Anna died in 1966, age 91. Her great-granddaughter, Laura Bryant, lives on part of the Fortune ranch today.
Alison Bunting can be contacted at alisbunting@gmail.com.