As one of Arizona’s first advocates for temperance in the territory, as well as an unwavering supporter of women’s right to vote, Josephine Brawley Hughes met strong opposition, from saloonkeepers to legislators.
Hughes, however, was no stranger to adversity. In 1872 she traveled alone from her home in Pennsylvania to Tucson to join her husband, Louis Cameron “L.C.” Hughes, journeying by rail and steamer to San Diego before boarding a stagecoach for the last 400 miles across desert terrain that still held dangers from Indian attacks, not to mention a worrying lack of water.
She carried her infant daughter, Gertrude, in one arm and a loaded rifle in the other.
Born in Meadville, Pennsylvania, Dec. 22, 1839, Hughes is believed to be the third Anglo woman to settle in Tucson. Somewhat appalled at the living conditions she encountered here, she set out to bring a semblance of civility to the Old Pueblo. People were still soaking rags in grease to light their homes. Accustomed to a more refined lifestyle, Hughes sent back east for candle molds, and began making candles for herself and her neighbors. She had a cistern installed on her property, fearful the water delivered by wagons was unsanitary. She laid carpet on the floor of her adobe home and grew grass in her front yard instead of settling for rocks.
Along with Gertrude, Hughes gave birth to a son, John, in 1874, and a daughter, Josephine, in 1877. A daughter born in 1879 died just before her second birthday.
An educated woman (she was a teacher before coming West), Hughes taught in Tucson’s first public school for girls in 1873. In 1877, she helped organize the first Protestant (Presbyterian) church in the community. Once the Methodists arrived in town, she was instrumental in raising funds to build the first Methodist church on the corner of West Pennington Street and North Stone Avenue. Her work for the church earned her the title “Mother of Methodism in Arizona.”
The church building gave Hughes a place to hold public meetings for one of her most fervent undertakings — banning the sale of liquor in the territory. As president of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), she actively pursued prohibiting the sale of alcohol on election days and barring boys younger than age 16 from saloons.
Through her efforts, the sale of liquor was outlawed on Sundays.
When what would become the Arizona Daily Star newspaper came under the control of L.C. Hughes in 1877, she acquired an additional platform on which to promote her campaigns such as the unpopular notion to outlaw gambling, remove Apaches from the territory and her ongoing battle for temperance. Taking on the task as manager of the newspaper, she changed payday from Saturday to the first of the week so her employees would not have empty pockets and hangovers when they came to work on Monday. And absolutely no saloons were allowed to advertise in the paper.
L.C. Hughes became Arizona Territorial Governor in 1893. Since his duties afforded him no time to run the newspaper, he left it to his wife to continue its publication. She used the paper to influence public opinion on many issues including the promotion of women’s suffrage, a cause she pursued throughout her life.
In 1891, Hughes was instrumental in forming the Arizona Suffrage Association. By 1893, she had resigned her position as president of the WCTU to throw all her efforts into obtaining the vote for women. “Let us secure the vote for women first,” she said, “then the victory for the protection of our homes and for the cause of temperance will follow.”
She spoke before the 1891 Territorial Constitutional Convention, with an extensive discussion ensuing that almost won the cause for women’s suffrage. She was instrumental in organizing suffrage societies across the territory leading to the issue appearing on ballots in every succeeding legislative session. By 1901, the bill made it through both houses but was vetoed by Gov. Alexander Oswald Brodie.
Rumors of corruption forced L.C. Hughes to leave his post as Arizona governor in 1896 and he sold the Star in 1907. Losing her position as first lady as well as her separation from the newspaper left Hughes with little power to promote her causes, but she had one last ace up her sleeve.
As Arizona gained statehood in 1912, her son, John, held a seat in the first state senate. He introduced a resolution to amend the Arizona Constitution to include equal rights for women. The suffrage bill passed on Nov. 5, 1912, giving Arizona women the right to vote eight years before the rest of the country.
After her husband died in 1915, followed by her son John’s death in 1921, Hughes moved to California to be near her daughter. She died in Hermosa Beach April 22, 1926, at the age of 88.
Hughes is remembered today for her devotion to community service with a bronze plaque in the rotunda of the capitol building in Phoenix: “In Memoriam, E. Josephine Brawley Hughes, Wife of Governor L.C. Hughes and Mother of Hon. John T. Hughes: Mother of Methodism, Founder of the W.C.T.U. and Founder of the First Daily Newspaper in Arizona.”
Not without her faults during a lifetime of fighting for causes she fervently championed, Josephine Hughes worked tirelessly to promote temperance across the territory and the right for women to have a voice in the running of the country. Many did not like her politics, but just as many profited from her determination to build a better state for all.
