Germany, Tucson Clubs, European Multi-ethnic Alliance of Tucson, Tapestry Project, Germany

EARLY PIONEERS OF TUCSON
The first Germans to come to this area arrived in the 1700s. In his book,
“Hispanic Arizona, 1536”, James E. Officer says, “The first priests to man the
missions after 1730 were not Spaniards, but Jesuits recruited from the German
states”. Many served at San Xavier del Bac and ministered to the Pima, Papago &
Yaqui Indian tribes. One was Johann (Juan) Grazhofer of Bavaria; Fr. Ignatius Keller,
Fr. Franciso Xavier Paver (baptized Bauer), Fr. Philipe Segesser & Fr. Gaspar Stiger, all Germans.
The most well known is Eusebio Francisco Kino (originally Chini (Kini), born in 1645. He is claimed by both the Austrians and the Italians because his birthplace, Segno, in the province of South Tyrol belonged to either country in the course of history. His education and training, however, took place in southern Germany and Austria. One of the missions he set out to start is Tucson’s San Xavier del Bac, where he laid the foundation on April 28, 1700. ”Hispanic Arizona, 1536-1856, James E. Officer & Early AZ. Chap. 6, Jay J. Wagoner

Federico (Fred) Ronstadt – 1868 -1954
His father was Herr Frederick Augustus Ronstadt, a German mining engineer, who came to the West in the 1850’s from Hamburg, Germany. He settled in Las Delcias, Sonora, and married Margarita Redondo. She gave birth to Federico, known later as Fred, on January 30, 1868. Fred was brought to Tucson in 1882, when he was 14, to work and help support the family. He learned carriage making and became a prosperous blacksmith and manufacturer of wagons. Some carriages and buggies sold are still used in the annual Rodeo Parade. The Ronstadt Wagon Shop, located on the corner of Broadway & Scott, later became The F. Ronstadt Co., a hardware store, now site of the Ronstadt Transit Center. He also had an agency for the curved dash autos and added E.M.F., Studebaker & Flanders autos. Fred initiated and spearheaded the 4th Avenue subway.     AZ Historical Society, Book 29

Alex Berger – Born in 1857 in St. Louis, MO.
Along with his brother Harry, they owned one of the first ice companies in Tucson. Alex also provided a home for the Salvation Army in Tucson and he gave the U of A its Berger Memorial Fountain, erected in 1919. He gave $100,000 to build the Temple of Music and Art Auditorium at Scott & Stone Avenue in memory of his wife. Alex was a cellist and a member of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.
AZ Historical Society, Book 29

Col. John Wasson founded the Daily “Citizen” on 10/15/1870. It was the oldest newspaper in Tucson and in the Territory.   City Directory, 1881

Tucson Turn Verein, a German gymnastic club, had 53 members and met at Levin’s Hall. Officers were: J.M. Berger, President: VP Henry Buchman; Secretary H. Koliman; Treasurer H.C. Keisel.
City Directory, 1881

Joseph Ferrin - 10/1835, Posen, Germany. D: 10/16/1926 in Tucson. Arrived in area c.1869. Joined Joe Goldtree in merchandising and later formed partnership with brother in law in 1881, “Ferrin & Marx, Merchant, Tailor & Clothing” at 218 Meyer St. He married Therese Marx, born in Frankfort, Germany in 1846. She arrived in the area in 1878.      Plaza of Pioneers, AZ Historical Society

Jacob Samuel Mansfeld: 1831 in Pasewalk, Germany and arrived in area in 1869. He opened the Pioneer News Depot in Tucson in 1869. He started the 1st public library in the Territory and was appointed the first trustee of Tucson public library in 1883 and continued to be re-appointed until his death. As a City Councilman in 1877, he helped draft a charter for the city. His primary concern was in establishing the U/A. It was noted in the newspaper that “only by persistence and going down in his own pocket that the first board of regents was gotten together and the institution started…”. In 1886, Mansfeld picked out a site and persuaded the owners to give 40 acres to regents. Mansfeld was chosen a regent in May, 1886. He was founder of the AZ. Historical Society and president at time of his death.
Plaza of Pioneers, AZ Historical Society

Albert Steinfeld: 1854 in Hanover, Germany and arrived in 1872. D: 2/8/1935. He was 17 when he arrived in Tucson and worked in the Louis Zeckendorf store. He owned controlling interest in the Consolidated National Bank, forerunner of Valley National Bank. He built the Pioneer hotel in 1929. Owned thousands of acres and converted desert land to farmland from Cortaro to Casa Grande.
Plaza of Pioneers, AZ Historical Society

LATER (since 1900)

Educators, Music & Arts, Sports and Entrepreneurs

Clara Ferrin Bloom - 1881, in Tucson and died in 1973. Her father was born in Germany. She attended Old Congress Street school with siblings, which later was location of Dave Bloom & Sons clothing store, 1931-1968. She attended U/A, graduated in a class of 3 in 1901. Taught at Safford Elementary School for 11 years. Married David W. Bloom in 1912. The Clara Ferrin Bloom Elementary School, 8310 E. Pima St., was completed a few weeks prior to her death – a tribute to her educational and cultural contributions to Tucson.     Plaza of Pioneers, AZ Historical Society

Monte M. Mansfeld: 12/1884 Tucson. D: 12/18/1954. He was called “the man who returned from Washington with Davis Monthan in his pocket”. He is also credited with helping to bring Hughes Aircraft Co., now Ratheon to Tucson. Opened a Ford Agency in 1914 on Stone Ave. and then moved to Broadway/Euclid. Sold franchise to Holmes Tuttle. Founder of AZ. Automobile Dealers Assoc.; City Councilman, 1917-18; one of the first two newsboys hired by Daily Citizen in 1896. Formed Broadway Improvement Assoc. to develop that street and was instrumental in construction of Stone Ave. underpass. Served as first president of airport authority.        Plaza of pioneers, AZ Historical Society

John P. Schaefer, born in Jamaica, N.Y. Came to U/A in 1960. He rose from assistant professor to professor and head of chemistry dept. in 1968; dean of College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1970, and president of the U of A in 1971-1982. Now heads the Research Corp., a foundation for advancement of science, a position which he still holds. He serves on numerous boards, corporate and non-profit, and has received many civic and professional awards. His wife, Helen S. Schaefer, was born in Evanston, IL. She got her PhD in physical chemistry from the Univ. of Illinois. Taught at U/A. She is active in many local and national non-profit organizations and holds positions as an officer on many boards.
Contributed by Helen Schaefer

Quentin Mees was head of Civil Engineering Dept. at U/A. He served on Governor’s Committee on Air Pollution and Conservation. He was an avid supporter of the Central AZ Project and an advocate of stringent anti-pollution legislation. Died in 1979. Newspaper clippings book, Meck-Mek, AZ Historical Society

Dr. Aden Meinel, was founding director of Kitt Peak National Observatory. He was Director of U/A Optical Sciences Center, now named Meinel Building. He was a proponent of solar energy.
Newspaper clippings, Meck-Mek, AZ Historical So.

Phyllis Ehlinger, Owner & General Mgr. of Radio Station KSAZ 580AM Owl Broadcasting & Development Inc., is a woman pioneer in radio since 1957. She is the only locally owned & operated and built radio station by a woman in AZ. She has won numerous awards including: U of A Dept. of History named an award after her in recognition of Outstanding Community Support & Service in 2000; Outstanding Woman in Media 2000 AM Women in Radio/TV; 2002 AZ Broadcasters Assoc. Hall of Fame in recognition of outstanding contributions to the broadcasting industry; 1983 Advertising Federation Silver medal award; 1985 Advertising Woman of the Year, Dist. 12; active and very supportive of community and ethnic activities, including this Tapestry Project. Husband William Ehlinger, co-owner and a civil engineer since 1950. His design engineering includes Ventana, La Paloma, Canyon Pass, Dove Mountain, plus others. Both born and raised in Iowa of German descent, they arrived in Tucson in 1960.     Contributed by Phyllis Ehlinger

Linda Ronstadt, singer, born in 1946, is the daughter of Gilbert Ronstadt and granddaughter of Fred Ronstadt. Gilbert was also a singer. He sang on local radio stations and appeared with touring big bands that gave concerts in Tucson. During the depression he had to give up singing and drop out of the U/A to work in the family business. Gilbert & his wife Ruthmary, of Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutsch) background, had four children: Gretchen, Peter, Linda & Mike. During the 1960’s, Gretchen, Peter & Linda played and sang at coffeehouses in Tucson. Peter became a policeman and went on to become police chief; Linda went to California to make records. Over the years, she has had many platinum albums, popular singles and many sell-out concerts. She received a Grammy for Best Country Female Singer 1975; a Grammy for Best Pop Female Singer in 1976 and in 1978, the American music Award. She has been featured on the cover and written about in well known magazines. She sings in Spanish as well as English and very successful in both languages. She is known as a hard working, versatile talent and a truly professional person.
AZ Historical Society , Ronstadt Book

Rusty Greer’s Hofbrauhaus Band - Rusty Greer worked for the Armed Forces network in Germany, doing postwar concerts, announcing and public relations when he met his future wife, Hildegard Fischer. Hildegard grew up in Germany and sang and danced with her family. After Rusty returned to the states, Hildegard joined her husband. They came to Arizona in 1951. They perform with Rusty wearing lederhosen and Hildegard, in one of her many dirndls, adding German/Bavarian atmosphere to their performance. Both play several instruments and sing in German as well as English. They have performed many years in Tucson as well as other cities in AZ. Theirs was the popular band that played oom-pah-pah music at the MDA Oktoberfest that people looked forward to hearing year after year. They can still be seen and heard at German festivities in Tucson & Sierra Vista.

Fred Ronstadt, Tucson City Council Member. Fred was elected to the City Council in 1997. He is a fifth generation Tucsonan who considers serving on the City Council to be a great honor and continuation of his family’s commitment to community service. It is through his service on the city council that the Tapestry Project has been made possible. He made this a realty by giving a grant from his Back to Basics Budget that allowed the European ethnic clubs to raise matching funds to make this presentation possible.

Fred graduated in 1981 from Salpointe Catholic High School and then attended the U of A where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education. After teaching in local high schools he returned to the U/A and earned his Master’s Degree in Public Administration. Fred supported himself through his college years both undergraduate and graduate work in the community as a Paramedic. He has also worked as a financial analyst and a credit analyst at local banks.

During Fred’s first two years in office he has been involved in the development of the Downtown Alliance and has worked with neighbors and the Fourth Avenue Merchant Assoc. to improve conditions on Fourth Avenue and the surrounding area. He has also encouraged and supported the formation of five new neighborhood associations; Ward VI and worked with all Ward VI neighborhoods to create the Central City Leadership Network (CCLN), a group whose mission is to “preserve and enhance the integrity of the central city neighborhoods.” Fred and his wife Pam have two children, Alec James & McCoy. Our sincere thanks and appreciation goes to Fred for his interest and help with the Tapestry Project.

In a 1980 Pima County census, about 40,000 persons said their heritage was German. Another 82,000 plus persons who considered themselves to be an ethnicity mix, said they were predominantly German.

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