Brady, Francis, Sir, 1809-1871

Peter Rainsford Brady was born on Aug. 14, 1825, in Washington, D.C., to Peter and Anna Brady. Peter Brady was an Irish immigrant and prominent local politician. He and Anna (Rainsford) Brady had three children, Peter R., Margaret, and Mary Ellen. Peter R. Brady was educated at Georgetown College and then entered the U. S. Navy. After his naval service, he joined the Texas Rangers and fought in the Mexican War. He then became captain of a railroad route survey expedition which journeyed from Texas to San Diego, Calif. Brady first went to Arizona as part of this surveying team and later wrote a series of articles about his experiences exploring this unknown territory. In 1855, he was appointed Spanish interpreter for the International Boundary Commission. In 1859, he married Juanita Mendibles and became post trader at Fort Mohave. He had five children with Juanita: Peter R. Jr., Henry, Robert, Richard, and Mary Ellen (Nellie). During the Civil War, he smuggled information about the Confederates in Mexico to the commanding officer at Fort Yuma. After the war, he took his family to Tucson, Ariz., where he farmed, raised cattle, and mined succesfully. He introduced Egyptian wheat to Arizona in 1867, raised the first Louisiana sugar cane in 1871, and established a corn and barley mill at his ranch in Florence in 1888. Despite his numerous business and ranching responsibilities, he still found time to serve his community in various positions. He served as a school board member, member of the board of prison commissioners, sheriff and treasurer for Pima and Pinal Counties, and later as a member of the Arizona Territorial Legislature. Brady's first wife died in 1871, and he subsequently moved to Florence, Ariz., where he established a large ranch and a good reputation. In 1878, he decided to re-marry and wed Maria Antonia Ochoa. They had four children : John A., Margaret A., Charles A., and James L. During this period, he discovered, with others, a rich ore deposit which was eventually sold for $65,000, helped form the Arizona Pioneers Historical Society, acted as a special agent for the U. S. Interior Department., and continued his ranching and political activities. He moved back to Tucson in 1899, and died there on May 2, 1902.