Cameron, Ralph H. (Ralph Henry), 1863-

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Delegate to the U.S. Congress from Arizona, 1909-1912; U.S. Senator, 1921-1927; and businessman, operated Cameron's Hotel and Camps and developed Bright Angel Trail at the Grand Canyon.

From the description of Ralph Henry Cameron papers, 1899-1915. (University of Arizona). WorldCat record id: 31388166

From the guide to the Ralph Henry Cameron papers, 1899-1915, (University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections)

Politician; Ralph Henry Cameron was a Flagstaff resident, territorial delegate to Congress, and U.S. Senator from 1921 to 1927.

From the description of Cameron letters, 1908-1912. (Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division). WorldCat record id: 44151570

Ralph Henry Cameron was born in Southport, Maine, in 1863. He moved to Arizona in 1883, and operated a sheep ranch with his brother Niles in Flagstaff. In 1890, he and his partners turned to mining and filed numerous mining claims in and around the Grand Canyon. Beginning in 1891, Cameron and his associates built and operated the Bright Angel Trail as a toll road from the Grand Canyon's South Rim to the Colorado River. Also in 1891, Cameron was appointed Sheriff of Coconino County. He also served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in St. Louis in 1896 and served on the Coconino County Board of Supervisors as Chairman, from 1905. In 1908, he defeated Democratic incumbent Marcus A. Smith to become Arizona's Territorial delegate to Congress. His term in as delegate was marked, above all, by the successful efforts to secure Arizona's statehood, which was approved by Congress and President Taft in 1911. Cameron, who expected Arizona's voters to reward him for his successes in securing statehood, lost in his first attempt for a Senate position in 1912, and lost again when he ran for the Governor's seat two years later. Cameron eventually won election to the Senate in 1920, where he served one term. He ran for the Senate unsuccessfully on two subsequent occasions, after which he retired from public life.

Throughout his political career, Cameron continued to operate, often through proxies and associates, numerous businesses in the Grand Canyon region. He defended, often unsuccessfully, his tenuous mining claims in the Grand Canyon and his control over the Bright Angel Trail. He also battled with the Santa Fe Railway, the United States Forest Service, and the Department of Interior for control over mining claims and the tourism industry at Grand Canyon. He died in Washington, D. C. in 1953.

From the description of Papers of Ralph H. Cameron, 1902-1922. (Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens). WorldCat record id: 405618062

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Drachman, Mose, 1870-1935. Political files, 1888-1935. Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
referencedIn Cameron, Ralph H. (Ralph Henry), b. 1863. Ralph Henry Cameron papers, 1899-1915. University of Arizona Libraries
referencedIn Stuart, William Plato, 1879-1960. William Plato Stuart and Della Tovrea Stuart papers, 1903-1967. Arizona State University Libraries
referencedIn Ralph Cameron (1892-1970) Drawings and architectural records, San Antonio, South and Central Texas Accession number(s): 1979003; 1979004; 1982009; 1990003., 1914-1970 Alexander Architectural Archive, University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin.
referencedIn Cameron, Ralph Henry, 1863-1953. Cameron letters, 1908-1912. Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
creatorOf Ralph Henry Cameron papers, 1899-1915 University of Arizona Libraries, Library Special Collections
referencedIn George Babbitt oral history collection. Series 1 1949-1960. Northern Arizona University, Cline Library
referencedIn Ives, Eugene S., 1859-1917. Ives papers, 1901-1917. Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
referencedIn Haines, Lynn, 1876-1929. Lynn Haines papers, 1909-1931. Minnesota Historical Society Library
referencedIn Loring family. The Loring family collection, 1804-ca. 1960 [manuscript]. Arizona State University Libraries
creatorOf Cameron, Ralph H. (Ralph Henry), b. 1863. Papers of Ralph H. Cameron, 1902-1922. Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
referencedIn Becker family. Becker papers, 1870-1959 (bulk 1886-1925). Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
referencedIn Bass, William Wallace, 1848-1933. Bass papers, 1852-1976, 1894-1926. Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
referencedIn Basmajian, John. Arizona statehood speeches, 1911-1911. Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
creatorOf Cameron, Ralph Henry, 1863-1953. Cameron letters, 1908-1912. Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division
referencedIn Clements, Julius Morgan, 1869-. Julius Morgan Clements papers, 1888-1922. University of Arizona Libraries
referencedIn Swift, T. T. The Cameron claims : and biographical material : ms., [ca. 1956]. UC Berkeley Libraries
creatorOf Cameron, Ralph H. (Ralph Henry), b. 1863. Ralph Henry Cameron papers, 1899-1915. University of Arizona Libraries
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Arizona Central Bank. corporateBody
associatedWith Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company. corporateBody
associatedWith Basmajian, John. person
correspondedWith Bass, William Wallace, 1848-1933. person
associatedWith Bass, W. W. person
correspondedWith Becker family. family
correspondedWith Bond, Ira M. person
associatedWith Buggeln, Martin, 1867-1939. person
associatedWith Cameron, Ralph, 1892-1970 person
associatedWith Cameron, Ralph H. (Ralph Henry), 1863-1953. person
associatedWith Clements, Julius Morgan, 1869- person
correspondedWith Cotton, C. N. (Clinton Neal), 1859-1936 person
associatedWith Doe, E. M. (Edward M.), 1850-1919. person
correspondedWith Drachman, Mose, 1870-1935. person
associatedWith Eaton, William Dunseath. person
correspondedWith Ferrall, Louisa person
associatedWith Fred Harvey (Firm) corporateBody
associatedWith Grand Canyon National Park (Agency : U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith Haines, Lynn, 1876-1929. person
associatedWith Hitchcock, Frank H. (Frank Harris), 1867-1935. person
associatedWith Hubbell, John Lorenzo. person
associatedWith Ives, Eugene S., 1859-1917. person
associatedWith Kibbey, Joseph H. (Joseph Henry), 1853-1924. person
correspondedWith Kolb, E. L. (Ellsworth Leonardson), b. 1876 person
associatedWith Loring family. family
associatedWith Pinchot, Gifford. person
associatedWith Pollock, T. E. person
associatedWith Republican Party (Ariz.) corporateBody
associatedWith Republican Party (U.S. : 1854-) corporateBody
correspondedWith Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919 person
associatedWith Sloan, Richard E., 1857. person
correspondedWith Sloan, Richard E. (Richard Elihu), 1857-1933 person
associatedWith Smith, Hoval A. person
associatedWith Smith, Marcus A. person
correspondedWith Spaulding, Clarence person
associatedWith Stevens, Henry J. person
associatedWith Stoddard, Isaac Taft. person
associatedWith Stuart, William Plato, 1879-1960. person
associatedWith Swift, T. T. person
correspondedWith Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930 person
associatedWith Todd, James. person
associatedWith United States. Climatological Service. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Dept. of Agriculture. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Forest Service. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Office of Indian Affairs. corporateBody
associatedWith Valentine, Robert G. (Robert Grosvenor), 1872-1916. person
associatedWith Young, George U. person
associatedWith Zachau, B. W. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Arizona
Arizona
Navajo Indian Reservation
Grand Canyon (Ariz.)
Gila River Region (N.M. and Ariz.)
Tucson (Ariz.)
Little Colorado River (N.M. and Ariz.)
Arizona
Arizona--Grand Canyon
Arizona--Coconino County
Grand Canyon (Ariz.)
Subject
Hotels
Land use
Legislators
Mines and mineral resources
Politicians
Ranching
Snake dance
Statehood (American politics)
Tourism
Tourist camps, hostels, etc.
Water rights
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1863-10-21

Death 1953-02-12

Information

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SNAC ID: 43009943