When you talk about historic architecture in Prescott, Arizona, heck, when you talk about seeing a community need and stepping up to organize a solution, Elisabeth Ruffner's name heads the list.

Hyperbole? Let's see . . . She was instrumental in creating one of the most dynamic local historic preservation movements in the United States, putting a stamp on the skyline and aesthetic of our town.

In the 1950s, Elisabeth helped found Prescott Community Hospital and Auxiliary. In the early 1970s, she helped organize a bond drive for a modern library building to house an operation bursting out of the aging 1903 Carnegie Library building and inspired the restoration of the old Carnegie Library to its former glory.

In 1973, Elisabeth co-founded the Prescott Area Arts and Humanities Council, and in 1974 became the founding president of the Yavapai Heritage Foundation. When the delightful Victorian Bashford House, former home of Territorial attorney general William Coles Bashford was about to be torn down to make room for a Jack in the Box restaurant, she helped organize an emergency fundraising drive to save the building and move it to the grounds of the Sharlot Hall Museum.

With all this to her credit, what drove her to appear on our little show? Well, in this episode, Elisabeth Ruffner explains how Prescott became the first city in the state of Arizona to have its own arts and culture commision and JT fends of an allegation of wearing a cowboy hat under false pretenses. Join us, won't you?

And, if you enjoy this conversation, please stop by
http://www.cityofprescott.net/leadership/boards/preservation.php
or visit KYXS-Coyote Radio, Prescott's Community Radio Group, at http://www.coyoteradio.org/