William F. Ruffner Colfax County, New Mexico

William F. Ruffner, a merchant of Raton, who has been a resident of New Mexico since 1883, was born in Hannibal, Missouri, December 7, 1855, and is indebted to the public school system of that city for the educational privileges he enjoyed. He was reared to farm life in Missouri and agriculture remained his chief occupation until his removal to New Mexico. He arrived in the Territory in 1883, locating at Raton in the service of the Santa Fe Railroad Company, and after about two years he embarked in general merchandising in June, 1885, on Front street, conducting his store for eight years, or until 1893, when he restricted the scope of his trade to groceries, queens ware and kindred goods. He has since conducted a grocery store and is enjoying now a large and gratifying patronage. He spent six months in Dawson, New Mexico, and in addition to his mercantile interests is the owner of real estate in Raton.

On the 28th of November, 1889, Mr. Ruffner was married to Miss Anna Clarke, of Quincy, Illinois, and to them was born a daughter, Maurine, in 1890. Fraternally Mr. Ruffner is connected with Raton Lodge No.8, I. O. O. F., and is interested in community affairs to the extent of giving hearty co-operation to many progressive public measures. Chester D. Stevens, who has been one of the actual builders of the progressive city of Raton, has resided in that city since 1882.

His father, A. S. Stevens, preceded him to New Mexico in 1880 and was engaged in mining and in work at his trade of carpentering for several years. Both father and son soon became well known throughout the northern part of the Territory.

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Source: History of New Mexico, Its Resources and People, Volume II, Pacific States Publishing Co., 1907.