Ernest William McFarland (October 9, 1894 – June 8, 1984) was an American politician, jurist and, with
Warren Atherton
Warren Hendry Atherton (December 28, 1891 – March 7, 1976) was an American attorney who was the national commander of The American Legion from 1943 to 1944. He is widely recognized as a designer of the G.I. Bill, officially known as the Servi ...
, one of the "Fathers of the
G.I. Bill
The G.I. Bill, formally the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I. (military), G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in ...
". He served in all three branches of government, two at the state level, one at the federal level. He was a
Democratic U.S. senator
The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...
from
Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
from 1941 to 1953 (
Majority Leader from 1951 to 1953) before becoming the
tenth governor of Arizona from 1955 to 1959. Finally, McFarland sat as chief justice on the
Arizona Supreme Court
The Arizona Supreme Court is the state supreme court of the U.S. state of Arizona. Sitting in the Supreme Court building in downtown Phoenix, the court consists of a chief justice, a vice chief justice, and five associate justices. Each justi ...
in 1968.
Early life
McFarland was born to William Thomas and Keziah (Smith) McFarland on October 9, 1894, in a
log cabin
A log cabin is a small log house, especially a minimally finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first-generation home building by settl ...
on his family's farm in
Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma
Pottawatomie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 72,454. Its county seat is Shawnee.
Pottawatomie County is part of the Shawnee, OK micropolitan statistical area, which iPottawa ...
, near
Earlsboro. When he was eight his family moved to
Okemah for a year, before returning to Earlsboro. This had the effect of delaying McFarland's education for a year, for Okemah at that time had no schools. As a result, he graduated from Earlsburg High School in 1914.
After high school, McFarland enrolled at
East Central State Normal School in
Ada, Oklahoma
Ada is a city in and the county seat of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,481 at the 2020 United States census. The city was named for Ada Reed, the daughter of an early settler, and was in ...
. He completed the required work for a temporary
teaching certificate after one
quarter. In late 1914 and early 1915, McFarland taught in a one-room school in
Schoolton, Oklahoma, to raise funds for his education. He then returned to East Central and taught mathematics at Ada High School to pay for his education. Meanwhile, he was active in his school's
debating societies
Debate is a process that involves formal discourse, discussion, and oral addresses on a particular topic or collection of topics, often with a moderator and an audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for opposing viewpoints. Historica ...
and began a friendship with
Robert S. Kerr, who was a member of the same debate club. McFarland completed his studies at East Central in mid-1915, and left the school with a lifetime teaching certificate.
After East Central, McFarland enrolled at the
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...
. Working various part-time jobs, he initially studied mathematics with the intention of having a career in education. After a year he changed majors to
pre-law
In the United States and Canada, pre-law (or prelaw) refers to any course of study taken by an undergraduate in preparation for study at a law school.
The American Bar Association (ABA) requires law schools to admit only students with an accredi ...
. Studying at an accelerated rate, McFarland graduated with a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
on June 5, 1917.
Following his graduation, McFarland enlisted in the
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
soon after the
US entered World War I. He entered the military on December 11, 1917, as a
seaman second class and was assigned to the
Great Lakes Naval Training Station
Naval Station Great Lakes (NAVSTA Great Lakes) is the home of the United States Navy's only current boot camp, located near North Chicago, in Lake County, Illinois, along Lake Michigan. Important tenant commands include the Recruit Training ...
. The climate on the shore of
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
did not agree with him, and he was admitted to a naval hospital on March 3, 1918, as suffering from
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
. McFarland spent the next several months in the hospital dealing with a variety of problems, including
pericarditis
Pericarditis () is inflammation of the pericardium, the fibrous sac surrounding the heart. Symptoms typically include sudden onset of sharp chest pain, which may also be felt in the shoulders, neck, or back. The pain is typically less severe whe ...
,
emphysema
Emphysema is any air-filled enlargement in the body's tissues. Most commonly emphysema refers to the permanent enlargement of air spaces (alveoli) in the lungs, and is also known as pulmonary emphysema.
Emphysema is a lower respiratory tract di ...
, and
pleurisy
Pleurisy, also known as pleuritis, is inflammation of the membranes that surround the lungs and line the chest cavity (Pulmonary pleurae, pleurae). This can result in a sharp chest pain while breathing. Occasionally the pain may be a constant d ...
. It was not until early 1919 that he had recovered enough for a navy medical board to recommend he receive an
honorable discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and the ...
, which became effective on January 31, 1919.
Early career
After leaving the navy, McFarland returned to Oklahoma for a short time before he decided to move to
Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
. He arrived in
Phoenix on May 10, 1919, and after several days found employment at a local bank. Seeing little opportunity for advancement at the bank, he applied to the
Stanford University Law School
Stanford Law School (SLS) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Stanford University, a Private university, private research university near Palo Alto, California. Established in 1893, Stanford Law had an acceptance rate of 6.28% i ...
. Before leaving to begin classes, he filed for a
homestead
Homestead may refer to:
*Homestead (building), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses
* Nguni homestead, a cluster of houses inhabited by a single extended family, typically with a kraal ...
near
Casa Grande
Casa Grande ( O'odham: ''Wainom Wo:g'') is a city in Pinal County, approximately halfway between Phoenix and Tucson, in the U.S. state of Arizona. According to the 2020 census, the population of the city was 55,653. It is named after the Casa ...
. McFarland would later refer to the land as his "
jackrabbit
Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The genu ...
farm".
McFarland attended law school for four quarters before he took a break. His parents and younger brother had moved to Arizona. At the time, Stanford recommended all law students to spend a quarter
interning at a legal office. Feeling homesick after a year in
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, McFarland worked at the Phoenix office of Phillips, Cox, and Phillips. He was legal clerk for future Arizona Governor
John Calhoun Phillips
John Calhoun Phillips (November 13, 1870 – June 25, 1943) was an American politician who served as the third governor of the state of Arizona from January 7, 1929, to January 5, 1931.
Born in 1870 in Vermont, Illinois, Phillips graduated fro ...
.
McFarland was also introduced to a variety of figures within the Arizona political establishment. At the completion of his internship, he returned to Stanford. McFarland completed work on his
Juris Doctor
A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...
in the summer quarter in 1922. In addition, he had completed the class work for a
Masters of Arts
A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...
degree in
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...
. McFarland was admitted to the Arizona Bar later that year.
Upon graduation from law school, McFarland moved to Casa Grande to "prove up" his homestead claim and open his first legal practice. The Arizona economy was doing poorly, and he found little legal work. He dealt with the lack of work by becoming involved in politics. McFarland worked for
George W. P. Hunt
George Wylie Paul Hunt (November 1, 1859 – December 24, 1934) was an American politician and businessman. He was the first governor of Arizona, serving a total of seven terms, along with President of the convention that wrote Arizona's con ...
's campaign during the 1922 governor's race. After Hunt won the election, McFarland received an appointment as assistant
attorney general
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...
.
In mid-1924, he returned to Stanford to complete work on his master's degree. Later that year he was elected
county attorney
In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...
for
Pinal County
Pinal County is a county in the central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. According to the 2020 census, the population of the county was 425,264, making it Arizona's third-most populous county. The county seat is Florence. The county was est ...
. As state law required the county attorney to reside in the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
, McFarland moved to
Florence
Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025.
Florence ...
. He served three two-year terms in that position.
McFarland married Clair Collins on January 1, 1926. The couple had initially met at a Christmas party at Stanford in 1919. They had corresponded after their initial meeting, and by the time McFarland was elected, Collins was working at a teacher at Florence's high school. The couple had a son, William Ernest, in 1927 and a daughter, Jean Clair, in February 1929. William became ill and died several days before his sister's birth, and Jean died two days after her birth.
McFarland's wife suffered from depression following the loss of their two children. She showed signs of improvement in 1930 as the couple expected a third child. The third child, Juliette, was
stillborn
Stillbirth is typically defined as fetal death at or after 20 or 28 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the source. It results in a baby born without signs of life. A stillbirth can often result in the feeling of guilt or grief in the mother. T ...
, and Clare McFarland developed
postpartum
The postpartum (or postnatal) period begins after childbirth and is typically considered to last for six to eight weeks. There are three distinct phases of the postnatal period; the acute phase, lasting for six to twelve hours after birth; the ...
complications, which led to her death on December 12, 1930.
By February 1930, McFarland represented the state during
Eva Dugan's final appeal before her execution, a task that he found very unpleasant. Shortly afterwards, he decided that he was tired of being a prosecutor. Instead, McFarland ran for a seat on the
Superior Court in Pinal County but lost the race to the incumbent, Judge E. L. Green, by 1464 to 1358.
Upon leaving office as county attorney, McFarland joined with his chief assistant, Tom Fulbright, to found the law office of McFarland and Fulbright. The practice gained public recognition when McFarland won an appeal that determined
Winnie Ruth Judd to be insane, but its primary area of effort was
water law
Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms ( ...
.
Despite the success of his legal practice, McFarland still wished to become a judge. He ran a second time in 1934, defeated E. L. Green 2543 to 1542 in the
primary
Primary or primaries may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels
* Primary (band), from Australia
* Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea
* Primary Music, Israeli record label
Work ...
, and was unopposed in the
general election
A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...
. In 1935, McFarland was sworn in, and he sat on the bench for the next six years.
As his workload in Pinal County was light, he accepted cases from other parts of the state, which allowed him to sit on the bench in every county in the state and to gain experience in issues in all parts of the state. As a judge, his rulings were well respected, and he was overturned on appeal only three times.
While on the bench, McFarland became romantically involved with a widow, Edna Eveland Smith, who had a young daughter, Jewell. She taught history and mathematics at Florence High School until the couple married in
Tucson
Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...
on June 1, 1939. McFarland also adopted his wife's daughter.
US Senator
McFarland considered a run for a seat in the
US House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
following the resignation of
Isabella Greenway
Isabella Dinsmore Greenway (née Selmes; born March 22, 1886 – December 18, 1953) was an American politician who was the first congresswoman in Arizona history, and the founder of the Arizona Inn of Tucson. During her life she was also noted ...
and was repeatedly encouraged to run for
Arizona Attorney General
The Arizona attorney general is the chief legal officer of the State of Arizona, in the United States. This state officer is the head of the Arizona Department of Law, more commonly known as the Arizona Attorney General's Office. The state attorn ...
. Realizing that he lacked the resources for a statewide campaign, he did not run for those offices.
During the Senate election of 1940, McFarland counted on voters in Phoenix and Tucson to oppose any candidate from the other city. He toured the state and reacquainted himself to various political leaders he had met during his time on the bench, but he waited to announce his intentions to run. McFarland's late entry did not hurt him, for he won the primary by nearly two-to-one and defeated the incumbent,
Henry F. Ashurst. He went on to win the general election and took office in January 1941.
His initial committee assignments were to
Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States federal agency within the Department of the Interior. It is responsible for implementing federal laws and policies related to Native Americans and A ...
,
Interstate Commerce
The Commerce Clause describes an enumerated power listed in the United States Constitution ( Article I, Section 8, Clause 3). The clause states that the United States Congress shall have power "to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and amon ...
,
Irrigation and Reclamation,
Judiciary
The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...
, and
Pensions
A pension (; ) is a fund into which amounts are paid regularly during an individual's working career, and from which periodic payments are made to support the person's retirement from work. A pension may be either a "defined benefit plan", wher ...
. Shortly after arriving in the Senate, Senator
Gerald Nye
Gerald Prentice Nye (December 19, 1892 – July 17, 1971) was an American politician who represented North Dakota in the United States Senate from 1925 to 1945. Nye rose to national fame in the 1930s as chair of the Special Committee on Investig ...
convinced the Senate to create a
committee looking into use of propaganda by the radio and motion picture industries. Senator
Burton K. Wheeler recommended McFarland be placed on Nye's committee under the assumption the freshman senator "would keep his mouth shut".
Instead of remaining silent, McFarland became an outspoken critic of the committee and pointed out many accusations against films were being made by individuals who had not seen any of the films in question. McFarland gained national attention for his actions on the committee, with most of the nation viewing him favorably.
As a member of the Communications subcommittee, McFarland was involved in hearings dealing with the impact of developments in airmail, radio, telephones, and teletypes to the nation's telegraph services. The US telegraph market was dominated by
Postal Telegraph and Western Union. Postal had been borrowing money from the
Reconstruction Finance Corporation
The Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) was an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States federal government that served as a lender of last resort to US banks and businesses. Established in ...
to maintain its infrastructure even though it was becoming obvious that Postal would be unable to pay back the loans. Those dealings with the FCC led McFarland to develop an interest in communications.
McFarland's experience in
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
led him to take an interest in the welfare of the troops during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Arguing that many members of the military had left jobs, families, and schools to fight during the war, McFarland sponsored the
G.I. Bill
The G.I. Bill, formally the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I. (military), G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in ...
as a means to assisting soldiers and sailors as they transitioned back into civilian life.
McFarland was re-elected to the Senate in 1946 and received an honorary
L.L.D. from the
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...
in 1950.
In 1950, the Democratic membership of the Senate formed a 12-person team to ensure that at least one member of their party was on the floor of the Senate whenever the Senate was in session. That was done to ensure that the Democratic membership could be called to the floor if ever a vote was to be taken. McFarland was selected leader of the team and found it easier to remain on the floor himself than to find others to take the duty.
During the 1950 election, the two leading candidates for Democratic majority leader lost their re-election bids. With other members of his party appreciative of his efforts, McFarland was encouraged to run for a leadership position in January 1951.
McFarland was selected to be Senate Majority Leader for the
82nd Congress.
As majority leader, McFarland hosted a monthly lunch meeting to which he invited all committee chairmen and all freshmen senators. He used the informal setting as a forum to conduct a variety of Senate business.
For two years, McFarland had sat next to
Harry Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...
while they were both in the Senate. Both men then friends during this time, a situation that made it easy for the Senate Majority Leader to work with Truman after he became president. McFarland believed it was part of his duty as majority leader to inform the president of an accurate view of what his fellow senators felt: "I never hesitated to present views contrary to those of the President in our conferences. As I've said before, I think that too frequently, the President is only told things people think he wants to hear. I would like to emphasize that it is not pleasant to present a view contrary to that of the President in such conferences." He felt that his duties as majority leader were separate from those of representing the interests of his constituents.
He spoke before Appropriations Committee to ask for funds to bring water from the
Colorado River
The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...
to central Arizona. He became an expert on water law because of his efforts on Irrigation and Reclamation Committee. He lost to Republican
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and major general in the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve who served as a United States senator from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987, and was the Re ...
in the 1952 Senate elections. (This was the last time a Senate party leader lost a bid for reelection until 2004, when
John Thune
John Randolph Thune ( ; born January 7, 1961) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from South Dakota, a seat he has held since 2005. A Republican, Thune has been the Senate majority leader and Senate Republica ...
defeated
Tom Daschle
Thomas Andrew Daschle ( ; born December 9, 1947) is an American politician and lobbyist who represented South Dakota in the United States Senate from 1987 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, he led the Senate Democratic Caucus during the ...
in South Dakota.)
Governor
McFarland was elected
governor of Arizona
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...
in 1954 and re-elected in 1956. He worked with members of the Bureau of Reclamation to pick a location for the
Glen Canyon Dam
Glen Canyon Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the southwestern United States, located on the Colorado River in northern Arizona, near the city of Page. The dam was built by the Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) from 1956 to 1966 and forms L ...
, and he emphasized education during his two terms in office.
Television venture
Shortly after he returned from the Senate, he bought a 40 percent stake in the Arizona Television Company, a group seeking to build the last
VHF commercial
television station
A television station is a set of equipment managed by a business, organisation or other entity such as an amateur television (ATV) operator, that transmits video content and audio content via radio waves directly from a transmitter on the earth's s ...
in Phoenix. McFarland had long been intrigued by the still-new medium.
In 1955, shortly after he had become governor, McFarland and his group opened
KTVK
KTVK (channel 3) is an independent television station in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It is owned by Gray Media alongside CBS affiliate KPHO-TV (channel 5) and low-power station KPHE-LD (channel 44), a grouping known as "Arizona's Fam ...
, Phoenix's fourth television station. He chose the call letters "because TV would be our middle name." He bought full control of the station in 1977. KTVK was the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting
* Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
affiliate for much of Arizona until 1995 and then became one of the nation's most successful independent stations. It remained in the hands of McFarland's family until 1999.
Return to law
McFarland tried unsuccessfully to unseat Goldwater in the Senate elections of 1958. After serving as governor, he returned to his law practice and was elected justice of the Arizona Supreme Court in 1964. He took part in ''
Miranda v. Arizona
''Miranda v. Arizona'', 384 U.S. 436 (1966), was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States, U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that law enforcement in the United States must warn a person of their constitutional righ ...
'' and served as chief justice in 1968, thus completing a political "grand slam".
Later life
In his mid-1970s, McFarland served as director of the
Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco and president of the Arizona Television Company. He died in Phoenix and is buried in that city's
Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery.
Legacy
There is now a monument at the
Arizona State Capitol
The Arizona Territorial - Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, was the last home for Arizona's territorial government until Arizona became a state in 1912. Initially, all three branches of the new state government occupied ...
honoring him as the "Father of the G.I. Bill". Also, the
McFarland State Historic Park in
Florence, Arizona
Florence ( O'odham: S-auppag) is a town in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. Florence, which is the county seat of Pinal County, is one of the oldest towns in that county and includes a National Historic District with over 25 buildings li ...
, contains a preserved
courthouse
A courthouse or court house is a structure which houses judicial functions for a governmental entity such as a state, region, province, county, prefecture, regency, or similar governmental unit. A courthouse is home to one or more courtrooms, ...
and other buildings from when Arizona was just a territory in 1878. McFarland purchased and donated them to the
Arizona State Parks Board.
References
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External links
McFarland State Historic Park
Arizona State Capitol Monument
Congress Biography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:McFarland, Ernest
1894 births
1984 deaths
20th-century American judges
20th-century American lawyers
American people of Scottish descent
Chief justices of the Arizona Supreme Court
Democratic Party governors of Arizona
Democratic Party United States senators from Arizona
East Central University alumni
Justices of the Arizona Supreme Court
Lawyers from Phoenix, Arizona
Military personnel from Oklahoma
People from Casa Grande, Arizona
People from Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma
Politicians from Phoenix, Arizona
Stanford University alumni
United States Navy personnel of World War I
United States Navy sailors
University of Oklahoma alumni
20th-century United States senators