As an agent he had to interact with the Native-American tribes of the Pimas, Papago (an archaic term for Tohono O'odham people) and Maricopa on behalf of the U.S. government.

These early natives resided in close proximity to the Gila River, and had developed extensive canals and agricultural lands which yielded various crops.

During the early 1800s the region was under Mexican jurisdiction until the Gadsden Purchase of 1853, which placed all lands south of the Gila River under the authority of the United States Government.

The first mail arrived in September, 1869, on horseback from the Blue River Station, twenty-five miles distant on the Overland Stage road.

[3] Ruggles designed the plans for the First Pinal County Courthouse building that was constructed in 1878 of locally made adobe blocks.

According to the late A. W. Gressinger, president of the Pinal County Historical Society, Levi Ruggles was buried in the premises of his second house which was located at 9th St., between Willow Street and Central Ave. in 1889.

By the time Ruggles died in his home in 1889, he had lost his wife, the former Cynthia Tharp, and three of their children years earlier.