 SUBSCRIBE TO DAYS PAST The Sharlot Hall Museum Archives department edits the weekly "Days Past" column for the local newspaper, providing an opportunity to share the rich history of Yavapai County and its surrounding region. |
James M. Dodson, one of Prescott's toughest lawmen August 26, 2010 
Between 1876 and 1890, Prescott's first City Marshal earned a reputation as one of the toughest marshals who ever lived in the West. Although James M. Dodson never garnered the fame of such lawmen as Wild Bill Hickok and Wyatt Earp, those who knew him considered him to be just as brave. James Dodson was born around 1842 on the family farm in Westport, Missouri, the son of Verlina (Pitman) and Greenup Dodson. Genealogical records indicate that he was a great-grandson of American folk hero, Daniel Boone. One account states that Dodson was born and raised in the same area as Frank and Jessie James. Dodson joined Quantrill's Guerillas in 1862 and remained in that unit until the end of the Civil War. more Rachel E. Berry, Arizona's first female legislator: Part II August 25, 2010 
Rachel Berry's 20-year-old son, Wiley, had just been killed by two cattlemen brothers, Zechariah and John Booth, while driving his father's sheep from St. Johns to the Salt River Valley for winter grazing. Wiley Berry and Juan Vigil, the 16-year-old son of their hired sheepherder, Santiago Vigil, were both shot as they ate breakfast at their sheep camp near Gisela (south of Payson), early on December 22, 1903.
moreRachel E. Berry, Arizona's first female legislator: Part I August 21, 2010 
As we approach the 100th anniversary of Arizona's statehood, we are discovering stories of little known events from our state's beginnings. One of these is about the first woman to be elected to our State House of Representatives and the tragic event that motivated her. She was born Rachel Emma Allen on March 11, 1859 in Ogden, Utah. She married William Berry in 1879 and they left Utah in late 1881 with a group of other Mormons and settled in St. Johns, Apache County, Arizona Territory. Mr. Berry became a leading rancher in St. Johns with cattle, sheep and horses brought from Utah. Rachel was the mother of seven children. more "The first quartz mine in the new Territory": Part II August 14, 2010 
(Edited by Parker Anderson and Kathy Krause) (Charles B. Genung (1839-1916) came to Arizona in 1863 and was involved with the earliest mining in the area around Stanton, Rich Hill, Yarnell and Walnut Grove. He settled in Peeples Valley, was active in civic and community affairs and befriended Sharlot Hall, aiding her in preparing for the establishment of the museum in Prescott. The following is a continuation of his account of gold mining in 1863. He and his partners had just registered their claim, the Montgomery.) more "The first quartz mine in the new Territory": Part I August 07, 2010 
(Edited by Parker Anderson and Kathy Krause) (Ed. Note: Charles B. Genung (1839-1916) was one of Arizona's earliest pioneers in the area soon after Arizona had been officially declared a Territory in Feb. 1863. He is a legend in the Yarnell-Peeples Valley area. Arriving in Arizona in July 1863, he first began mining down the hill from Yarnell in the Rich Hill-Stanton area where many other miners were striking claims. He was involved with much of the earliest mining in the Hassayampa River-Walnut Grove area. He believed his mine, the Montgomery, was the first quartz mine in the new Territory. more Prescott's famous "fireproof" Hotel Burke: Part II August 01, 2010 
The Hotel Burke opened in January of 1891 and was not only one of Prescott's architectural gems, but was operated by its proprietors, Dennis A. Burke and Michael J. Hickey, as a first-class hotel. They hired experienced dining room managers, Mrs. Durning and Miss Bergheart, both of California, an all white kitchen crew and even a night watchman. In February 1894, Burke and Hickey announced that they were purchasing from Lawler & Ayers the two business lots adjoining their hotel property, fronting on Montezuma Street, for $8,000. The area was 50x100 ft., occupied by one-story businesses including a saddlery, a fruit store and a saloon. Phil Kearney's saloon had opened in May 1893. He had been the first to secure the celebrated "Old Crow" brand of whisky, a drawing card for his establishment. Burke and Hickey also announced their intention to enlarge their hotel that summer. In March, the sidewalk in front of the hotel was removed to create a front entrance and a winding stairway was constructed down into Fred Reif's "elegant tonsorial parlors" (i.e. barber shop) in the hotel's basement. more Prescott's famous "fireproof" Hotel Burke: Part I July 24, 2010 
On July 14, 1900 a roaring fire raged through Whiskey Row and Gurley Street, destroying Prescott's most cherished business buildings. Ironically, the magnificent $60,000 hotel on the southwest corner of Montezuma and Gurley Streets, advertised proudly as Prescott's only "fireproof" hotel, collapsed into smoking rubble along with the Palace Saloon, the Bashford-Burmister Company mercantile store as well as many others businesses. The hotel had stood for nearly eleven years as one of the architectural gems of Yavapai County.
moreOriginal Elks Opera House piano still in Prescott July 17, 2010 
A few years back, the Elks Opera House Foundation named me the Official Historian of the Elks Opera House because I had spent over four years compiling a list of all known bookings in that facility in 100 years, as well as collecting other data and records. Since that time, many people have approached me with stories and artifacts regarding the Elks. One of the most interesting occurred about a year ago when I received an e-mail from local resident, Jill Tetreau, who claimed to have the original piano from the early days of the Elks Opera House. There is a piano that appears in the oldest photos of the interior of the Opera House. It would be interesting to see this piano and compare it with the old photos. more Sharlot Hall's 1907 "Hassayamper's Evening" at the Elk's Opera House July 10, 2010 
Admirers of the life and work of our museum's founder, Sharlot M. Hall, contend that a key event in her life was her participation in an event called, "The Hassayamper's Evening." It was there that she made her first public call to preserve the old Governor's Mansion (then decrepit), as well as to start a museum to preserve Yavapai County history. Sharlot was an active member of the Monday Club and there came a time when she persuaded them that it would be a good idea to start a fund to preserve the area's history and construct a museum. How to begin such a project was the big question. In the days before television and radio, live entertainment was immensely popular everywhere in the world. So, the Monday Club decided the best way to begin fundraising for a museum was to put on a show. more 'Grand Lady', the Plaza bandstand, is 100 years old: Part II July 04, 2010 
It was June 18, 1910 and President William H. Taft had just signed the Enabling Act for Arizona. By this act, Congress authorized the people of the Territory of Arizona to frame a constitution and meet all the prerequisites for statehood. It was announced that official declaration of statehood would occur in February of 1912. After decades of waiting for this day, the people all over the territory were ecstatic.
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