 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. Browse
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John Arbuckle: entrepreneur, trust-buster, inventor and humanitarian May 04, 2008 
Early Prescottonians, cowboys, city folks and miners enjoyed grinding and brewing their favorite, their one and only Arbuckles Ariosa Coffee:“ The coffee that won the west.” No brand sold more coffee in the U.S. than Arbuckles’, and yet that name has passed into history (you may see a package on display at the Sharlot Hall Museum). Yet the Arbuckle name has a story that needs to be told whether remembered or not. more Rock ‘n roll in 1960s Prescott April 27, 2008 
In the early 1960s, a strange thing started to creep into Prescott: we called it “rock and roll.” Of course, country music was still king at the time and that’s what made it tough for local young musicians to make a breakthrough. But when we did, it was like a dam broke because the young people in Prescott had little to do otherwise. I played in some of these bands and what memories were made! I guess the best-known band at the time was The Shekels. We played all over Arizona but most of our engagements were in Yavapai County, especially in Prescott. We played for dances at the Youth Center in Miller Valley, The 400 Club in Granite Dells and the Midnite Teen Club at the Hassayampa Inn among others. Prescott was good to us in those days and, in turn, we played for every charity event we were asked. more Sharlot Hall shares Christmas wishes December 23, 2007 
“A Christmas Wish” by Sharlot Hall, December 23, 1899 ‘The only gift is a portion of thyself...therefore the poet brings his poem.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson What shall I wish you? wealth? Yes, wealth is leisure And place and power and of fortuity. But something too I’d give you of the pleasure Of being poor but free. What shall I wish you? health? Cool pulses yearning more The remarkable story of Solon Borglum December 09, 2007 
If you don't recognize the name, Solon Borglum, consider this scene: It's July 3, 1907. A parade with cavalry, a marching band, a troop of Rough Rider Veterans, Civil War Veterans, troops from Fort Whipple, the Territorial Governor, various prominent citizens and military officers, and the fire departments of Phoenix, Tucson, and Prescott proceed to the Courthouse Plaza in Prescott. Seven thousand people witness the unveiling of the statue of Prescott's own Buckey O'Neill.
moreStage-struck songsters: Operetta in territorial Prescott Part II November 25, 2007 
Still at the helm, Dauphin produced Arthur Sullivan's one-act operetta "Cox and Box; or, The Long-Lost Brothers," (based on John Maddison Morton's famous farce "Box and Cox") in January 1886. Sergeant Bouncer, a landlord (Harry Carpenter), has a scheme to get double rent from a single room. By day he lets it to Mr. Box (a printer who is out all night, played by J.E. Brown) and by night to Mr. Cox (a hatter who works all day, played by Joe Dauphin). When the lodgers raise awkward questions, Bouncer distracts them by singing of his military exploits. The plan works until Mr. Cox is given a holiday and the two lodgers meet, discovering that they share not only the same bed, but also the same lady. Cox is engaged to marry the widow Penelope Ann Wiggins: a fate that Box escaped by pretending to commit suicide. When the widow sends a letter informing them of her intention to marry someone else, the two comic heroes swear eternal friendship and discover, to their surprise, that they are long-lost brothers! "Dauphin's makeup in the little fat gray man was inimitable and his rendering of the piece was perfect." The popularity of this production warranted a revival in February 1887, along with "The Rose of Auvergne," featuring the Stevens-Dauphin-Carpenter trio. Professor Ludwig Thomas, a fine new musician and conductor, served as the musical director. With such a great leading soprano, who knows what other treats might have been in store? But in March 1887, Jessie Stevens married Mr. C.H. Crouse and left Prescott forever to start a new life in Lake City, Minnesota.
moreStage-struck songsters: Operetta in territorial Prescott Part I November 18, 2007 
It was Christmas Eve, 1879, and at the Prescott Theatre, a rowdy mix of miners, merchants, lawyers, judges, soldiers, saloonkeepers, and refined ladies were packed shoulder-to-shoulder as conductor Fr. Heydenrich raised his baton and Fort Whipple's12th Infantry Band struck up the opening strains of the overture. "H.M.S. Pinafore" was about to take Prescott by storm, and the audience must have erupted into cheers when the sensational Pauline Markham stepped out on stage as Josephine, the lass who loved a sailor. Prescottonians were used to local productions of melodramas and farces by Fort Whipple and Prescott amateurs, but never (no, never) had they experienced the thrill of Gilbert & Sullivan's sublimely silly operetta and the presence of a renowned burlesque star in their midst. Nearly every one of Prescott's some 2,000 inhabitants must have attended at least one of the dozen or more performances between December 24, 1879 and February 20, 1880. An additional incentive was the chorus of sailors and the bevy of beauties who made up the sisters and the cousins and the aunts of the Right Honorable Joseph Porter: all of them local singers whom Miss Markham had recruited and trained to support her little traveling company.
moreSharlot Hall and "The Deacon": Legend of the Gila monster November 11, 2007 
(Edited by Parker Anderson) (The following is reprinted from the Prescott Journal Miner of November 13, 1919. That newspaper had captured a Gila monster and had it on display in their office, which, for some reason, prompted a debate lasting several days over whether or not Gila monsters were poisonous.) As I looked at the captive Gila monster in the Journal-Miner office, I wondered if anyone beside myself had kept a Gila monster as a pet over a long enough period of time to become really friends with the curious big lizard. more Early history of Prescott's water supply and the Prescott National Forest designation: Part II November 04, 2007 
(Last weeks article outlined the evolution of the land use policies, laws and public sentiment, which provided the foundation for the national forest establishment. Today's article features the local context, including the early history of the City of Prescott's water supply challenges and the relationship to the Prescott Forest Reserve designation.) Prescott was founded in 1864 as the Arizona territorial capital. The Village Council of Prescott was established in 1873. At the time it was called the Common Council. Prescott was later incorporated in 1883. Minutes of council meetings, newspaper articles and the research notes of Dr. C.A. Yount, former City of Prescott Health Officer, offer glimpses into the early challenges of meeting the goal of providing a never-ending supply of pure drinking water. Numerous water bond initiatives and resulting water structures and facilities were largely responsible for the heavy indebtedness of Prescott during its first 50 to 60 years of existence. more Early history of Prescott's water supply and national forest designation: October 28, 2007 
Part I by Michael King Prescott's early water supply issues are closely tied to the evolution of public land policies and the designation of the Prescott Forest Reserve. Following the Revolutionary War, lands between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River came under federal ownership. Due to the large military debt and financial needs of a fledgling nation these lands were viewed as important sources of revenue. Tariffs, taxes and land sales were major sources of income for our new nation. more In 1891, the 'Horribles' took over Prescott October 21, 2007 
Prescott in l891 was twenty-four years old and the County Seat of Yavapai County. It boasted a population of nearly 3,000 people according to Jules Baumann, Prescott's bandmaster, photographer, and artist, on his 1891 lithograph of the city. Prescott is located in a "level basin of Granite Creek, 5,600 feet above sea level and is a place of much business importance, being the center of a very extensive mining, cattle and agricultural region. The military post known as Whipple Barracks is located one mile below the town. Prescott enjoys a most perfect climate; cyclones, fog, extreme heat or cold are unknown here. The air is light, dry and pure, full of fragrance from the lofty pines which cover the surrounding hills," Baumann reported. Prescott also had a beautiful town square, the "biggest west of the Mississippi," with a charming Courthouse, surrounded by trees planted by the towns famous Buckey O'Neill. And around that square Prescott had all that was needed by the shopper, lodger, saloon-goers, etc. more |