by Carol Powell

In May of 1897, three men escaped from the Prescott jail in the true manner of Western folklore. They left in a blaze of gunfire, leaving a young man dead in their haste. The news of the escape and the names of the men were sent by telegraph to neighboring towns and cities. The escapees were Cornelia Sarata, Louis Clair Miller and James Fleming Parker.

A telegraph message was received at the Prescott Sheriff’s Office just before noon the following day stating that a deputy, John Fletcher Fairchild of Coconino County, was leaving Winslow in order to attempt to intercept the escapees.

Deputy Fairchild, known as "Fletch," had participated in the original manhunt and capture of Parker three months earlier which landed him in the Prescott jail. In that encounter, Parker and Fairchild had a running gun battle after Parker and another man attempted to rob a train at Peach Springs, west of Seligman. Fletch accompanied the two would-be robbers to Prescott by train.

Now, Parker had escaped from the Prescott jail with two other prisoners. Deputy Fairchild’s interest in tracking them down was not especially for Parker, but for one of the other prisoners. He wanted to find Louis Miller. They were kin. Fairchild had married Miller’s older half-sister, Pearl, in Texas a few years earlier and they had all come to Arizona together in 1884. Louis Miller, 14 years old at the time, came to Prescott with his mother and later became a constable with questionable practices. He was involved in a few shooting "instances," and discharged from the position. Out of money and a job, Miller was in jail for forging a check for $50 in an attempt to run away to Mexico. Yavapai County Sheriff George C. Ruffner had him locked up and put him in the cell with the train robber, Parker. Now, both inmates were on the run, along with Sarata.

When Fletch and Pearl Fairchild arrived in Arizona in 1884, they settled at Chavez Pass about 35 miles south of Winslow in very desolate country. They planned to raise sheep and actually bought some to get started. They had two children, Frank and Annie and, in 1887, were expecting a third. Fletch wanted Pearl to stay in Winslow but she refused. She developed a bad cold and, unfortunately, they were out of firewood. Fletch left her in bed to go for wood. He had to go a long way and was late returning. When he came in sight of the house, he saw her standing in the door in the cold wind. She developed pneumonia and became very sick.

Fletcher didn’t know what to do. The nearest doctor was in Winslow and he didn’t want to leave her with the two children while he rode for help. Their house was on an abandoned stage route and luckily a couple came by and willingly stayed with Pearl and the children while Fletch rode to Winslow for the doctor. There was only one doctor in Winslow and he had gone to Gallup, New Mexico. The Santa Fe Railroad sent an engine, brought Dr. Cornish back to Winslow and they hurried to Chavez Pass. Pearl was dead when they arrived. She was 21.

Now, ten years later, Pearl’s half-brother was on the run and Fletch was determined to do everything he could to save his brother-in-law. Having received word by telegraph from Sheriff Ruffner in Prescott that Miller was headed for Tonto Basin south of Payson, Fletch and another deputy left Winslow in pursuit. Upon reaching the area, no trace of the fugitive could be found and there wasn’t any way to reach Ruffner for further information. Fletch, knowing the Miller family personally, was sure Louis would head for Jerome where his sister, Minnie, lived. Indeed, Louis had stopped there and then hid out two miles away on Mingus Mountain. On arriving in Jerome, Fletch went to Minnie’s. Together they worked out a plan to convince Louis to turn himself in for his own safety.

A team of officers was secured and Louis was taken by Fletch from Jerome to Flagstaff. After things quieted down in Prescott, Louis Miller was returned for trial. He would have been hanged if his sister, Minnie Haas, and brother-in-law, John Fletcher Fairchild, had not intervened on his behalf. An angry mob had awaited his return to Prescott. It was one juror who finally saved him from the hangman. Although his life was spared, he did serve prison time at Yuma.

James Fleming Parker was apprehended and returned to Prescott to stand trial for the murder of Deputy District Attorney Lee Norris who was shot during the jailbreak with Miller and Sarata. Parker was hanged June 3, 1898 on the east side of the Prescott Courthouse. Sarata was never seen again after the jailbreak.

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(courtesy of author) Reuse only by permission.

At left, John Fletcher Fairchild, Coconino County Deputy, was instrumental in saving his brother-in-law, Louis C. Miller, right, from the hangman. Louis was sentenced to life at the Yuma Territorial Prison for his part in a Prescott jailbreak murder.

by Parker Anderson

One of Prescott’s most enduring legends is the brief history of the Ku Klux Klan in Prescott. The famed white supremacist group had existed in various forms throughout the nation since Southern Reconstruction. By the 1920s, the Klan was the subject of public debate, with state legislatures conducting investigations into allegations of killings, vandalism, and general terror tactics attributed to the Klan. Defenders of the Klan maintained that their group consisted solely of "patriots fighting for White rights", an argument still used by white supremacists. The appearance in 1915 of the film "Birth of a Nation," which depicted the Klan in a heroic light, further stirred the passionate debate.

The first indication that the Ku Klux Klan had arrived in Prescott came on the night of October 23, 1922, when a huge cross was set ablaze on one of the hills overlooking Government Canyon. It was large enough to be visible to almost all of Prescott. Prescott Klan No. 14 was born, but did not exert much influence in town in those days. The African-American population was fairly small. So the Klan resorted to circulating pamphlets extolling their organization and complaining about what they perceived as laxity on the part of Yavapai County law enforcement in enforcing Prohibition laws. From a Klan pamphlet: "To the bootlegger and the dope peddler we have this to say; we are here to stay and Yavapai County is not large enough for all of us, so you may just as well make up your minds to leave or secure honest employment and be a real man or we shall do all in our power to see that you have free board and lodging with someone to watch you while you sleep."

In 1925, Prescott Klan No. 14, undoubtedly frustrated by the lack of attention, decided to do something flamboyant. One night, a group of hooded Klansmen marched into the First Baptist Church while services were going on, handed the pastor a large white envelope filled with cash, and marched out again without speaking a word. Along with the money, the Klan had enclosed a note, which read: "We donate the sum of money enclosed herewith to be added to the building fund of your church. As you know, the principles of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan restrict their membership to those who accept the tenets of the true Christianity, which is essentially Protestant, and we hope you can find it consistent to accept this donation from men who serve and sacrifice for the right. To you and the good people of your church we extend all good wishes and our highest respect. Yours truly, Prescott Klan No. 14, Realm of Arizona, by Exalted Cyclops."

In May of 1926, Joseph Drew, a 78 year old worker in the incinerator plant at Fort Whipple, dropped dead while working. Drew had been a well liked and popular worker at the fort, and had reportedly been the son of an Arkansas Governor. In death, Prescott learned something about him they did not know: he had been a member of Prescott Klan No. 14. In those days, Klan members never divulged their identities or the identities of fellow members (presently, the Klan has relaxed this requirement). The only exceptions were made in death, providing the Klan chose to do so, and they did in this case.

The local Klan decided to hold a full public Klan funeral for Drew. They even went so far as to buy paid ads in Prescott’s two newspapers, the Courier and the Journal Miner, advising all members of the Klavern to attend Drew’s funeral. The memorial services for Joseph Drew were held at the Ruffner Funeral Chapel, and then the funeral cortege, consisting of twenty-five hooded and robed Klansmen, left on foot and paraded down the streets of Prescott in ritual formation, with the lead Klansman bearing an American flag, and the procession was followed by the hearse and other non-Klan mourners. Masses of local citizens crowded along the curbs to witness Prescott’s first Klan funeral procession, most of them attracted by curiosity.

The Klan marchers and the funeral procession headed for Mountain View Cemetery, where the deceased was buried. Joseph Drew was buried in his Klan robes, and in Prescott history, he is the only resident who is truly known to have been a member of Prescott Klan No. 14. Undoubtedly the citizens of Prescott at the time were able to make guesses as to the identities of other members, but nothing concrete ever came out. Nothing much was heard of Prescott Klan No. 14 after that. Undoubtedly deflated and perhaps financially hindered by Prescott’s lack of attention to their cause, the Klavern seems to have faded away without a word. In later years, there have reportedly been attempts to start up new Klaverns, but these were presumably unsuccessful.

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(O106ph) Reuse only by permission.

In May of 1926, the Klan’s funeral procession for Joseph Drew attracted substantial public attention. It was Prescott’s first Klan funeral. Shown here on Gurley Street in front of the courthouse, the procession began at the Ruffner Funeral Chapel downtown ending at the Mountain View Cemetery on Miller Valley Road.

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(O106pa) Reuse only by permission.

The funeral procession for Joseph Drew ended at the Mountain View Cemetery for interment, May 1926.

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(O106pg) Reuse only by permission.

Undated photo of the Klan on Cortez Street between Gurley and Goodwin streets. Was this the Klan on its way to Ruffner’s Funeral Chapel for Mr. Drew’s service or another date and time?

by Stan Brown

(Pick up a Prescott National Forest Map at 344 South Cortez or at Granite Mountain Outfitters on Gurley Street before heading out on this "Day Trip…" It will enhance the experience of your journey. – ed.)

One of Yavapai County’s many beautiful drives, and a good one for entertaining guests, is the Williamson Valley Road out of Prescott northward to Seligman. Not only is this a scenic drive, but these seventy miles have many stories to tell from Arizona’s Territorial days.

We begin at mile zero, where the Williamson Valley Road takes off from Iron Springs at the Fire Station. On the Prescott National Forest map, Williamson Valley Road is Forest Service Road #6 and County Road #5. According to Will Barnes’ ‘Arizona Place Names,’ it was named after Lieutenant Williamson of the 1858 Ives party.

At mile 8.4, on our left, we pass the road to the American Ranch at the foot of the east side of Granite Mountain. Dan Connor, who had come with the Walker Party (and whose diary is our best record of the arrival of gold miners in 1863) staked this area as a homestead, calling it The American Ranch. When he decided to go to California, Connor traded his claim to Jefferson Harrison Lee for a gun he needed for his trip. Lee built a ranch house with an escape tunnel in the likely event of an Indian raid. The escape route was accessed through a hole in the floor of the house. He used it once when his house was burned by the Indians. Lee rebuilt and established a stage stop for travelers on the Hardyville Road which passed here, connecting Prescott and the Colorado River. Martha Summerhayes refers to this stop in her book ‘Vanished Arizona.’

A few miles north of the American Ranch is Mint Springs. Its creek rises on the north side of Granite Mountain, and flows northwest through what came to be known as Mint Valley. The name Robert Stringfield is attached to several places in this vicinity. He and his family homesteaded here a few years after arriving in Prescott in 1875. Descendants of the Stringfields continued the ranch and 4th generation Ralph Stringfield was instrumental in the establishment of the Prescott Cowboy Camp Meeting, held not far from here. There was a Mint Valley School district, the first school being built in 1883 by the Stringfield family about a mile west of the ‘highway.’ This indicates that a number of ranch families had settled in the area quite early. Some rocks from the foundation are the only trace of that school today. In 1918, the school was superseded by the Granite Mountain School District.

At mile 13 is the now private Inscription Canyon development. In this area is the ‘Talking Rock’ which contains a collection of prehistoric rock art. The Talking Rock and its canyon were deeded to the Yavapai Indians. The inscriptions were probably made by the Patayan people, Yuman speaking descendents of the archaic Hokan who traveled down the Pacific coast some 2,000 years ago, and then moved eastward into Arizona. Extensive ruins were left by these people along Walnut Creek.

At Mile 17, there is a railroad crossing. The Santa Fe Railroad was eager to have a connection from its main line at Seligman to Prescott, and then on to Phoenix. Two contending business groups consolidated in 1885 to form the Prescott and Arizona Central Railway Company. The line to Seligman was completed Dec. 31, 1886, but was plagued with problems. The engines proved too small to pull more than six cars, the roadbed was easily washed out and, since there was no turntable in Prescott, trains had to return to Seligman by backing up all the way! The enterprise was a disaster, and was replaced in 1891 by the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway. This line cut up through Chino Valley and joined with the Santa Fe at Ash Fork. By 1893 it was in operation and was soon dubbed the "Peavine," because of the way it wound around and clung to the mountains. It is a connection of this line our road crosses.

At milepost 20.6 is the Crossroads Ranch development on the right. This area was originally known as "the crossing" where stage, wagon trains and freight wagons crossed the wash on the route between Prescott and Hardyville (now Bullhead City). There are several things to note in this area. Dillon Wash (aka Williamson Valley Wash) was named for the John Dillon family who had a house in the settlement of Simmons. The large trees on your left, in 100 yards or so from the road, was the location of this small settlement and stage stop named for John A. Simmons who settled here in 1880. Back in October 1873, a post office was established here named "Williamson," with post mistress Betsy Zimmerman. Mrs. Zimmerman was known in Prescott for her butter, dairy products and vegetables she would bring to town to sell. On January 24, 1875 the name of the post office was changed to "Wilson" with William J. Simmons postmaster. On July 5, 1881 the name was again changed, this time to "Simmons." The post office closed in 1931, but the town name is still seen on many local maps, including the Prescott National Forest map. The ruins of the stage stop here are now on private property. Williamson Valley Road is sometimes referred to as Simmons Highway.

This area is actually Williamson Valley. The road by that name only now officially comes into that valley. The gravel road heading northeast here at Simmons goes a short distance to Matli. Joe and Emma Matli arrived in July 1900, and soon took over the Bianconi Ranch where Joe had worked for a while. The five Matli sons were well known for their rodeo performances and the Matli family established a large dairy ranch. The windmill over the well at the Sharlot Hall Museum is from the Matli ranch and is on the National Historic Register.

At milepost 22.1, the Camp Wood Road branches off to the left. It is Forest Road 21, County Road 68. (Don’t turn here, just observe the historical significance.) About 14 miles west on this gravel road is Camp Wood, an early stage stop and later a forest ranger station and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp in the 1930s. Several ranches that pride themselves in old-fashioned cowboy methods are located along this side road. The area is overlooked by a fire lookout tower on top of 7,272-foot Hyde Mountain just a few miles northwest of Camp Wood in the Santa Maria Mountains.

Remaining on Williamson Valley Road (County Road 5), the road at this junction turns to well-maintained gravel for the remainder of the trip to Seligman. As you drive, look to the left (west) and you will see Hyde Mountain and with binoculars you can see the fire lookout.

At milepost 31, you enter Prescott National Forest. From Prescott to this point you have been traveling on private or State land. At milepost 35 you will enter a small section of private land where there are several ranches. At milepost 35.8 you will come to a one-lane steel truss bridge over Walnut Creek. Park here for a bit and absorb the history. This bridge has historic roots in the San Carlos Indian Reservation where, in 1912, it was part of a seven-span bridge over the Gila River. By 1916, several floods had taken their toll and the long bridge was no longer usable, the approaches having been washed out. The state highway department later took over the spans and sent most of them to various places for reuse. It was 1936 when this span was moved to this location over Walnut Creek. From a Days Past article, "The Bridges of Yavapai County" by this author, "An old concrete bridge owned by the Forest Service was torn out and the steel truss placed over a new easement just downstream. Yavapai County took the lead in constructing the approaches and securing the easements from local ranchers. In December 1940, the road was designated as a county highway, maintained by the county. However, since this was also a forest road, both entities shared the inspection and maintenance of the bridge. Which government, state or county, had actual jurisdiction was unclear. In 1976 the Forest Service requested the bridge be transferred to the county but it was almost 1990 before the red tape and apathy were cleared away and the transfer made. In 1990 Yavapai County secured and renovated the seventy-seven year old span."

Take a short walk upstream to the location of the present dam where the original concrete bridge crossed the creek.

Returning to your vehicle, as you cross the bridge look up and slightly to the left (NW) and you will see the Juniper Mesa Wilderness area. You are in the Juniper Mountains that span many miles to the north and west from here. Soon after crossing the bridge, County Road 125 (Walnut Creek Road) branches to the west. Turn here to explore the area.

The little community of Walnut Creek that flourished in the 1870s, 80s and 90s was about 1.8 miles in from the turnoff. There is now a ranger station and the Walnut Creek Center for Education and Research at the town site. The Amiel Whipple party had traveled along Walnut Creek in 1854 while scouting for a route that could be followed by a transcontinental railroad. He originally named it "Pueblo Creek" because of the extensive ancient ruins in the area. While waiting for his supply train, Whipple camped in the area of today’s Walnut Creek Ranger Station. The community of Walnut Creek was on the old toll road owned and operated by William C. Hardy who had hired Hualapai Indians to build his road. It was called the Hardyville Road and ran all the way from Prescott to Hardyville (now Bullhead City). Along this stretch of the road was Camp Hualapai, an army installation from 1869-1873 to keep the road open and keep peace with the Indians. The school here in Walnut Creek had 26 students in 1879 under schoolmaster S. Charmingdale Rogers. He was briefly the postmaster of "Charmingdale," a nearby hamlet named after him. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) had a camp at the ranger station site from 1933 to 1941 and some ruins remain.

Just northeast of the ranger station, off the Juniper Springs Trail about mile up from the road, is an old cemetery in disrepair with only four graves having legible headstones noting deaths between 1881 and 1897. The grave name "W. T. Shook," was the two-year-old son of William G. Shook, who later was a resident at the Pioneer Home in Prescott. Another grave is that of Marilla Jean Rogers who died March 6, 1897. Above her headstone is a wooden plaque with this inscription: "Within this grave an angel lies, no myth that flits above the skies. A host in life of friendly ties bespoke an angel good and wise." She was apparently the wife of the postmaster/schoolmaster. Two other gravestones are E. D. Scholey (1851-1881) and Roland Scholey (1878-1881), possibly a father and son. The Arizona Miner, March 14, 1879 states, "Mrs. Ed Scholey, who keeps a very good station at Walnut Creek, is in town. She informs us that her husband, who received, two years ago, a severe paralytic stroke, is very low and is now unable to either walk or talk."

Turn around here at the ranger station and return to Williamson Valley Road, turning north toward Seligman. Looking north at mileposts 41-43, you will see Picacho Butte which is along I-40 nine miles east of Seligman. Bill Williams Mountain at Williams can be seen to the east in the distance. Stop a moment at milepost 51 for a panoramic view. The radar dome can be seen on the hill at Seligman. Can you see the trucks on I-40?

At milepost 58, you will be driving across the Big Chino Wash which extends from north of Seligman and I-40, and is a major headwater for the Verde River. This is the beginning of Chino Valley opening southeastward to the town by the same name. Walnut Creek and creeks in Williamson Valley are primary contributors to this aquifer, creating the head waters of the Verde River. The Big Chino aquifer supplies 80% of the flow in the upper river. The Big Chino Wash, now usually dry, ran with water before 1950 and contained native fish. The Big Chino Wash and this broad valley were named by Whipple in 1853 because, he writes, "Chino is said to be the local Mexican name for grama grass which grows luxuriantly in this valley."

At milepost 67.2, the gravel road ends and the paved road into Seligman becomes old Route 66. In 1886, the area was known as Prescott Junction because a spur line, the Prescott and Central Arizona Railroad ("Peavine"), ran from here to Prescott. Original settlers were Theut and Moultrie families between 1889 and 1891. The town was later named Seligman after the brothers who were part owners of the Aztec Land and Cattle Company (Hashknife Outfit) and also large stockholders with the railroad. Seligman had been a terminal point for changing crews between Winslow and Needles. Railroaders rented rooms, and patronized the local cafes and businesses during their layovers. In the late 1970s, the new interstate bypassed the town and in February 1985 the Santa Fe Railroad closed its operations here. Today the trains roar through Seligman without stopping. In the 2000 census, the population was 456.

For a real treat, walk Seligman’s Route 66, check out the shops, have some lunch and return to Prescott via I-40, then Route 89 from Ashfork.

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(pb088f4i1-inpe1201pe) Reuse only by permission.

The American Ranch, shown here in 1884, at mile 8.4 along the Williamson Valley Road was a stage stop on the Hardyville Road connecting Prescott and Hardyville (now Bullhead City) on the Colorado River. At mile 13 is Talking Rock where prehistoric petroglyphs dot the canyon walls.

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(courtesy Kathy Krause) Reuse only by permission.

Walnut Creek Bridge on Williamson Valley Road was moved to this location in 1936 from the Gila River where it was part of a 7-span bridge in use from 1912 to 1916.

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(pb086f4i5) Reuse only by permission.

An undated photo of students at the Walnut Creek School. It is known the school had 26 students in 1879. The schoolmaster was S. Charmingdale Rogers.