by Ryan Flahive

On any given Sunday, these pages of the Prescott Courier are full of yarns about ‘the good ol’ days’ of Yavapai County. Ranching reminiscences, school memoirs, church memories, mining histories and other topics pertaining to the Prescott area pervade our Sunday paper with a column we like to call ‘Days Past’. But where do these histories come from? Personal memories? Oral tales? Books we’ve read? All of these are correct answers to the question, but one word can describe where all history comes from: Archives. In celebration of Arizona Archives Month, this column will be devoted to clearing up a question that I am asked often enough: what are Archives?

On September 22, 2005 Governor Janet Napolitano declared, "Whereas, the purpose of Archives and Repositories in the State of Arizona is to preserve the State’s history for present and future generations; and whereas, Archives collect personal papers, manuscripts, journals, government documents, maps, electronic media, oral recordings, film, newspapers, and other materials bearing all the history of Arizona; and whereas, Archives have a responsibility to provide the public with access to their records; and whereas, a goal of Archives is to increase public awareness of the valuable role they play in preserving and enhancing knowledge of our cultural, intellectual, social, and governmental heritage." This column will be devoted to the final line: "increase public awareness of the valuable role they play." The role of Archives is misinterpreted, understated, and misunderstood in most public circles. So what are Archives and why are they important?

Archives are not just ‘old stuff’ that collects dust in a museum or basement. Archives are your family photographs; your vital documents, such as marriage, birth, and death certificates. Archives are your family histories, your tax records, your water and heating bills, your court records, your report cards, and your library records. Archives are your history. In short, Archives are all of the records and documentation written, received, and gathered by an individual or organization in the conduct of the affairs of life, which contain information of enduring value and usefulness. The account legers of Hotel St. Michael, Bashford and Burmister Company, and Goldwater Mercantile allow us a glimpse of the entrepreneurial and economic history of Prescott. The letters home from Ernest A. Love allow us to gaze into the life of a World War I fighter pilot in France. Sharlot M. Hall’s poetry notebooks reveal her zest for syntax and her love for words. Materials such as maps and blueprints of the Hassayampa Mining District and Yarnell Hill Road plans have added value because of their physical form. And some are simply kept because of their informational content, such as the back issues of the Arizona Daily Miner and Daily Courier. Archives contain information of enduring value and usefulness-but to whom?

The primary group using Archives is the seasoned academic historian. Professional historians rely upon primary sources found in Archives for the basis of their writings. Genealogists, or family historians, use cemetery records, newspapers, census reports, and a variety of other materials to locate past family members or fill a gap in their ancestry. Journalists use past records to form background and basis for their stories of the now. Lawyers use documents such as affidavits, contracts, and court dockets to help prove cases for their client base. Engineers use maps to prove road easement or to settle property disputes. These direct users channel archival information to indirect users in the wider community in the form of historical books, textbooks for schools, newspapers, films and documentaries, family trees, television programs, and Internet resources. As you can see, either directly or indirectly, we all use Archives.

Archives do not become Archives until they have fulfilled the purpose for which they were created. This archival phenomenon is called the second life of records. Let me explain by example: the minutes of the Prescott Chamber of Commerce dated October 6, 1964 served a purpose; they had intent. Among the issues discussed at that meeting were plans for a junior college to accommodate for the growth of Yavapai County. Also discussed were the effects of such an institution upon newly formed Prescott College. The purpose of creating the minutes (its first life) was to make record of the meeting to be referenced by the then current Chamber and to make them accountable for their actions. Historically speaking, what is the enduring value and usefulness of this record in its second life as Archives? As a direct result of the discussion in the minutes of the Chamber, Yavapai College was started in 1966, and looking back at the history of Prescott College, we note that it went bankrupt in 1975. The minutes offer us a look at the historical origins of one of the best junior colleges in Arizona, and the origins of economic troubles at Prescott College, culminating in the closing of the campus in 1975. This is the life of records: one of accountability and one of historical context.

Why should you care about the preservation of Archives? This is the big question. The first part of the answer lies in humanism. History, literature, legacy and heritage are only part of the humanist ideals described within the leaves of archival materials. Archives form the foundation for which we build our communities, our families, our churches, our schools and our current issues. Have you ever wondered how water rights were granted? It’s in the Archives. Your sense of community, the identity of your neighborhood is grounded in archival materials. Why did ‘Nob Hill’ become ‘Snob Hill’ to some folks? Where did the name for ‘Glassford Hill’ come from? Why do we have a street named after a 16th century Spanish explorer? Are there really tunnels under Whiskey Row? It’s in the Archives. Archives are also important for intensely personal reasons. Looking for a grandfather who fought with Teddy Roosevelt and Buckey O’Neill on San Juan Hill or trying to locate a long-lost relative you have never met. It’s all in Archives. As you can see, Archives are not simply ‘old’ papers that gather dust in a museum, but they are your history.

In celebration of Arizona History Month, the Sharlot Hall Museum Library and Archives would like to invite you to an Open House on Friday, October 28th at 5 p.m. Here you will be able to see your Archives. You will be able to see genealogy materials, mining records, maps, business legers, and photographs; listen to oral histories, watch vintage film footage, examine archeological and Native American materials, and find out why Archives are your history. You will have a chance to speak with knowledgeable museum staff, volunteers, and experts on many topics such as historic preservation, historical research, and the topic of this column-why Archives are important. You will have a chance to take a behind-the-scene tour of your Archives and see where the treasures of local history lie. I am simply a steward, a keeper of your materials. I work for you and your interests. In closing, I would like again to invite you to support the preservation and public use of the vast world of Archives and historical research by attending our Open House.

(Ryan Flahive is the Archivist at the Sharlot Hall Museum.)

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

This business ledger, once owned by Arizona Indian scout Al Sieber, describes common business practices of the 19th century.

by Jay Eby

The First Congregational Church building, at Gurley and Alarcon Streets, is a part of the East Prescott Historic District. This building, an example of Romanesque Revival architecture in Prescott, was constructed in 1904, dedicated on October 15, 1905, and nominated to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

The Congregational Society first organized in a meeting at the T. W. Otis home on North Pleasant in September 1880 after an evidently inspiring lecture by Dr. W. H. Warren at the Lone Star Baptist Church earlier that week. The Reverend Theodore C. Hunt was called as the first minister and the first worship services were held as guests of the Methodist Episcopal Church on North Marina Street.

A very plain frame structure was constructed on Gurley Street facing the Territorial building in 1881 on a lot that had previously belonged to a Presbyterian Church group that had dissolved without building. That fellowship had given the deed to the property to T. W. Otis, one of its trustees, a local teacher and merchant, who then transferred it to the Congregational Society. Many of the members of the new Congregational Society had been affiliated with the early Presbyterian fellowship. The Rev. Hunt soon married Miss Virginia A. Merrill, the sister of Rev. John Merrill of that Presbyterian Church.

The white frame church building escaped damage from the Great Fire of 1900 but an internal blaze in 1903 evidently convinced the congregation to match the downtown reconstruction with a brick building. The Church Record shows "on Sunday night, August 16th ,a fire occurred in the church and was promptly put out after incurring some damage to the carpet, pulpit, and moldings. It was caused by an explosion of gas from a stiraoptican (sic.) machine which was being used to throw pictures on a screen."

The Manse, a Victorian style home that now serves as the church office, was constructed in 1898 on the lot to the east of the 1881 building and moved to its present location with the start of the brick structure in 1904.

Funds from the sale of the Governor’s Mansion, now a part of our Sharlot Hall Museum, financed the construction of the brick building that still serves the First Congregational Church. Henry W. Fleury, secretary to Territorial Governor Goodwin had stayed in residence in the Mansion when the Territorial Capital was moved to Tucson in 1867. When the government was returned to Prescott in 1877 along with it came the Honorable C. G. W. French, Chief Justice of the Territorial Court. He joined Mr. Fleury at the Mansion and eventually gained title to the property. When again the Territorial government took flight in 1889, this time to Phoenix, his Honor Judge French donated the Territorial Governors Mansion to the First Congregational Church, providing that Mr. Fleury should have residence there for the remainder of his life. Upon Fleury’s death, the Governor’s Mansion was sold and the proceeds went to the Congregational Church.

In addition to the sale of the Governors Mansion, the original subscription list for the construction of the building includes some names that I recognized from Prescott’s past: R. H. Burmister, R. C. Burmister, M. B. Hazeltine, F. M. Murphy, E. C. Payne, J. I. Gardner, H. Brinkmeyer, G. H. Ruffner, D. Fagerberg, Dr. Southworth, and Dr. Yount.

The brick used in the 1904 construction was produced at a plant in Government Canyon to the east of town. Rainwater soon invaded the soft brick and that brick was replaced in 1911 and again in 1916.

The building has seen some changes over the past 100 years besides the new brick. By excavating under the original structure a lower level was added. This added Sunday school rooms and the Hazeltine Room dedicated to Mrs. M. B. Hazeltine, Anna Margaret Criley Hazeltine. An addition to the north created additional Sunday school rooms, Perkins Hall, and the Favour Room. These rooms were dedicated to Capt. Robert M. Perkins and Alpheus H. Favour. The first Boy Scout Troop in the new State of Arizona, Troop #1, was organized in Prescott by Morris W. Payne in 1916 and still meets in the Favour room at First Congregational Church.

This October the members will celebrate the 125th year of their organization and rededicate the sanctuary toward its second 100 years of service. All of Prescott is invited to share in this celebration.

(Jay Eby is a Prescott resident and member at the First Congregational Church.)

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(First Congregational Church) Reuse only by permission.

First Congregational Church, built in 1904,. at the corner of Gurley and Alarcon Streets is on the National Register of Historic Places

by Dana Sharp

As early pioneers etched their mark on history (and left something of themselves in the shadow of Granite Mountain) and reared their families, they began to see means to formally educate their children in ways other than the lessons of everyday life. Formal education in the Mint Wash area began with the formation of the Mint Valley School District No. 20 in 1884. As the area became more populated and more children needed formal education, Granite Mountain District No. 32 was organized in 1918.

Albert Stringfield built the Mint Valley schoolhouse in 1884. His bride, Harriett who had taught school in Ash Fork and Jerome Junction prior to her marriage in 1883, perhaps influenced Stringfield to build the school. The records of the early years of Mint Valley School are scanty and we can only imagine the problems that faced Robert K. Porter, the first teacher in the school. The tasks of getting organized and teaching good learning habits may have been difficult with children who perhaps had never gone to school before, even though they were beyond the average age for beginning students.

Vada and Alice Stringfield, sisters to Albert, taught at different times during the existence of the school and Agnes Stringfield Truman’s earliest recollections of the school begin about 1908 when her Aunt Alice was teaching. Agnes was not yet old enough to begin school but she felt left behind when everyone else went to school. After shedding many tears, her parents finally said she might go. However, her short legs couldn’t carry her all the way to school, so her aunts and older brothers took turns carrying her to school. For a short time, the Stringfield children rode a burro over to school, about a mile from their home.

Miss Ernestine Lund began teaching during the 1914-15 school year and Agnes recalls a spanking she got from her father for teasing Miss Lund about wearing a black and white hat on her flaming red hair. Miss Lund left her teaching position at the end of the 1916-17 school year to marry a Mr. Nash.

Agnes and Bernice Stringfield remember a Christmas party at the school in either 1916 or 1917 when their older sister, Ethel, played Santa Claus. It was an exciting time that ended in a near tragedy. Mrs. Stringfield put her sewing talents to work and created a Santa Claus costume for Ethel, complete with fluffy cuffs and a flowing beard of cotton. At last, the evening of the party arrived and everyone gathered at the little schoolhouse in anticipation of the arrival of Santa Claus. The Christmas tree was covered with small gifts of toys, candy and fruit and was decorated with glittering candles. Santa arrived and began to pass out the gifts. Suddenly the cotton on her sleeve became ignited from one of the candles on the tree. In a panic, Ethel headed for the one door and outside. Fortunately, their father caught her and tore the burning costume off, but not before Ethel’s arm was rather badly burned. This is only one of many stories left behind about Mint Valley School.

We found the former site of the Mint Valley School on a beautiful ‘Indian Summer’ day. All that is left are rocks that once were part of a sturdy foundation for the little schoolhouse. The ground sparkled in the sun with bits of broken glass and there were rusted square nails lying about. As I sat on one of the foundation rocks, a jet droned overhead and, a mile east, automobiles whizzed down the pavement of Wi1liamson Valley Road, and their occupants oblivious of the history they were passing by. What a contrast to life in Mint Valley when the schoolhouse still stood! A narrow little road still meanders down the hill past the school site. We found the steel bows from a buggy top; we found a can of hub grease for wagons and, from a later date, a wheel hub from an ancient automobile.

A slight breeze was blowing and somewhere lost in time are the shouts and laughter of children who played crack-the-whip during recess, such as the Poland children, Ereminta (Mrs. Minnie Porter), Jess, David, Relan and Alfred; Bill, Gladys, Mattie and Nancy Cooper; and the Stringfield children, Lon, Jim, Hazel, Ethel, Agnes and the twins, Bertha and Berniece, and Vinnie Lee(Mrs. Dave Shivers). Perhaps there were others whose names we are unable to find after so much time has gone by.

Near a thicket of oak brush, Tucker found an old blue inkwell, somehow spared by the hand of time and waiting for a more secure place in the world, and a pen nib carrying the patent date of 1886, all that’s left, besides memories, of a little schoolhouse that meant so much to the children educated there long ago.

(Dana Sharp is a long time resident of the Prescott area and a member of the Sharlot Hall Museum Board of Directors.)

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(bus5088p)
Reuse only by permission.

Granite Mountain School c. 1900, aka Mint Valley School.

by Jean Cross

Long ago it was said ‘Skatakaamcha’ (the Spiritual Protector) destroyed the eagle family that had killed his mother and gorged on her flesh. Clutched in the raptors talons, Skatakaamcha was carried high into the eagle’s nest. He killed the adult eagles and fledglings but his revenge left him no pathway back down. Below the cliff, he spotted Kampanyika (‘bat’) collecting seeds. He called out, "Grandmother, come up here and take me down". She came and with her was the first burden basket. "My grandson, if you will sit in this basket and not open your eyes, I will take you down". But Skatakaamcha couldn’t resist stealing a peek as they neared the bottom. Both crashed into the earth. Still, the basket saved him so he could go on slaying monsters and making the world a better place for Yavapai.

This is one of the Yavapai stories passed down from generation to generation. "Baskets have stories, songs, and genealogies. They have helped us on our travels and told us who we are as a people" (Greg Sarris, Pomo). Yavapai say that they have always lived in Arizona’s highlands. Opinions differ as to their origin ranging from descendants of the Sinagua (500-1400AD) to maintaining that the Yavapai are from the Colorado River area after 1300AD. The Yavapai (People of the Sun) have been known by many names. Spanish explorers identified three groups naming them Cruzados, Nijoras and Tejuas. Antonia Espejos’s 1583 expedition reported that Cruzados were living in the Verde Valley. Yavapai are sometimes associated with Apaches but their languages differ and therefore their origins are not the same.

Baskets played an important role in both these peoples lives since the Yavapai and the Apache’s lived in similar environments where seasonal travels necessitated the use of a means of transporting goods and collecting food. Both are noted for their skill in weaving baskets. Baskets tell us how these early inhabitants lived since they were essential in carrying out the daily life at that time. Baskets were used to store grain, to carry water, to sift grain and seeds, as fish traps, as hats and the burden basket carried the necessities of life when moving from place to place.

Since the early inhabitants followed the seasons in search of food, they moved frequently. The early Yavapai lived mostly in wickiups or pit houses. In winter they found caves a more suitable home since they provided shelter from rain and snow and could be heated more efficiently. Sleeping mats were made of yucca and placed on softened-juniper-bark. Rabbit or bear skins provided warmth. Water jars were twined and covered with pitch or agave juice to make them watertight. Metates were prized possessions and smaller milling stones were carried in the burden basket when moving from place to place. Pottery was used to store food and water and could also be placed on the coals to cook food.

Life for the Yavapai changed drastically with the arrival of the Walker party. In 1863, gold was discovered and the territory once considered by the Yavapai as their home became inundated with miners, settlers and the military. Some believed that it was most humanitarian to defeat the Indians and place them on reservations. Due to the depravation of the Indians by these newcomers, they finally surrendered in 1873. Yavapai were herded together and led on long marches to be confined on reservations. One such march was a trek of 180 miles from Camp Verde to San Carlos on the "March of Sorrows". Of the 2000 Indians beginning this march, 115 died on the way. San Carlos was unsuitable because of the heat, insects, rattlesnakes and poor water. Disease and sickness was rampant. Before 1900, Yavapais were freed and began leaving San Carlos. Some returned to the Camp Verde area. Some came back to settle near Fort Whipple. "We do not want anything fancy, no fine homes, not much land. All we want is equal opportunity and the right to take our place as full-fledged Americans", declared Viola Jimulla.

On June 7, 1935, seventy-five acres from Fort Whipple were transferred to the Yavapais, the smallest reservation in the U.S. Later, in 1956, 1320 acres were added, also from Fort Whipple holdings. It was on this land that the Prescott Resort and two Casinos were built as well as Frontier Village Shopping Center.

To learn more about the Yavapai people, visit the exhibit, ‘The Baskets Keep Talking’, at Sharlot Hall Museum. Much of the information in this article has been taken from a guide to this exhibit. It is respectfully presented here in an effort to further acquaint the public with the life and times of the Yavapai people.

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(iny2134p). Reuse only by permission.

Baskets played an important role in the everyday life of the Yavapai.