By Helen Stephenson

The Western. An iconic film genre focusing on a relatively short era of American history that inspires big stories. 

The earliest known Western is a British short from 1899. But Fenin and Everson’s book The Western: From Silents to Cinerama states that it was Edwin S. Porter’s film, The Great Train Robbery, that’s credited with setting “the pattern—of crime, pursuit, and retribution—for the Western film as a genre.” Bronco Billy Anderson, the film’s lead, is considered to be the first Western “star.” He was quickly followed by the inimitable Tom Mix. The Arizona Republic stated in an October 13, 1940 retrospective: “The mighty Mix established the horse opera as the movie’s premier form of entertainment.”

Prescott played an important role in the career of Tom Mix. In 1913 Mix signed with the Selig Polyscope Company and began producing, writing and starring in silent Westerns. He brought his family to Prescott that same year. Most films were shot in 3–4 days, with the cast and some crew frequently lodged at the Hotel Vendome and the Hotel St. Michael in downtown Prescott.