By Vicky Kaye

(Pauline Weaver, "Prescott's First Citizen" was first buried in Camp Verde and then moved to San Francisco. In the 1920s, there was a movement to bring his body to back to Prescott. This is the second part of a two-part article.)

With the persistence of Favour, Wells, and Hall, the War Department was provided with the needed affidavits to show that Pauline Weaver had no surviving relatives from whom additional permission would have to be obtained, and that the future grave would be adequately cared for. An affidavit submitted on February 10th, 1928, was signed by none other than Judge Wells. Wells signed under oath that, " . . .said Weaver at one time had a son by a Pima Indian woman and that the boy died without issue and that there are no descendents or relatives of said Pauline Weaver living." According to Favour, it was because of this affidavit from Wells that he was able to get the permission he needed to remove the remains from the National Cemetery in San Francisco for return to Arizona. The U.S. Military was content with the report from Wells that he had personally known Weaver, and had known his only son died (in 1866) at about age 20 in Wickenburg without leaving any children of his own. 

Just over a month later, on March 24 of 1928, Favour was informed by C. B. Robbins, assistant Secretary of War, " the necessary instructions to permit the disinterment have been forwarded to the Quarter-master Supply Officer, San Francisco General Depot, Fort Mason, San Francisco, California." On that same date, Charles Church, Superintendent of the National Cemetery in San Francisco, received notification for permission to proceed with disinterment. Church soon sent a letter to Favour with information, requirements, and expenses for the relocation. "It appears," Church wrote, "That Weaver has been dead something over fifty years, and you must appreciate that there will be very little of his remains. However, if what we find is shipped as the remains of a dead body it must be in a hermetically sealed package in order to be accepted by the transportation company, and the cost will be the price of two first class tickets from San Francisco to Prescott." It was estimated that the cost to return the remains would be $156.00 plus the cost of the first class tickets. Once the remains were brought to Prescott, there would be additional expenses. These included reburial and a monument for the famous scout. 

Mr. Favour asked Joseph Morgan, president of the Yavapai-Mohave Council of the Boy Scouts, to sponsor a fundraiser to obtain the necessary expenses. It was thought by many that it would be an educational experience and a community-oriented goal of civic pride to join in the project. Children were asked to donate anything they could from a penny to not more than a dime. Favour personally sent a letter to Ed Honn, superintendent of Prescott schools, the largest school district at that time in Yavapai County, asking for his district's cooperation in the fundraiser. 

Over the next year, donations came in from schools and organizations all over the county. Amounts ranged from $12.71 from the larger Washington School in Prescott to what one teacher referred to as a "mite" from Canon (Black Canyon City), Arizona. Mrs. McCulloch of Canon wrote to Favour, "I am sending you our mite toward the Pauline Weaver fund - regret we have been slow in getting this mite together - but money and means of getting things done are slow in this isolated district." Marching to the tune of a different drummer, J.O. Mullin of Jerome Public Schools sent Favour a reply that said, "I have never been personally in favor of moving anybody's bones. However we shall consider the matter carefully and come to some decision regarding it." Regardless of individual responses, returning Pauline Weaver to Arizona became a community project to honor the man who many referred to as Arizona's Daniel Boone. 

To help defray some of the costs, Favour induced the Arizona Legislature to make an appropriation covering the cost of a suitable monument. The bronze plaque that was to adorn a large granite boulder was delivered to Prescott on May 16, 1929 and displayed for all to see in the show window of the O. A. Hesla Company in downtown Prescott. Now that the monument was almost ready, and the remains of Weaver had finally arrived at the Lester Ruffner mortuary on March 28th, the ceremonies could begin. 

However, this was not to be. After more than a year's worth of planning, affidavit gathering, and fundraising, there would be one more obstacle to overcome. A permit of interment had not been obtained from the City of Prescott. The plans of Sharlot M. Hall to inter the remains of Weaver on the grounds of the Old Governor's Mansion were again put on hold until the proper forms could be completed and permission granted from the City. It would be another seven months before all conditions were met so the famous scout could finally be put to rest. 

In the meantime, Pauline was once again on the move. From his initial visit at the Ruffner funeral home his bones may have made several visits to friends and admirers. In an article written by Ms. Hall shortly after the remains arrived in Prescott she wrote, "The ashes of the first citizen of Prescott now lie in the home of his old friend Judge Wells - in the care of Lester Ruffner -and they will be re-interred on the grounds of the Old Capitol at a date to be announced later. " From there, it seems Pauline eventually ended up staying in the front room of the Governor's Mansion with Sharlot while preparations continued for the burial ceremony. Sharlot often spoke to Weaver, even wishing him a 'good night Paulino' while turning the lights off for the evening. 

Pauline Weaver was finally laid to rest one last time on the grounds of Sharlot Hall Museum on October 27, 1929. Boy Scouts carried his casket from the Ruffner Funeral Home, through downtown, and then to the grounds of the museum. The funeral procession was led by Sheriff George Ruffner and followed by the Prescott High School Band. Veterans, pioneers, and the school children that were so instrumental in bringing Weaver home also marched in the procession. Sharlot gave the principle address while over 1,000 citizens of Prescott attended. Prescott's own scout and first citizen was finally honored with a permanent home and a monument of granite and bronze on the north side of the museum grounds. 

(Vicky Kaye originally wrote this article as part of a class project for Yavapai College's Prescott History course taught by Melissa Ruffner. If you are interested in this course, please contact the College) 


 

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number: (po0168.1p)
Reuse only by permission.
Sharlot M. Hall, founder of the Sharlot Hall Museum kneels with her dog at the base of the Pauline Weaver headstone. In 1929 Weaver's remains were moved back to Prescott, but not without much hard work and careful navigation of the bureaucracy at that time.