by Jim Christopher
Just as all of the right conditions converged to create "The Perfect Storm" in the bestselling book and motion picture, a similar occurrence came about in Prescott in 1931. Grace Sparkes, the dynamic director of the Yavapai County Chamber of Commerce at that time, was interested in promoting tourism in Prescott to compensate for the slow economy of the Great Depression.
Byron Cummings, the director of the Arizona State Museum in Tucson and dean of Southwest Archeology at the University of Arizona, was interested in archaeological exploration in Arizona and in having the resulting artifacts remain in the state rather than being sent back east to established museums.
In mid-1931, Cummings visited Prescott and, with Sparkes, assisted in the formation of the Yavapai Archaeological Committee. It was chaired by Charles Elrod, with members Sharlot Hall, Kate Cory, A. H. Favour, Lester Ruffner and Sparkes.
All were members of the Smoki People, a Prescott fraternal-like organization that performed Native American dances and supported community activities. The committee planted the seeds for responsible local archaeological investigations to take place and for retaining the resulting artifacts in Prescott.
On Oct. 8, 1931, Cummings wrote to Grace offering $300 (to be matched locally) to begin an excavation near Prescott. Almost simultaneously, an article titled "The Black on Grey Culture of Western Yavapai County," by J. W. Simmons, appeared in The Yavapai Magazine.
The author was a self-trained archaeologist who had lived and worked in the Prescott area since the mid-1920s. He worked as a building laborer when he was not engaged in some type of archaeological endeavor. He was the first person to attempt to describe the prehistoric culture of the surrounding area.
Simmons was hired by the Archaeological Committee to select a site and begin excavation. He visited a number of ranches in late October and early November, talking with the owners and finally choosing a ruin on the King Brothers' ranch in Williamson Valley.
Excavation began at King's Ruin in November and continued until 18 inches of snow covered the area in December. He returned in May of 1932, and a month later he and 12 students resumed work at the ruin. Edward Spicer was put in charge of the project and the digging went on into early August.
The King's Ruin project was the first truly professional excavation of a Prescott cultural site. Spicer's thesis for his master's degree was about the project, and the report was published in 1936 by the University of Arizona as part of their Social Science Bulletin series. With this, Prescott became part of the professional archaeological profile of the Southwest. King's Ruin apparently began as a pit house community later replaced by a 12-room pueblo built around 1204 A.D. The site contained an abundance of artifacts, all of which were retained in Prescott to be displayed in a proposed new museum.
In March of 1933, the possibility of a museum became a reality for Prescott. Sparkes announced that funds had been obtained from the Civil Works Administration to construct a "Smoki building annex," which continues today as the Smoki Museum.
In the summer of 1933, excavations were conducted at the Fitzmaurice Ruin in Prescott Valley, currently part of Fain Park, and those artifacts were also retained for the new museum.
During the fall of 1933, construction on the museum began and a permanent home for Prescott's archeological artifacts became a reality.
Next week, in Part II, the Smoki Museum, designed to represent an Indian pueblo, becomes a national gem and active museum.
The Smoki Museum is located at 147 N. Arizona Ave., across from Ken Lindley Field. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3 students with ID and children under 12 are free. Museum memberships are available. Hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sundays 1 to 4 p.m. Note: The museum will be closed Jan. 1-13 for annual cleaning and repair. It will re-open at 2 p.m. on Jan. 14 with a reception (free to members and $10 for guests) to introduce the new exhibit of "Cowboys and Indians in Sculpture,'" by artists including Bill Nebeker. This exhibit runs through April 28 during regular museum hours.
Courtesy photo
One of the unique items found at King’s Ruin in Williamson Valley is this effigy pot, often referred to as the “Otter Pot” because that is the animal that it most closely resembles. This is one of many unique artifacts found at the ruin. Most of the items recovered from the excavation became part of the Smoki Museum collection and many of them are on permanent display. It’s a good example of the type of cultural artifact that Byron Cummings hoped would remain on display within Arizona.