By Matthew A. Peeples, Ph.D.

Central Arizona is often characterized as a crossroads where different people and environments intersect. This region spans rugged lands between the upland Colorado Plateau and the lowland Sonoran Desert along the beautiful and diverse transition where saguaros meet pinyons and juniper. This landscape is the traditional homeland for many different Indigenous groups spanning millennia, including the Yavapai, Apache and Hopi, and in recent centuries has seen the arrival of Spanish expeditions looking for gold and silver, fur trappers, railroad crews, miners, Mexican and European settlers, soldiers and the Arizona territorial and US governments.

Marjory J. Sente

Mother of six, career woman and volunteer par excellence, Etta Oliver would have set a high standard for today’s women and definitely was a mover and shaker ahead of her time during the 36 years she made Prescott her home.

Etta Julia Vaughn, daughter of Arvilla Mary (Mitchell) and Charles Edward Vaughn, was born in Colorado in 1876. She was a young girl when her family moved to New Mexico. In 1893 her Albuquerque High School graduating class numbered six. Two years later, she was one of four women graduating from the University of New Mexico’s Normal School.

By Andrew Somerville

Perhaps no one could occupy the same place in Prescott folklore as Frank Lester Young. His 1993 obituary described him as “a legendary living fixture of Prescott.”

Frank Lester Young’s oral history recordings for the Sharlot Hall Museum describe his life growing up in downtown Prescott, showing us the character of Whiskey Row in the early 20th century. Born in Phoenix in 1902, he moved to Prescott in 1908. According to Frank, he helped his stepmother clean the hotel rooms above the Palace Bar...

By Parker Anderson
Arizona officially became a territory of the United States in 1863, but in the ensuing decades, territorial leaders campaigned for admission to the Union as an official state. This idea was continually rejected by Washington politicians, who felt that Arizona (along with the Territory of New Mexico) was too wild, lawless and undignified to be granted the honor of statehood. This situation went unchanged for many years.

By Marjory J. Sente

Etta J. Oliver made many contributions to the Prescott community during the four decades she called it home. She, however, had a special passion for the Sharlot Hall Museum and used her involvement in local organizations to benefit it.

Sharlot Hall established the museum in 1928. According to her friend Alice Butterfield Hewins, “The roof needed new shingles and some of the Prescott women became interested and raised money by card parties.”

By Robin LaCorte

The 80th anniversary of Auschwitz's liberation reminds us of the millions who died in the Holocaust and of the survivors' strength. Three Holocaust survivors that created new lives in Arizona, Gerta Weissman Klein, Doris Springer Martin, and Esther Basch continue to inspire others with their indefatigable spirit. This anniversary provides a chance to share their stories of strength and resilience.

By Jim McCarver

Ever wondered about the people behind the creation of your neighborhood or subdivision? Or how the street names in your area were chosen? In a recent interview with Flora Black, youngest daughter of Byron Black and his wife Murler, she described how Byron and Murler were instrumental in developing residential areas in the 50’s and 60’s located north of the Dignity Health, Yavapai Regional Medical Center West campus in Prescott.

By Marjory J. Sente

A traveling shoe salesman, Maurice L. Tribby, arrived in Prescott in 1906 and went to work at Goldwater’s Department Store selling shoes. Born in Kentucky in 1874, he grew up in Indiana, graduating from high school in 1894. The same year, he enrolled at DePauw University and became a life-long member of Phi Gamma Delta. After college, Maurice followed in the footsteps of his father, John H. Tribby, working as an itinerant footwear purveyor.

By Marjory J. Sente

In 1912 Kate Cory moved to Prescott and began the fourth stage of her life. She was 51 years old.

Born in 1861, Cory spent her childhood in Waukegan, Illinois. When she was 19, the family moved to Newark, New Jersey. From there it was an easy step to becoming involved in the New York art scene. 

By Kristen Kauffman

There were no string lights then, so Esther Lee Cherry Henderson, in her oral history from the Sharlot Hall Museum Research Center, remembered candles on the huge tree, with toys hanging all over it and piled under. She was only four-and-a-half years old in 1915, but this rancher’s daughter remembered this Community Christmas Tree in Camp Verde. “Santa called each one’s name, and we had to go up front and get our gift. I got a cowboy doll.”