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.”

By Marjory J. Sente

In May 1899, when a fire swept through Jerome’s business district, Charley Hong lost his restaurant. One of twelve Chinese restaurants reported to be destroyed, Hong’s loss was estimated at $1000 according to the May 20, 1899 San Francisco Call.  

He leased land, constructed an adobe building with a stone foundation and quickly reestablished his business. Hong’s new restaurant, later called the English Kitchen (now Bobby D’s BBQ), was open and serving food before many other businesses in Jerome could rebuild. By August 1899, an ad in the Weekly Journal Miner stated that his was the place for a good meal when in Jerome. He was also in charge of feeding miners working at the United Verde Copper Company’s Iron King Mine at Equator Hill and providing meals for prisoners held in the Yavapai County jail in Jerome.

By Drew Desmond The Mingus Mountain Inn was erected on the summit of Mingus Mountain within the Prescott National Forest in 1925. It featured a restaurant, store and gasoline. In the beginning, the location was both perfect and popular.

Edited by Brenda Taylor, Bob Harner, & Andrew Somerville - A compilation of previous Days Past articles by Barbara Patton, Lane Burkitt, Marguerite Madison Aronowitz & Al Bates.

Approximately 160 years ago, the Arizona Territory and, almost by default, the Village of Prescott was established. The Territory was new and unexplored for the most part, and Prescott was in its infancy. 

by Kristen Kauffman

Albuquerque calls it their Twinkle Light Parade. Sacramento calls it their Holiday Parade of Lights. St. George has a Christmas Light Parade, and Tacoma has an Electrical Light Parade. Many cities all over the country have Christmas parades at night, including the APS Electric Light Parade held in Phoenix every year since the late ‘80s.

by Worcester P. Bong During the U.S. Civil War, the Union Army expanded its reach to the west. The Union’s goal—finding resources to finance their war effort. The establishment of the Arizona Territory, carved out of the New Mexico Territory, cleared the way to explore for precious metals, especially gold.

By Marjory J. Sente

Isabella Greenway arrived in Arizona in 1922 and became so well known that she would be called “Arizona’s Sweetheart.” In 1928 Isabella was named the Democrats’ National Committeewoman for Arizona and worked to elect Alfred E. Smith as president. However, all but three counties voted for Herbert Hoover. Four years later, she still held the position. It took on greater significance when FDR, husband of her good friend Eleanor, decided to seek the  nomination for president. After a hard- fought battle, FDR received the party’s nod, and Isabella gave one of the seconding speeches at the Democrats’ Convention.

By Bradley G. Courtney

On Friday, December 20, 1935, the Prescott Evening Courier published a report entitled, “Unusual Rug Shown In Downtown Window.” The window belonged to the Bashford-Burmister company on Gurley Street. The rug’s braider was described as “an unusual old lady” living in the Arizona Pioneers’ Home. The 86-year-old was “stone cold deaf and still suffering from the effects of the sting of the vinegarroon (a large whip scorpion).” The rug was oval-shaped, approximately 2082 square inches, and fashioned “with her throbbing foot perched on a pillow on her bed.” The rug was impressive: “So clever is the artistry of the rug—an art belonging to an older generation and just about passing out—it is more than passing interest.”

By Darlene Wilson

Nestled in the heart of Prescott, Arizona, the Hotel Vendome is rich in history, charm and an air of mystery. It was built in 1917 by Texas cowboy turned Arizona rancher, John “Jack” Benton Jones,  who bought a house and adjoining lot on South Cortez Street and quickly began building his small hotel. As more people moved to Prescott, including miners, they needed a place to stay. When construction was completed, the hotel had 30 rooms and 16 bathrooms. It is unclear where a Texas rancher got the name Hotel Vendome. However, there happens to be a famous octagonal square named the Place Vendôme in Paris, France.

By Parker Anderson

Prescott’s longest-operating community theater, Suze’s Prescott Center for the Arts, closed at the end of September of 2024 after 55 years of operation and of bringing the joy of live theater to Prescott area communities. The organization was founded as the Prescott Fine Arts Association (PFAA) but underwent two name changes in later years. Since the Center is now gone, it seems fitting to recall how this cornerstone of the arts community began.