By William "Bill" Peck

In the 1930s and 1940s, Kirkland Creek at Yava was actually a stream. Water filled its bed and a good ditch of it irrigated the several tiny farms that filled the valley. Hay was the main crop although grain was raised to feed the horses that some still used as draft animals to plow and rake hay. Horses pulled the mowers and side-delivery rakes that windrowed the fresh-cut hay. Haycocks abounded put there by sulkey rakes that dumped it into piles to cure. The cured hay was hauled to the overshot stacker with buck rakes that literally threw the hay onto the stacktop where hands arranged it carefully to shed the rain.

By Norm Tessman

(Seventy-five years ago this coming June 11 the first guest signed the Governor's Mansion register and the Sharlot Hall Museum began. We have been running a series of articles that explores the people and events that have shaped the museum's long journey.  Today, we will cover the time period from 1973-1980.)

Prologue: Come with us now for an imaginary visit to the Sharlot Hall Museum of 1972. Using today's buildings as landmarks, we see that where the Bashford House now stands is Kindt Brothers Corner Gasoline Station. Past it westward on Gurley Street are two ugly block buildings housing a liquor store and a loan office.

By Helen Rue Lawler

(This is the second part of this two part article. This article first appeared on January 4, 1980 in the Prescott Sun. The author, Helen Rue Lawler, owns what is probably the only complete, Prescott-attributed, Wooten desk in the state. Her magnificent walnut "King" was first owned by John Fenton "Jack" Lawler, mining man, bank founder, and Prescott entrepreneur, for whom the "Lawler Block" on Cortez Street is named.)

When closed, the Wooton resembled a paneled cylinder-front desk with a cupboard base. The front opened vertically from the center. Two doors, or wings, spread to reveal the right wing full of pigeonholes, and the left wing divided into vertical and horizontal shelves.

By Helen Rue Lawler

(This is the first part of a two-part article. This article first appeared on January 4, 1980, in the Prescott Sun. The author, Helen Rue Lawler, owns what is probably the only complete, Prescott-attributed, Wooten desk in the state. Her magnificent walnut "King" was first owned by John Fenton "Jack" Lawler, mining man, bank founder, and Prescott entrepreneur, for whom the "Lawler Block" on Cortez Street is named.) 

It was almost an act of treason. In 1876, Queen Victoria's photo appeared in a British newspaper, showing Her Majesty working at the "King of Desks," Wooton's Patented Cabinet Office Secretary.

By Ann Hibner Koblitz

The Sharlot Hall Museum archives are well known as a repository of information about the lives of past and present residents of Yavapai County. The overwhelming majority of materials in the archives are in English, of course. But if one looks carefully, one can find interesting glimpses into the lives of Spanish-speaking Arizonans as well. For example, from the 1921 prescription records of Owl Drug & Candy Company, we know that at least one doctor, Nelson Burdick, on occasion wrote medical instructions for his patients in Spanish.

By Michael Wurtz

Sharlot Mabridth Hall died on April 9, 1943 and accolades about her life achievements rolled in from across the state. Dwight B. Heard, co-founder of the Heard Museum in Phoenix said, "In Sharlot Hall this country found the unusual combination of the sturdiness of the pioneer with the beautiful spirit of the poet. She will be long remembered for both characteristics." For the previous sixteen years she exhibited those traits in the Museums she founded - the Old Governor's Mansion Museum and Sharlot Hall Museum that sat directly behind it. In the next thirty years the two Museums became one and created a history of its own.

By Parker Anderson

Following the capture of outlaw James (alias Fleming) Parker for the notorious Rock Cut Train Robbery near Peach Springs, Arizona, the Flagstaff Sun-Democrat described some of the problems facing Northern Arizona ranchers in its February 18, 1897 edition. "Bally Creighton, "Kid" Marvin and Abe Thompson together with Jim Parker had for several years terrorized the law-abiding ranchers in the vicinity of Peach Springs and kept up a continual round of pilfering and petty stealing, frequently breaking into the ranchers cabins thereabouts.

By George Hall

In May of 1929, just 6 months before the great Stock Market Crash, a California filmmaker named Furniss M. Tisdale came to Prescott to shoot a promotional movie for the Yavapai County Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the Elks Theatre. It was titled "Things you ought to know about PRESCOTT". Grace Sparkes was the head of the C of C at the time and planned to use the film to promote the virtues of Prescott throughout the country.

By Terry Munderloh

"I came to Arizona seeking adventure," wrote William Harrison Hardy, "and brought with me some money and a store of merchandise. I crossed the Colorado River near Fort Mohave January 20, 1864 where a Company of California Volunteers were stationed under the command of Charles Atchison." 

Hardy was born in Allegany County, New York, on April 25, 1823. He settled in Wisconsin with an older brother for a short time before joining a wagon train for California in 1849. He was elected to head the migrating group and was thereafter known as Captain although he never held a military commission.

By Lorri Carlson

(This is the second part of a two part article that was published last week.)

Maie Bartlett Heard, co-founder of the Heard Museum and a friend of Sharlot's, admonished her, "How, in the name of wonder, do you mange to do so many things? Mrs. [Alice] Hewins has a better right than I to scold, but I do beg of you to save yourself as much as you can, for the sake of the state.