By Michael Wurtz

The title to this article is a nod to the 1989 publications about the Chinese that came to Prescott in the 1860s and eventually drifted away by the mid 20th century. They may have never intended to stay in this country, hence the term "sojourner." The first accounts of Chinese in Prescott were in 1869, supposedly shortly after the Union Pacific railroad was complete across the middle of America. The so-called "Celestials" lived and worked mostly along Granite Street behind Whiskey Row. Sometime between 1880 and 1910 the Chinese population hit a peak of a little over 200 (Prescott claimed about 10 times as many people at the time). The 1900 fire was probably the beginning of the end, and the depression in the 1930s whittled the Chinese population to almost nothing. Clear into the late 1940s and early 1950s there are hints in the record that indicate that perhaps some of those Chinese were still here, but for all intents and purposes they were gone.

I arrived in Arizona in 1984, and came to Prescott in 1992 to become the Sharlot Hall Museum's Assistant Archivist. Fresh with a master's degree in history, I toiled for 4 1/2 years as an assistant before Sue Abbey retired and I was appointed Archivist. Twelve years later, I'm ready to call myself a sojourner and leave my adopted "everybody's hometown." I'll start by going back to school and getting another degree (this time in Library Science), and then I'll head home to my native Northern California to help, and tease, my nephews and nieces. 

I will always miss the look of discovery when someone finds out the history of their house or that some family legend could be confirmed or denied because of the information in our archives. Honestly, though, I won't miss getting "earped." That is, answering another question about Wyatt or Vigil Earp, Doc Holliday, or Big Nosed Kate. The archives has quite a bit of information on Virgil. He came back to Prescott later in life and thought about running for Sheriff, but we don't know where, exactly, his sawmill was. We have an interview with Mary K. Cummings, a.k.a. Big Nosed Kate, which she gave at the Arizona Pioneers' Home before she died. No, I don't know why she doesn't have a larger headstone at her plot. As for Doc, we know from the census records that he was here in 1880, but that is about it. There are an awful lot of stories about these people - where they gambled, what they won, etc - but there is no actual evidence that they ever sat down in one of our local saloons. 

Perhaps the thing that makes me most unpopular at parties is that I prefer history stories with some sort of evidence..... Ok, Let's get to the point. I do not believe there were tunnels under Prescott. If you have real evidence otherwise, I would like to hear it. I look at it this way. The Chinese did not have any reason to dig them. Yes, they were persecuted, but they worked on Whiskey Row and had known opium dens, so why would they need to go underground. Also, Gail Gardner said there were no tunnels. Mind you he was about 10 years old when the Chinese were still very much apart of this community and I would imagine if there were tunnels, 10 year-old boys would know all about them. 

Yes, there are places that look like covered up doorways that lead nowhere, but that is due to sub-sidewalk businesses whose front entrances were eventually covered up. Both the Palace and Hotel St. Michael have recently reopened those passages. And there is, indeed, an underground "speakeasy" under a Montezuma Street business, but no tunnels. 

I once receive a videotape of what were supposed to be tunnels under Prescott. They looked like some sort of passageways which would be very believable, but who knows where the film was actually made. The tape could have been made in Seattle for all I can tell. In addition, it was sent anonymously so I could not follow up on the claim. 

Ask yourself; don't you think if there were tunnels that the owners of Whiskey Row businesses would be advertising them and selling tours? Wouldn't the Chamber of Commerce or Sharlot Hall Museum be glad to conduct tours? Perhaps passageways are not as interesting as "tunnels." 

The Sharlot Hall Museum has chosen my successor. Susan Alden has extensive archival experience throughout the state and the west - specifically Northern Arizona University, Arizona State Library Archives and Public Records, and the Washington State Archives. Susan will shepherd the collections of the Sharlot Hall Museum Archives into the 21st century. There are indexes to get on-line and materials to scan for future patrons. She will also escort the archives across McCormick to its new home sometime in the next few years. Oh, and you researchers that I work with frequently: please do not say to her, "well, Mike used to let me do this all the time." It is Susan's archives now and she may have different policies - some may be more liberal, other more conservative. It is her choice. 

I will miss Prescott and the Sharlot Hall Museum. A lot of my knowledge of the history of the region will be lost in my new home. I'm going to take the pirates with me too. For the last 5-6 years I have used my made-up pirate stories to explain many of Prescott's conundrums. The Earps were pirates; the pirates built the tunnels from their ships; the gargoyles on the Hotel St. Michael were pirates; etc. There are countless stories about Prescott that may never have evidence and since there is no evidence of pirates, there must be some connection between the two. Today you can see some of that pirate culture is still in existence, right? I saw a dog wearing a bandana just yesterday, and how about all those guys wearing just one earring? You can still find the filet of fish sandwich at McDonalds on Miller Valley Road. 

Don't take my word for what is history. Just like on the TV show CSI, "Follow The Evidence." Come to the archives of the Sharlot Hall Museum and do some research. There are plenty of true stories that are much more compelling. Have you ever looked up the history of your home? Have you ever wondered what kinds of businesses used to be on Whiskey Row that did not sell whiskey? Come find out what we really know about the prostitution in early Prescott and stories from the Rex Arms. Explore the history of the region here at the Museum's Archives. Like I have said many times: just because you do not come from here, doesn't mean that that the region's history does not belong to you. This is your history. 

(Michael Wurtz will become the "former" archivist at the Sharlot Hall Museum on May 29, 2004. Stop by and say goodbye.) 



Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number: (doctored image of mon111pb). Reuse only by permission.
For a very brief time in the 1930s the Rough Rider Monument was replaced with a monument to the true founders of Prescott, but when the archivists found out that the pirates had nothing to do with anything, the ship was removed. Ok, none of that is true. The Rough Rider Monument has been with us, non-stop, since 1907.