By Richard Gorby 

This is the second of two articles regarding Governor Conrad Zulick.  You may want to read "Territorial Governor Conrad Zulick had His Share of Trouble - Part 1," published on September 6, 1997 in the SHM Days Past Archives, before reading this article.

Conrad Meyer Zulick, the seventh Territorial Governor of Arizona and the first Democrat, arrived in Prescott, the capitol, in October of 1885, a few days after his dramatic midnight escape from jail in Nacozari, Sonora, Mexico.  He was greeted warmly. On October 24, from John Marion, editor of the Arizona Miner: 

"He will enter upon his official duties with the best wishes and moral support of every resident of the Territory."

Marion disliked Republicans. In his first editorial he had written: "We shall labor, with whatever reason our Maker has vouch-safed us, to cripple the (Republican) monster that has grown fat upon the misfortunes of our country." 

So Marion was overjoyed in welcoming Arizona's first Democratic governor. However, and unfortunately for Zulick, Marion not only disliked Republicans but disliked Apaches, and had joined others in planning a militia-type group of citizens to run them out of the area. 

Zulick, like many Easterners, had mixed feelings. Shortly after his arrival, in his Proclamation of December 23, 1885, he warned the people "not to take the law into your hands to punish the Apaches." as Marion and others had planned. This could make their plans illegal. 

Marion, his strongest supporter, now turned bitterly against him: "He besought the cruel, treacherous, unreliable and murderous white man not to attack and hurt the innocent, inoffensive,industrious and simple red man. He proclaimed that the citizens of Arizona were lawless ruffians, and in their wrath there was danger that they would hurt a few poor Indians." 

Increasingly Zulick was charged with wrong-doings. He was accused of selling the Vulture Mine to Eastern investors; "This wouldn't have been regarded as sinister had he owned the mine", and placing mounted tax collectors along the Mexican border and not accounting for the taxes collected. 

The good things he did were largely ignored. He corrected legislation which disenfranchised all Mormons, saying "A man may be an advocate of bigamy, or polygamy, or belong to a church that so believes, but until he puts forth his belief in practice he has offended no law." Since most of his opponents weren't all that fond of Mormons, it did little to improve his standing with the people of Prescott, being called "A failure and a political trickster of the smallest caliber." 

Zulick felt he could no longer walk the streets of Prescott. When he entered the Prescott Opera House in January, 1889, he was greeted by hissing and foot-stomping. 

Feeling, with reason, that Prescott was not for him, on January 26, 1889, he signed Legislative Act No. 1, which stated that "On and after the 4th day of February, in the year of our Lord Eighteen Hundred and Eighty-nine, the permanent seat of Government and Capitol of this Territory shall be...at the City of Phoenix". 

The legislators and Zulick didn't wait until February to move. Three days after the bill was signed they headed for Phoenix, scorning the quicker Black Canyon Stage and travelling regally in two Pullman cars via Los Angeles, all paid for by the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific. 

As for Governor Zulick, his days were numbered after Republican Benjamin Harrison defeated Cleveland in 1889. Territorial governors were appointed, not voted into office, and Zulick was replaced immediately. 

Zulick remained in Arizona for several years and was elected Maricopa County Councilman in 1891. He died in Asbury Park, N.J.,at the age of 88. Almost all the accounts at his death mentioned his Arizona gubernatorial years almost exclusively. 

Richard Gorby is a research specialist at the Sharlot Hall Museum.

SHM Photograph Call Number # BU-B-8215p
Reuse only by permission. 
When Territorial Governor Zulick went to the Prescott Opera House shown here, he was greeted by "hissing and foot stomping" for his political views, which included moving the capital from Prescott in 1889. The Opera House was located at the corner of Goodwin and Cortez Streets where Prescott City Hall is today. The original building on this lot (the first lot sold in Prescott in 1864 for the amount of $175.00) was built in 1876 by Mr. James Howey and was known as Howey's Hall. It was leased to Goldwaters and was their first store in Prescott. Three years later, Goldwaters had "their big rise" and built their own building down the street. Howey's Hall then became Prescott's first Opera House and was the scene of excitement, glitter and tinsel, hosting many idols such as John Drew, Lily Langtry, "Jersey Lily" and others. When the new and larger theater, the Elks Theater, was built, Howey's Hall became a second-hand store, then a fire station. The building was razed in May 1959.