By John Paulsen
(Seventy-five years ago this coming June 11, the first guest signed the Governor's Mansion register and the Sharlot Hall Museum began. We are running a series of articles over the coming months that will explore the people and events that have shaped the museum's long journey. This Sunday, and next, we will explore what life was like in Prescott in 1928.)
In 1928, a year predicted by Washington to be "a banner year", two newspapers served Prescott's 5,517 citizens. Both the Prescott Journal-Miner and the Prescott Evening Courier were heavy on local news. The Courier, however, was usually more staid and formal, while the Miner leaned towards sensationalism, sporting big black headlines and multiple font changes. The Courier regularly printed "News of Interest from Whipple" (a U.S. Veterans Bureau Hospital) with listings of admissions, releases, and deaths. Not to be outdone, the Miner carried the 'Prescott Social Scene', with such tidbits as bridge parties, dances, and current gossip. Both papers daily listed the names and addresses of every hotel guest.
National and international news services brought sports results, such as the 1928 Yankee's World Series win over the Pirates in four games, and Louis Mayer's win at the Indy 500 with the blazing speed of 99.48 MPH. The Elks Theater featured matinees as well as evening shows and radio was extremely popular, even though broadcasting appears to have been limited to 4 to 6 hours per day. On January 4th, the most expensive program yet made was aired: a variety program, emceed by Will Rogers and starring Al Jolson, Fred Stone and Paul Whiteman and his orchestra.
In February, the Boulder Canyon Bill for construction of a Colorado River dam was slowly wending its way through Congress, although Arizona felt that California was running roughshod over their state and Utah in the apportionment of the water. On the eighth of February, a gas explosion razed half a city block in Tombstone. Also, that month, it was announced that Fort Whipple would remain in the Veteran's Bureau, thus assuring its continued operation as more than just a tuberculosis hospital. The Smoki Dancers of Prescott performed their foremost attraction, the snake dance, on February 23 before 10,000 in Phoenix. Other important Prescott-area news was that construction was completed on the Ernest E. Love airport, and the Santa Fe Railway agreed to tout Prescott as a tourist attraction because of its new Hassayampa Hotel.
March, 1928, saw three highly significant events: in California, the St. Francis dam failed, killing 420, and for the first time public scrutiny focused on dams throughout the country. It was subsequently determined the failure was due to defective foundations. Closer to home, Hassayampa Mountain Club (now known just as the Mountain Club) was launched as yet another summer retreat for Phoenix people. Tourism received a boost when the Ehrenberg Bridge was completed crossing the Colorado River near Blythe. Also during March, the Boy Scouts of Prescott took the first steps to return the remains of 'Prescott's First Citizen,' Paulino Weaver, from the National Cemetery in San Francisco.
Ever since Col. Charles Lindberg had completed his epic flight on May 20-21, 1927, he had hopped around this country as well as South America, usually arriving unexpectedly. He had been invited on 19 separate occasions to visit Phoenix and had turned each invitation down. On April 2, Lindberg landed in Phoenix on his way to San Diego. Totally unannounced, his reception committee consisted of four mechanics and a tank wagon driver. Lindberg refueled and took off for San Diego after 30 minutes on the ground. In the process, he completely ignored a scheduled stop in Tucson, where the Mayor was waiting at the airport to welcome him.
1928 was an election year with Herbert Hoover running against Al Smith. Chicago's primary became known as the "Pineapple Primary", due to the shape of the hand grenades used by the opposing gangs of Al Capone and Joe Esposito, in what was the most violent election year in U.S. history.
As an example of how times change but people don't: by May 1, 1928, six wildfires had broken out in the Prescott National Forest, with one on the north slope of Thumb Butte, two in Jerome, and three at unspecified localities, put out by citizens. The cause of all six fires was listed as "discarded matches." Also, on the 13th of May, the Miner reported that a school bond election to build a new school was defeated by twenty-one votes.
"Les Miserables," starring Gabriel Gabrio as Jean val Jean, had a two-day run at the Elks Theater, followed on the 16th by another two-day run, this time of "Ben Hur". Both were silent movies. The Elks Theater management did not even mention plans to buy a "talkie" projector until November of that year. It is also interesting that no movie shown in 1928 at the Elks Theater played for more than two days, and the majority had only one-day runs.
On May 11, Prescott celebrated National Hospital Day at Ft. Whipple, with a general open house at the hospital in conjunction with the Red Cross and the organized patient body. Also on the 11th, the annual combined convention of Arizona Baptists, the Arizona Baptist Pastors, and the Women's Missionary Society, denounced the Smoki Snake Dances and their patronage by whites. Less than a month later, on June 7, Mayor E.C. Seale issued a proclamation calling for all businesses to suspend operation from 12 o'clock noon to 5:30PM so that all could attend the 8th Annual Smoki performance, which would conclude with the Ceremonial Snake Dance.
Here's a switch: on May 11, The Miner reported airmail postage was to be reduced from 10 cents to 5 cents in an effort to raise investors' confidence.
On June 4th, Mayor E. C. Seale refused to sign the permits that were needed to set off fireworks within Prescott's city limits. His reason: extremely dry conditions in the surrounding forest. This was followed by a further shock, this time to the motoring citizens, when it was announced later in the month that double parking would no longer be allowed on the city streets.
June continued to be a 'bad' month, when, on the 8th, Governor W.P. Hunt and his wife arrived on their way to Flagstaff. They had planned to overnight in Prescott but had to go on to Flagstaff because they couldn't get a room at any of the hotels. However, three days later, on Monday, June 11th, Sharlot M. Hall opened the museum's guest register for her first official guest, Arizona State Historian, George Kelly.
June also saw the graduation of the senior class of 34 students at Prescott High School. They were duly congratulated by the Miner, as were the 56 Junior High graduates. In September, a total of 1157 students would return to Prescott schools.
Al Jolson, in "The Jazz Singer," opened a two-night stand at the Elks Theater.
(John Paulsen is a volunteer at the Sharlot Hall Museum)
Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number: (rr199pb)
Reuse only by permission.
Prohibition was in full swing in the late 1920s. Most former saloons now sold root beer and advertised themselves as 'Pool Halls.' In 1928, it was still not uncommon to see horses and automobiles sharing the road as shown here on North Cortez Street. 75 years ago this coming June, Prescott got its first museum.
Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number: (pb149f9i9)
Reuse only by permission.
Dedication of the Earnest A. Love Field, the new Prescott airport, 1928.