By Marjory J. Sente
Coming from La Paz, George Meacham Holaday arrived in Prescott on July 31, 1864. Two weeks earlier, he had been elected by the Second District to the House of Representatives of the first Arizona Territorial Legislature. Quickly growing fond of the area, especially the climate, he never returned to La Paz to live.
Late September, the first session of the Territorial Legislature convened, and Holaday was elected temporary speaker of the House. By the end of October, he was appointed deputy postmaster.
Reverend Hiram Walker Read, on June 10, 1864, became Prescott’s first postmaster. During fall 1864, he learned that his wife, who was living in New York City, had died, and he departed Prescott almost immediately.
Prior to leaving, Read appointed Holaday to be Prescott’s deputy postmaster and Read’s agent, per a notice appearing in the October 26, 1864, Arizona Miner. Holaday was the deputy postmaster from Oct 26, 1864, to May 17, 1865, when Read’s appointment ended. The December 17, 1864, Los Angeles Daily News reported that Holaday was in Los Angeles. By February 1865, he was back in Prescott running a boarding house as well as serving as the local postmaster.
The boarding house ledger begins with the year 1865 and is filled with the names of a who’s who of local history—such as Charles Genung (influential pioneer), Capt. Hargrave (military officer, attorney and politician), Capt. Walker (explorer), Capt. Thompson (a commanding officer at Fort Whipple), Judge Berry, and Colonel Woolsey (contentious settler)—either taking meals or boarding at Holaday’s establishment. Apparently, influential civilians and Fort Whipple officers came to the same establishment.
The Fourth of July entry indicates that 17 took breakfast, while 33, including two from the July 4 committee, had their noon meal at the boarding house. The final entry for the day notes that $59.50 (the equivalent to $1,179.22 today) was taken in by Holaday for the Ball Supper.
The July 5, 1865, Arizona Miner stated that the Fourth was observed in Prescott, and J.P. Allyn was the orator.
A notice in the January 24, 1866, Arizona Miner stated that Holaday had leased the Prescott Hotel Bar and stocked it with liquor from California and cigars. Located on Montezuma with Jack Shanks as the barkeeper, the business was short-lived. Early the next month, drunken soldiers from Fort Whipple brawled in the bar, wounding a patron and smashing much of the furniture. Abandoning the business, Holaday went to California.
By August he had returned to Prescott and in October opened the Pine Tree Saloon. Located at 160 S. Montezuma—Prescott’s original lot 35—the saloon was in the former post office building. Prescott’s post office had been moved across the plaza into Calvin White’s store.
By early 1867, the plaza had become a popular site for squatters. The March 23, 1867, Arizona Miner reported that men were staking off the public plaza for their private use. The story ended with a list of signatories, including Holaday’s, asking the squatters to desist their operations. On April 6, 1867, the Miner published a stronger message telling the squatters to pick up and move to another locality. Again, the list of signers was included.
The morning of May 2, a fire demolished Holaday’s Pine Tree Saloon. The adjoining property housing the new theatre was destroyed, too, and the Miner office was “severely scorched.” “The fire is supposed to have been the work of an incendiary having a grudge against Holaday,” per the May 31, 1867, Los Angeles Daily News. This was Prescott’s first fire of consequence.
Holaday packed up and moved to Petaluma, California, never to return to Prescott.
Michael F. Blake, film makeup artist and historical biographer brings characters, fictional and historical, to life. Attend his author event. See sharlothallmuseum.org/event/author-series-michael-f-blake/ for details.
“Days Past” is a collaborative project of the Sharlot Hall Museum and the Prescott Corral of Westerners International (www.prescottcorral.org). This and other Days Past articles are also available at www.archives.sharlothallmuseum.org/articles/days-past-articles/1 The public is encouraged to submit proposed articles and inquiries to dayspast@sharlothallmuseum.org Please contact SHM Research Center reference desk at 928-277-2003, or via email at archivesrequest@sharlothallmuseum.org for information or assistance with photo requests.