By Al Bates
This article is one of a series that will appear in this space during this year on historic events relating to the Arizona Territory’s Sesquicentennial.
One of the resolutions unanimously adopted at the May 30 meeting at Don Manuel’s store on the banks of Granite Creek was that a mass meeting be held at Prescott on Monday, July 4, 1864, at noon to celebrate the 88th anniversary of American Independence.
The Resolution went on to ask that Governor John Goodwin preside over the occasion and that Secretary Richard McCormick be invited to deliver an oration. A five-man committee, consisting of John Forbes, James G. Barney, John Howard, Dr. T. P. Seeley and Dr. James Garwin, was appointed to make all necessary arrangements.
A year earlier it is probable that the handful miners in the Central Arizona Highlands were too concerned with survival and hopes for mineral wealth to give any thought to the nation’s birthday. The twin problems of isolation and Indians forced intense concentration on survival.
Daniel Ellis Conner, Walker Party member, early territorial legislator and author ((Photo Courtesy of Al Bates).
But a year later, with the arrival of the Army and government officials, enough had changed for the better so that a celebration was in order—even though the isolation caused shortages of almost everything and the Indians were still pesky.
Independence Day in Prescott 1864 began with raising “Old Glory” on a 100-foot flagpole on the newly established public plaza, followed by a review of the Fort Whipple troops by Governor Goodwin. At noon the dignitaries appeared on a platform located at the southeast corner of the plaza and Rev. H. W. Read opened the event with a prayer. Next, the Star Spangled Banner was performed by three musicians, performing on two violins and a banjo.
Our Declaration of Independence was read in English by District Attorney Almon Gage and in Spanish by Milton Hadley. The “orchestra” then performed “The Grave of Washington” prior to an oration by Secretary McCormick. The Secretary’s remarks were so well received that, by unanimous vote of those present, copies of the oration were asked to be printed (presumably on Secretary McCormick’s Arizona Miner press).
The ceremonies ended with firing of a national salute and the crowd scattered to the few available places where whisky was sold. The result according to the Miner, “Nobody was hurt although the boys waxed very merry, and some of them very tipsy, and there was no little promiscuous firing of revolvers.”
Years later, Daniel Ellis Conner recalled in his memoir of those early territorial times, Walker and the Arizona Adventure, that there were no ladies among the audience “of about thirty or forty persons present, most of whom were miners dressed in all sorts of costumes.” Why it was that none of the females who had been enumerated in the recent census attended the ceremony is unknown.
Conner continued to elaborate on the modes of dress in the audience: “The officers were dressed ordinarily, while the citizens, miners, or adventurer, whichever would be their proper name, for the most part were dressed most any way. None of them had coats. Some had moccasins on, while others wore old shoe tops alternately half-soled and worn out, probably a dozen times previously.”
Hosiery was unavailable and he described the miner “make-do” consisting of rectangles of cotton flour sacks “to be in the height of fashion on this occasion, while the wearers had patched trousers and one . . . wore only his under pantaloons, because he had no trousers to put on.”
He continued, “All of them had the remains of a check shirt and what was left of what was once a felt hat that had been mended so often that it was of many colors.” The common costume also included “pistols and butcher knives.”
Conner, a one-time Civil War insurrectionist in Colorado, recalled of his life in the wilderness, “This was the freest country on earth at that time. No civilization, laws or books. No restriction nor anything to eat.”
His final comment was, “Thus ended the first celebration of the Fourth of July ever had in central Arizona and it was a success and pleased all the attendants. I remember that a light shower of rain fell after it was over on that day, the first of the season.”
“Days Past” is a collaborative project of the Sharlot Hall Museum and the Prescott Corral of Westerners, International (www.prescottcorral.org). The public is encouraged to submit articles for consideration. Please contact SHM Library & Archives reference desk at 928-445-3122 Ext. 14, or via email at dayspastprescott@gmail.com for information.