By Elisabeth Ruffner 

This is the first of two articles regarding these City Recorder's Notes.  Please read "City Recorder Keeps Prescott Posted of Early Times - Part 2," published on November 22, 1997 and in the SHM Days Past Archives.  The notes for these articles are about the Prescott City Council, 1876 to 1885. The unknown writer of these minutes kept his journal on the back of the Bashford-Burmister Company's invoice forms.

It was ever thus.. 

In the spirit of poking a little gentle fun at ourselves, the following has been excerpted from the notes of an unknown diligent recorder who created a list of city council (or precedent body) actions typed on invoice forms of The Bashford-Burmister Company, Wholesale and Retail Dealers in Groceries, Mining Supplies, Dry Goods, Hardware, Boots and Shoes, etc. The following excerpts are copied "as is" from the notes, including spelling errors: 

"April 12, 1876. A resolution to dis-incorporate was laid on the table. It seems the Village of Prescott had proceeded to incorporate before any Territorial Laws were in effect to legalize such action. Finally after much discussion it was left to the vote of the citizens and by a large majority the order was to remain incorporated. This was done and made legal later by acts of the Territorial Legislature. At this time within the city limits were many trees mostly pines and as many pictures of those early days show many quite old and large. These were declared a menace to travel and some dangerous from decay and were ordered in such instances to be removed.

"Jan 20, 1877. Dr. Goodfellow appears on the pay rool and this apparently was the first move toward a health officer for the council. About this time a payment was made for a pest-house for smallpox patients so evidently an epidemic of smallpox had created a city health problem." 

April 14, 1877. A special election was called to inquire the wishes of the people if permission should be given to Yavapai County to erect a building on the Plaza. Proposition voted favorable 178 for and 10 against. The rental to be charged by the city $1.00 per year." 

"May 7, 1877. An act against teams and pack-trains remaining in the streets and to keep sheep, goats, horses, donkeys and hogs from running at large in the village. The first traffic laws and highway patrol regulations seem to have been started that day." 

"Jan 9, 1879. Agreed with the Board of Supervisors to go fifty-fifty on a fence with tirn styles built twenty feet within the boundry and to surround the Plaza." 

"Aug 4, 1879. Twenty-five dollar contract to DeWitt and Eckhoff for Water Works. The beginning of our present water system." 

"Sept 5, 1879. Requested by the council that a Hook and Ladder Brigade Volunteer Fire Fighters be organized and supplied as soon as possible with a truck and buckets and the necessary fire fighting equipment. Supply of water discussed as a problem." 

"Oct 13, 1879. On this date after the acceptance of the Plaza fence the following ordinance appears: 'Every person who shall climb or whittle upon the Plaza fence or shall willfully do anything to mar or injure the appearance of said fence or who shall hitch or tie any animal to said fence shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof before the Village of Prescott shall be fined $7.50 to $25.00.'". 

Elisabeth Ruffner is a long time resident of Prescott.
 

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number: (bub8154pa)
Reuse only by permission.
This photo shows the Bashford-Burmister Company building on Gurley Street near the corner of Gurley and Montezuma Streets (across the street from the front of the Courthouse Plaza), on whose invoice paper the city council meeting notes were written from 1876 through 1885. Was this unknown recorder an employee of the company or did he just borrow the 'paper' at hand?