By Lorri Carlson

(This is the first part of a two-part article. The second article will be publsihed next week.)

Sharlot Mabridth Hall had longed for the day when she could display artifacts of Arizona's past, hoping to create a house of memories. From dream to reality, Miss Hall officially opened the old house to visitors in June 1928. Sharlot also needed support in order to establish her museum, from both the public and private sectors. Sharlot sought assistance as time and energy permitted, but far more common others sought her, encouraging her effort to preserve the evidence of days past.

During her life, public support came at every level of government for Sharlot and her museum. Initial backing came from the very young State of Arizona when it purchased the deteriorating governor's manision in 1917. Due to the efforts of A. A. "Toney" Johns, an Arizona Legislator from Yavapai County, "the building and what land remained was bought by the State with the intent to preserve the building and to use it as a museum of some sort. No definite plans for this were made and no funds set aside--so though the place was supposed to be in the care of the City of Prescott - no one was in position to do anything." The building remained abandoned, gathering dirt, cobwebs and rodents; its primary display being one of decay. 

Ten years later, the City of Prescott provided the next stage of support by agreeing to provide the historic site with water, electric and fire/police services for perpetuity. This generous commitment allowed Sharlot to work towards moving her collection and herself into the Mansion. 

In 1929, the State of Arizona again appropriated $1,000 annually for two years. Sharlot likewise received the public support and recognition of the United States government. A letter from the Department of State dated March 1935 explains the distribution of the Territorial Papers of the United States according to the Territorial Papers Act. Eight copies were to be distributed to each state and dispersed to historical institutions, libraries and museums as designated by the Governor of the state. The official wrote, "The Governor of your State has designated you to receive copies of the Territorial Papers volumes. I have, therefore, requested the Public Printer to send you one copy of each of the first three volumes of the Territorial Papers edition." 

By 1927, the Governor's Mansion was sixty-three years old with Sharlot not much younger. Sharlot had been collecting papers, photos, artifacts, and family histories for over thirty years. One can only imagine what kind of storage and organizational challenges confronted Sharlot, a circumstance complicated by the condition of the mansion and her own physical limitations. She needed help and a lot of it. Assistance came from the private sector in a number of ways such as through friends and family, individuals who realized the value of her work, and the community at large. 

Sharlot's long time friends, the Riordans of Flagstaff, helped with the initial restoration of the mansion. In August 1928, Timothy Riordan eagerly offered to supply the slabs and shakes at no charge. He indicates the difficulty of finding anyone at that time who was skilled in making the shakes, a craft that had already disappeared. Riordan suggested that if she knew of any ranchers who possessed such skill to just send him up to their logging camp and they would provide everything he needed in order to make the shakes, including the grub. 

Family members came to Sharlot's aid, as well. While the petite Miss Sharlot pulled more than her own weight in physical labor, her cousins, Sam and Ed Boblett devotedly provided the muscle she lacked. Sam in particular, served as Sharlot's able assistant. He was the one who roofed the old mansion with its new pine shakes, during the exceptionally cold winter of 1928-1929. 

Sam also helped with the arduous task of scrubbing every single log. As Sharlot described to Timothy Riordan, an artist from New York visited the old log house only to find Sharlot up on a stepladder scrubbing the logs with a brush and soap. The artist asked Sharlot, "What are you washing the logs for?" She replied, "They have stood here since 1864, figure it out for yourself." 

Individual acquaintances believed in Sharlot's mission and offered invaluable support. In February 1928, Governor George Hunt personally commended Sharlot Hall in accepting the "responsibility for preserving the old house of the Governor at Prescott. The task could not have fallen into more capable hands. Arizona is fortunate in having such a citizen as yourself who will step into the breach and unselfishly devote your time and energy to the important work of preserving Arizona's original capital for future generation."

Along with the political influence in 1917 of Toney Johns, Senator Alpheus Favour successfully orchestrated the State appropriations for the museum in 1929. That same year Morris Goldwater offered Sharlot his own telegraph instruments. A decade later, his nephew, Barry Goldwater offered the original safe his family used when they started their business on the banks of the Colorado River in 1862. As head of the Yavapai County Civil Works Administration, Grace Sparkes obtained funding for a new museum building in 1933, completed by the WPA in 1936. In addition, they also reassembled Fort Misery on the museum grounds and constructed the replica of an old ranch house. 

Finally, Sharlot's dream could not have been realized without the collective appreciation and support from the community. The citizens of Yavapai County recognized the need for a museum of local history. Change described every facet of their lives, remembering what once was while adjusting to the unfamiliar - modernity.

The Sharlot Mabridth Hall Collection is filled with letters from individuals offering a variety of support and encouragement. Pioneers, children of pioneers, collectors, and scholars from across the country commended Sharlot's mission. They offered photographs, letters, personal accounts, and artifacts to fill her house of memories. In addition to her many other abilities, Sharlot's love of the past seemed to be received like a rare gift given to those troubled by the present. 

(Lorri Carlson is an Archivist at the Sharlot Hall Museum) 



Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number: (po0168.3pc). Reuse only by permission.
Sharlot M. Hall stands proudly in front of her new "Old Governor's Mansion Museum." Much of the work to make it a museum was done by helpers or Sharlot herself. When an artist from New York visited the old log house, he found Sharlot up on a stepladder scrubbing the logs with a brush and soap.