By Parker Anderson
Arizona officially became a territory of the United States in 1863, but in the ensuing decades, territorial leaders campaigned for admission to the Union as an official state. This idea was continually rejected by Washington politicians, who felt that Arizona (along with the Territory of New Mexico) was too wild, lawless and undignified to be granted the honor of statehood. This situation went unchanged for many years.
Finally, in 1905, a bill was introduced in Congress that would provide joint statehood for Arizona and New Mexico as a single state! The idea was endorsed by President Theodore Roosevelt and seemed to be supported by the citizens of New Mexico, since the Capitol would be at Santa Fe. In Arizona there was very little support for this. Historian and poet Sharlot M. Hall, for whom our museum is named, wrote a lengthy and indignant poem entitled “Arizona”, defending the territory against the interests of Eastern politicians who did not even begin to understand the situation.
Dwight B. Heard, publisher of the Arizona Republican, had the poem printed as a broadside, and Marcus Aurelius Smith, Territorial Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, saw to it that a copy was placed on the desks of every member of Congress and read into the Congressional Record. Ultimately, the joint statehood proposal was defeated. Sharlot’s poem certainly played a role in this.
But statehood for Arizona was inevitable, and by 1910, it was solidified. In preparation for Arizona’s admission to the Union, a convention was held to draw up the Constitution for the State of Arizona. George Wylie Paul Hunt, a former territorial legislator, presided over the Constitutional Convention and went on to become Arizona’s first governor after statehood. He remains a major figure in Arizona history, and a controversial one.
The last territorial governor was Richard E. Sloan, and he had stirred controversy in 1909 by appointing Sharlot Hall as territorial historian, making her the first woman to hold a government position in the territory. There was much resentment over this, but threatened litigation never materialized.
With statehood coming and George W.P. Hunt set to become the first governor, Sharlot worried that she would lose the position of historian. Hunt was a Democrat (while Sloan had been a Republican), and he disliked Sharlot. She and her supporters lobbied for her retaining the position, but the prospect looked bleak. Sharlot then made a rare misstep by publicly accusing her predecessor in the position, Mulford Winsor, of incompetence. Hunt did not take kindly to this, and Sharlot was not retained. She returned to Prescott.
However, in 1927, the City of Prescott, managing the property for the State and with their approval, came to an agreement with Sharlot Hall to have her take over the old 1864 Governor’s Mansion and turn it into a museum to preserve Arizona’s history and its relics. George W.P. Hunt (who had returned to the governor’s office) wrote a conciliatory letter to Sharlot, in which he said: “I was very glad to learn that you have accepted the responsibility for preserving the old house of the Governor at Prescott. The task could not have fallen into more capable hands.”
The Sharlot Hall Museum will host a 113th anniversary of statehood celebration on February 11th, including a light reception at 4:30 PM followed by a performance at 5:30 PM featuring Jody Drake portraying Sharlot Hall, accompanied by a cast of historic characters portrayed by Stuart Rosebrook, Parker Anderson, Kelly Cordes and Paul Fees. The performance will take place in the Education Center Auditorium. Seating is limited—tickets ($25 per person) are required (no refunds) and are available online. Go to the events page of the Sharlot Hall Museum website:
https://sharlothallmuseum.org/event/twilight-tales-february-11-430-pm-celebrate-arizona-statehood/
“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.