By Kristen Kauffman
Sharlot Madbridth Hall was a remarkable woman, championing women’s rights during the suffragette age as an essayist and poet, lobbyist, and in her work as Arizona’s first female territorial historian. At the risk of overstating, Hall left many lasting legacies, most notably the Sharlot Hall Museum, which opened June 11, 1928.
Hall had always been a woman concerned with the preservation of history. As far back as 1907, she accumulated both relics from the ruins of Native American sites and the possessions of the territory’s first pioneers as they were passing away. Much of what she treasured of those early pioneers was non-material: Henry Fleury, a personal secretary for both Governor Goodwin and McCormick in the 1860s and one of the first residents of the Governor’s Mansion, was a pioneer who told stories which fascinated her.
Hall became the first territorial historian of Arizona in 1909, and it was in that work, which lasted for well over a decade, that she collected more artifacts and gathered more stories of the glory days of the wild west. She had her eye on saving the Governor’s Mansion. It was originally built at the location it resides today, but in 1895 its last occupant, Henry Fleury, passed away and it turned into a rental property. It was with Hall’s guidance that the State of Arizona purchased the Governor’s Mansion for $7,000 in 1917, and the deal was completed with the agreement that the City of Prescott would maintain it in perpetuity. Hall signed an agreement with the city in 1927 to move her extensive collection into the Mansion. She conducted extensive restoration on the mansion, attempting to bring it back, as close as possible, to its original state. These two tasks took her a year to complete. She also moved into the Governor’s Mansion as a full-time curator.
Sharlot Hall Museum opened June 11, 1928, and the guest book which exists to this day records George H. Kelly of Phoenix as its only visitor. Five days later, there were five other visitors, from Prescott, Phoenix and San Francisco (likely guests of resident Charity A. Bones). As with many museums in the pre-digital age, it took some time for the word to get out and to garner interest. Perhaps there was a concerted effort to gather support, and perhaps some of the local figures in town helped; after all, on July 11, thirty-four people were in attendance, including Minnie Bell (Waters) Robb Hesla, the wife of Olaf Andrew Hesla, notable optometrist and jeweler whose store was on Gurley Street. Minnie likely knew Hall from her work as a founding member of the Monday Club and treasurer of the Prescott Library Association. Helsa showed up at the museum that day with Laura Norris, also a member of the Prescott Library Association, and Carrie Young, former librarian.
Other guests that month included the Raible Family, an interesting entry because it is one of few that is annotated, possibly by Hall herself. The notation reads “Miss Charlotte Raible” and an arrow points to a note in another hand which reads: “The daughters, grandson, and granddaughter of John Raible, and one of the contractors and builders of the Old Capitol.”
The museum has grown and changed since its early days. By 1936, Hall worked with the Civil Works Administration to build the Sharlot Hall Building, constructed of native rock and pine logs, to house her growing collection. Other changes include the acquisition of historic buildings moved to the museum campus over the years, such as Fort Misery (1934), The Fremont House (1972) and The Bashford House (1974).
On Thursday, June 11th, of this year, 2026, Sharlot Hall Museum will be 98 years old.
“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.