By Dr. Ken Edwards

Morris Goldwater lived in Prescott from 1876 until his death in 1939 at the age of 87. During that period, he rose to be arguably the most prominent and important man in town. In 1964, at the time of the Prescott Centennial, he was voted the City's "Man of the Century." His father, Michael, also served briefly as mayor. Morris' accomplishments are impressive. In addition to operating one of the most important stores in town, he served as mayor for a total of twenty years - over a forty-eight year period, from 1879 to 1927. He was also a bank president of Commercial Trust and Savings Bank for a number of years. He was an active Mason, and the 1907 cornerstone on the Masonic Temple on Cortez Street honors his dedication to the order.

Among his many civic contributions were his membership in the Mechanics Hook and Ladder Team, and later he was an organizer and member of the Dudes hose cart team. He was a supporter of cultural development in Prescott and served on the board of the Prescott Dramatic Society. He seemed to have unlimited energy and supported any worthy cause in town.

Politically, Morris was a Democrat. At the time of his arrival in Prescott, the Democratic Party was the prevailing party in Arizona. This, in fact, was problematic for John C. Fremont, a Republican, when he was appointed Arizona governor by President Hayes in 1878. (It is ironic that Morris served as political inspiration for his nephew, Barry who, as a Republican, became known as "Mister Conservative.") In between his first two terms as mayor, Morris served for a time on the Prescott City Council. He later served terms in both the territorial and state legislatures and was president of the state Senate from 1914 to 1916. One of his most important contributions to state history was his service as vice president of the Arizona Constitutional Convention in 1910. From 1890 to 1894, he served as a Yavapai County commissioner.

One of the biggest issues that Morris Goldwater worked on was getting adequate water and sewer systems in town. In Prescott's early days, fires were fought by bucket brigades. In 1885, a water system with reservoir and fire hydrants was developed. However, in his inaugural address to the City Council in 1895, Morris declared that "Our present water system ... gives no water fit for a human being to drink ... and necessity only compels its use for bathing. At the time water is most needed, we have it not." The latter statement was graphically demonstrated during the great fire of July 14, 1900, when most of downtown Prescott burned to the ground.

Not all went well during Goldwater mayoralties. In December 1926, petitions were circulated for his recall. The issue was the failure of the Prescott State Bank, of which Morris was vice president and director. The city had deposits reported to be $100,000 in the bank, and the bank had insurance of only $20,000. (This was in the days before FDIC.) Whether the recall election was actually held or not is uncertain, but Goldwater and the city survived.

For most of his life, Morris was a bachelor in Prescott and he roomed at the home of John and Sarah Fisher on Cortez Street. When Mr. Fisher died in 1897, Morris continued to live at the Fisher house. Legend has it that at some point the City Council passed a resolution stating that it was inappropriate for Morris and Sarah to be living in the same house without the benefit of marriage and that they darn well ought to get married or Morris should move out. Faced with these options, the couple ran off to Los Angeles and got hitched in September 1906. Morris was 54 years old at the time. They continued to live in the house, which is now the Hampton Funeral Home, until Morris's death in 1939. Morris is buried at the Masonic Cemetery in Prescott.

There are no longer any Goldwaters living in Prescott. Howey Hall is gone; on its site is City Hall. City Hall has a cornerstone stating that the building was dedicated by Sen. Barry Goldwater in 1962. The Studio Theater (nee Goldwater Building), once at the southeastern corner of Union and Cortez streets, is gone. It is currently the area of the basketball court owned by First Baptist Church. The Otis Building still stands at the northeast corner of Union and Cortez streets, and has had a number of different owners since the Goldwater days. In January of this year, workers removed an awning on the front of the Otis Building to reveal the old "Goldwater's" name, which appears to be the remainder of a neon sign.

Even with most remnants of their presence in Prescott gone, memories of the Goldwater family and their importance in Prescott history still linger in town. Interested in more on the Goldwaters? "The Goldwaters of Arizona" by Dean Smith (1986) is recommended reading.

The four articles on the Goldwaters were written by Dr. Ken Edwards, a volunteer in the Sharlot Hall Museum Library & Archives, museum docent and a tour guide for the Prescott Chamber of Commerce.

Sharlot Hall Museum/Courtesy photos
The Goldwater store in the Otis Building (above, circa 1940) on the northeast corner of Union and Cortez streets opened in 1937 and is the location that most of today’s Prescottonians remember. In January 2012, workers removed an awning on the front of the Otis Building to reveal the old Goldwater’s marquee (below), which appears to be the remainder of a neon sign.