By Jody Drake
When coyotes howl on a dark night, or wind rustles through the trees, or the moon is casting shadows is all it takes to set the stage for a chilling tale. Sharlot Hall, the founder of the museum bearing her name, was in constant search of life’s truths. She studied all religions and philosophies with a profound desire to understand the pain of existence. Sharlot was once asked why she wrote so much about suffering; she replied “Because there is so much pain and suffering. I tell all the tales I know, tragic or funny if there is truth in them, they are worth relating.”
Sharlot also wrote “I am no genius, no beauty, I have no accomplishments. I find it vastly more comfortable to trust no one but be kind to all and give them as much courtesy and outward friendliness as may be. While keeping them inwardly so far distant that no one thing they do can hurt me much. A selfish thing perhaps or would be if I did not lavishly give kindness. To live at all one must have some wall between one’s heart and the world. It is better to be a little lonely behind the wall than to stand the target of the many arrows outside. In truth I have been vastly better to help people and make things pleasant for them than would have been possible had I cared much about the whole matter myself.”
In her statements, we can begin to understand her complexity and the stories and poems she wrote about the dark side of life. A good example is When Summer Rains Begin. It tells of a young woman in a mud-stained dress, running madly down the river in search of her dead love. The Old Ranch Mother, ends with the haunting words, “I don’t want living folks no more; I only want this hill top and my graves.”
As humans, the dark side is something to be explained and explored. When we cannot explain something, it becomes a mysterious, even scary event. Prescott is rich in its ghost stories. The Hassayampa Inn, Hotel St. Michael, The Hotel Vendome, The Palace and nearly every old building in town claim to have their own hauntings. Any mysterious experience is a captivating subject.
For example, the grave of Angeline Hoagland in the vicinity of Lynx Creek, is said to have a glowing headstone at night. In truth, her headstone was carved from a stone with a luminous quality when struck by light; it appears to glow. Since Angeline’s death in 1889, the legend has persisted and remains strong to this day. No amount of explanation could dispel the haunting stories. Even Sharlot was moved to write a verse for the headstone: “Here lies our baby Angeline for which we weep and do repine. She was all our joy and all our pride until the day our baby died. We hope in heaven again to meet and then our joy will be complete, but until our maker calls us there, we trust her to his righteous care.”
Another strange occurrence stems from a simple accident. An explosion at a sawmill, while tragic and unfortunate, would become a legend of gore and creepiness, often referred to as the rain of body parts. Truth is the source of many mysteries.
On October 24th and 25th at 4:30 p.m., in the Education Center at Sharlot Hall Museum, Jody Drake’s play "Portraits Of Fear" will journey through Prescott’s haunted past. Looking deeper into the fear of the unknown, there is nothing like the reality of the present.
“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.