By Norm Tessman

"THE MOTHER'S FAREWELL," "CUBA LIBRE!," and "REMEMBER THE MAINE;" Pop culture of the Spanish-American war. 
 

It was a war of images, symbols, and souvenirs, of sabre-rattling slogans and patriotic pins.  It was a time for thundering marches by John Philip Sousa and heart-rending ballads about young men leaving their mothers to go fight in a foreign land.  It was an era of unabashed flag-waving, lurid yellow journalism, and widespread hero worship. 

By Richard Gorby

On the night of February 15, 1898, the Battleship Maine, of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, was riding quietly at anchor in the harbor of Havana, Cuba.  At twenty minutes before ten the Maine was racked with a terrific explosion that shattered window glass in Havana and sent rocket-like fingers of brilliant light skyward from the mangled decks.  In seconds the Maine became a crushed mass of floating wreckage as flames leapt from one ammunition locker to another, causing internal explosions.  In only a few minutes the great ship had sunk, with only her superstructure poking above the water.  She took 263 men with her to their deaths.

By Pat Atchison

The history of Prescott is enriched with many half-truths and errors that make interesting reading but which distort the truth.  James Fleming Parker was the last person hanged in a legal public hanging in Prescott.  Wrong!  All the elements necessary to make a good story were included in The Parker case: cattle rustling; train robbery; the Thompson Gang; a jailbreak; a murder; horse stealing; and a hot pursuit by the well-known sheriff, George Ruffner.  However, his hanging on June 3, 1898, was not the last in Prescott.

By Norm Tessman

It's an icy January evening in mile high Prescott, and the contra crowd arrives in sweaters and winter jackets.  In the old armory on East Gurley Street, a band is warming up, and people chat excitedly as they wait for the dance to start.  Perhaps the only uniformity in dress is that many of the women sport longish floral-print skirts, the better to swirl when you swing.  Guys wear wash pants and cotton shirts, or t-shirts and jeans, with their emphasis on comfort

By Marilys Johnson

If you live in Yarnell you’ve probably seen her – the quiet 85-year-old lady who walks to and from the post office every morning.  You probably didn’t notice her, but don’t take her for granted.  She has contributed much to Arizona, and has many fascinating stories to tell.

By Rob Bates

Printed matter comes to us daily in large doses, and much of it goes unread.  This was hardly the case when territorial secretary Richard C. McCormick brought his Ramage Washington hand press with old, worn, metal type to Ft. Whipple.  Brought from Santa Fe, the path typically taken by these wood and iron heavyweights (1200-1500 lbs.) on their way west, the press' arrival meant that the forces of civilization had reached Prescott, A.T., in January 1864.

By Nancy Burgess

In 1994, Citizens Cemetery was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a part of the Prescott Armory National Register Historic District.  The listing of the cemetery in the National Register affords a certain prestige which can enhance and raise community awareness and pride in the historic value of the property.  The National Register is the Nation's official listing of prehistoric and historic properties worthy of preservation.  The documentation necessary for listing in the Register provides a detailed history of the site, which contains vast amounts of historical information about our community.

By Michael Wurtz

As archivists at the Sharlot Hall Museum we have a responsibility to correct the misinformation that can often plague the community.  My New Year's Resolution is to get Yavapai County residents to understand three things: William O'Neill nickname is "Buckey" with an "e", there is no "False Thumb Butte" in Chino Valley, and there are no tunnels under Prescott.

By Sue Willoughby and Terry Munderloh 

The simple task of preparing meals or doing laundry today is an easy job compared to the travails women faced in the barren and hostile environment of the early west. In addition to providing the basic sustenance's for their families, many of these frontier women made time to spin and weave, make their families' clothes and quilts, teach their children to read and write, feed ranch hands and animals, grow gardens, keep diaries and provided art and culture to the community. 

By Anita Zeller

Memories are a big part of the Christmas season. They link the past with the present, preserving tradition in the heart, as well as the mind.

While memories may not always record history with pinpoint accuracy, they can offer an overall view of a time now gone, and give warm insight into the nature of the person who is recalling and translating the past.