By Mick Woodcock 

"What's in a name?," asked Shakespeare's Romeo. Twentieth century people ask a version of that when they visit Sharlot Hall Museum's Fort Misery. "Why is it called that?" they query. This brings out a fairly long response from the Musuem docent relating the history of one of its owners and his hospitality. Along with this is the fact that the building has nothing to do with military history at all. The truth about Fort Misery's name makes an interesting anecdote involving another the of the Museum's buildings, the Governor's Mansion.

By Edward and Diane Stasack 

Liar or Legend? No one has said that Captain William F. Drannan (1832-1913), Chief of Scouts, was a fictional character, just that he was a liar. So suggests Harvey L. Carter, author of one of the most authoritative books on Kit Carson. In his book Dear Old Kit, Carter asserts, "what was narrated as fact by [this man] was actually a tissue of lies."

By Pat Atchison 

The flu. Nobody wants it. Everyone tries to keep from getting it. We have all used it as a reason for missing work, school or a meeting.  In the fall of 1918, an influenza epidemic struck the United States with a force that was never again equaled. It had raged through Europe in May, June and July before reaching the U.S. Commonly called "Spanish Influenza," its place of origin was never officially determined.

By Warren Miller 

Left allemande and a right hand grand. 
Plant your taters in a sandy land, 
And promenade back to the same old stand. 

Square dancing, a distinctly American tradition with ancient roots in European and British Isles dancing, has been a part of the Prescott scene since its founding in 1864. It continues to provide fun, exercise, and a wonderfully pleasant opportunity to enjoy the company of friends to hundreds of Prescott area folks. The driving, toe-tapping fiddle music that it is danced to has also been with us since the earliest settlers came West.

By Elisabeth Ruffner 

This is the first of two articles regarding these City Recorder's Notes.  Please read "City Recorder Keeps Prescott Posted of Early Times - Part 2," published on November 22, 1997 and in the SHM Days Past Archives.  The notes for these articles are about the Prescott City Council, 1876 to 1885. The unknown writer of these minutes kept his journal on the back of the Bashford-Burmister Company's invoice forms.

It was ever thus.. 

In the spirit of poking a little gentle fun at ourselves, the following has been excerpted from the notes of an unknown diligent recorder who created a list of city council (or precedent body) actions typed on invoice forms of The Bashford-Burmister Company, Wholesale and Retail Dealers in Groceries, Mining Supplies, Dry Goods, Hardware, Boots and Shoes, etc. The following excerpts are copied "as is" from the notes, including spelling errors: 

By Richard Gorby 

This is the second of two articles regarding Governor Conrad Zulick.  You may want to read "Territorial Governor Conrad Zulick had His Share of Trouble - Part 1," published on September 6, 1997 in the SHM Days Past Archives, before reading this article.

Conrad Meyer Zulick, the seventh Territorial Governor of Arizona and the first Democrat, arrived in Prescott, the capitol, in October of 1885, a few days after his dramatic midnight escape from jail in Nacozari, Sonora, Mexico.  He was greeted warmly. On October 24, from John Marion, editor of the Arizona Miner: 

By Richard Gorby 

This is the first of two articles regarding Governor Conrad Zulick.  Please also read "Arizona's Governor Zulick Fell into Political Disfavor - Part 2" published on September 13, 1997 in the SHM Days Past Archives.

Arizona has had its problems with governors recently, and it might help to know that it has happened before.  Conrad Meyer Zulick, the seventh Territorial Governor of Arizona, was removed from office before his term was over and was mentioned by the press in this, and many worse ways:

By Richard Gorby 

In 1864 Prescott, the capital of the new Territory of Arizona was surrounded by pine trees. However, the town's first real building, Michael Wormser's store at the southwest corner of Goodwin and Montezuma, was made of adobe. That paradox ended immediately with the arrival of Alfred Osgood Noyes and his sawmill.  Soon Prescott became a town of wood, not of adobe.

By Jody Drake and Michael Wurtz 

Vaudeville is as old as humanity, and in one form or another will endure as long as people seek laughter, good tunes, mystification and surprise. Often presented at the Elks Theater, it was a boost to the spirit and a temporary escape from fear, anxiety and pain. Prescott, like America, lost a rich mine of humor as vaudeville went from two-a-day to one daily showing, down to a weekly, and lastly, to a rare event presented by a local civic organization. 

By Sylvia Neely 

In the summer of 1973, Dr. Kenneth Walker, Superintendent of the Prescott Public Schools, suggested that an outdoor laboratory be incorporated into the design and construction of the new junior high school. The lovely twenty-two acre site was established on Williamson Valley Road, one-fourth mile north of Iron Springs Road, adjacent to what is now Granite Mountain Junior High. The property was purchased by the school district at a cost of $90,000.