By Susan Cypert

The hospital situation in Prescott when Dr. Florence “Pat” Yount was practicing was not good. In 1878 the sisters of St. Joseph built the first hospital in town for miners, but it only lasted until 1885 when Bishop Bourgade had them turn it into a school. In the 1890’s the Sisters of Mercy founded a small hospital in a vacant house, then built a larger, more modern facility in 1903, which burned down in 1940. Many women in town opened their homes to patients, especially pregnant women from rural communities who came into town close to their due dates. In fact, Florence herself gave birth to her son, John Edward Yount, at the home of registered nurse Catherine Lennox on September 6, 1940.

By Susan Cypert

Dr. Florence Brookhart Yount’s work as the first licensed woman physician in Prescott touched and shaped many lives for over 30 years.

According to Elisabeth Ruffner, her greatest gift was that “She received each person as if their interests were her only one… even in the most harried of times.” “Dr. Pat” is still remembered by many in Prescott as the lady doctor who delivered “Grade A” babies, eventually delivering whole families and subsequent generations of their babies.

By Stan A. Lehman
As told to his sister, Carolyn Lehman Elfelt

Stan Lehman grew up in a rodeo town, Abilene, Kansas, where the highlight of summer vacation was the Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo. When Stan moved to Prescott in 1971 to practice law, he happily became involved in the Prescott rodeo—the World’s Oldest Rodeo®.    

By Dave Lewis

Previously, we discussed the eruption that formed Sunset Crater and disrupted the lives of native people living east of Flagstaff.
 

Scientists conclude the eruption occurred in the summer of 1085 during monsoon season (based on wind patterns driving ash and cinders) and just before the year’s corn crop was fully ripe (based on corn kernels embedded in lava). As fire, ash, cinder and lava destroyed homes and fields, the people placed fresh corn in the molten rock. Almost certainly, this was an offering to appease the unknown force causing the destruction, and there was little more precious natives could offer than corn.

By Dave Lewis

Normally, Sharlot Hall Museum and some 125 Indian artists would be getting ready for the annual Prescott Indian Art Market at this time of year. However, due to COVID-19, the market has been postponed to September 19-20. Since we are thinking about Indian art and history, Days Past would like to share this two-part story.
 

THE GROUND TREMBLED, A BIG BLACK SMOKE CAME.  And there were people here to witness it and to have their lives affected by it.
 

By Barbara Patton

The last article introduced the architect/designer Mary Colter, who, in the early 20th century, was designer/architect for the Fred Harvey Co. which built hotels and serviced train depots along the route of the Santa Fe Railroad from Chicago to Los Angeles.         
                      
In 1905, Mary designed the Hopi House next to the El Tovar Hotel. In 1914 the Harvey Co. built the scenic Hermit Rim Road from the Bright Angel trailhead along the edge of the Canyon. At the end of this eight-mile wagon road, they wanted a place where visitors could stop and refresh themselves. Hermit’s Rest was Mary’s next assignment.
 

By Barbara Patton

Most everyone in our country is looking forward to a time when we can again travel freely to our favorite vacation spots in and around the United States. Here in Arizona, we have many beautiful places to visit, most notably Grand Canyon National Park.  
    
While the canyon itself is a geological wonder, the park offers other sites to see.  During the early years of tourism to the Grand Canyon, some unique and beautiful manmade buildings were added to help serve the visiting public. Many of these were designed and decorated by the architect/designer Mary Colter - - a woman ahead of her time.
    

By Bob Baker

Public travel in the late 1800’s to Prescott was not for the faint-hearted, nor was it inexpensive. Passengers endured night and day travel with very short stops, in the freezing cold or sweltering heat, with constant dust and not infrequent rain. At times, passengers had to leave the coach and walk when traveling up steep grades, crossing washes or when the coach got bogged down in mud or sand.

By Mick Woodcock

The United States was somewhat slow on the uptake in dealing with the flu pandemic of 1918 as a national health hazard. Part of this may have been because World War I was in full swing.

The Weekly Journal-Miner, November 2, 1918, featured a front-page article with the headline “Spanish ‘Flu’ Claims Many New Victims.” This Associated Press (AP) article from Washington, D.C. dated September 30 stated there were more than 20,000 new cases in army camps from the previous forty-eight hours. There is no mention in the local headlines of the virus in Yavapai County.

By Worcester P. Bong

National Hospital Day was first declared by President Warren G. Harding in 1921 as a way to rebuild American trust in hospitals following the Spanish flu pandemic that claimed more than 675,000 American lives. Celebrated on May 12th (the birthday of famed nurse Florence Nightingale, who helped establish hospital standards during the 1854 Crimean War), it was intended as a day for hospitals to educate the public about medical care.