By Parker Anderson
There is a phenomenon that happens every October as people come to cemeteries to honor their dead ancestors - taphophiles are out in force. What is a taphophile? A taphophile is someone who is interested in visiting old cemeteries and viewing gravestones. Taphophiles do not visit cemeteries to do mischief; their only desire is to explore, learn, and experience the allure of the lore, art, history, and peaceful beauty of cemeteries.
By Ricky Erway
In a previous article we were introduced to Frank Murphy, resourceful entrepreneur and generous philanthropist from the time he arrived in Prescott in 1878. This article focuses on a topic that illustrates the two.
In 1892, he married Ethel Meany and found an enthusiastic partner in philanthropy. Murphy owned 350 acres in the western limits of Prescott. It included what is now Hassayampa Drive, Country Club Drive, around Indian Hill and back over to Coronado Drive, Vista Drive and High Street. Park Avenue led to what he called Murphy Park.
By Barbara Patton
One of Prescott’s early lady pioneers was Alvina Rodriquez Bennett. She and her family migrated from California in 1876. Descended from distinguished Spanish colonists, Alvina’s ancestors were the Vásquez family, who as members of the notable Anza Expedition arrived in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1776. In 1839, Alvina’s grandfather, José Tiburcio Vásquez, received a 4400-acre land grant from the Mexican Government. Today, this land is part of Golden Gate National Park.
Read MoreBy Fred Veil
The Arizona Miner was not the first newspaper published in the geographical area that would become the Arizona Territory. That distinction belongs to the Weekly Arizonian, a Tubac newspaper that first came on the scene in March, 1859, well before the Territory was officially established by the federal government. The Miner, however, was the newspaper most closely identified with the newly established government of the Territory. In fact, its printing press was brought to Arizona by Territorial Secretary Richard McCormick, who set the Miner up for business at the site of the original Fort Whipple near Del Rio Springs in the early months of 1864.
By Debra Matthews
Around 1760, it was common for a young man to commission a portrait miniaturist for a painting of oil on ivory (about 2”) of themselves to be sent to a lady as a marriage proposal; on the reverse would be an elaborate weave of his hair. If the offer was accepted the portrait may be worn by the intended on a chain around the neck or as a bracelet. If the portrait was returned, the engagement was refused. The miniature artist would charge about $20.00 for the portrait, an additional charge of $20.00 for a frame or case and the hair work. Most portrait miniaturist would process all the work themselves.
By Ricky Erway
Frank Morrell Murphy was born in Maine in 1854, raised in Wisconsin, and moved as a young man to Santa Rosa, California, where he worked at a hotel and as a stagecoach driver. He came to Prescott in 1878 when he was 23 years old. He found work in a haberdashery at Thomas Bray & Co and encouraged his brother, Nathan Oakes Murphy, to join him in 1883. Nathan became governor of the Arizona Territory in 1892-1893 and 1898-1902.
By Murray Smolens
Old Bill Williams was in a quandary. It was November 1848; snow was early and deep in the mountains of the West. John C. Frémont, the famous “Pathfinder,” was determined to find a route for a transcontinental railroad through the Rockies. He had already been warned by eastbound travelers not to proceed, but the Pathfinder was stubborn. Unable to find old pal Kit Carson to lead or to persuade any other reliable guide to help, he ran into Old Bill in Pueblo (in present-day Colorado) who was recuperating from a clash with his old friends, the Utes, and their Apache allies. Frémont wouldn’t take no for an answer, double-dog-daring the 61-year-old mountain man into a decision that resulted in disaster.
By Drew Desmond
As Yavapai County grew at the turn of last century, the Old Courthouse had become too small. At a cost of $6000 an addition was constructed, but the old building never had the structural integrity to support it.
As soon as it was married to the Old Courthouse, the new addition seemed to demand an immediate annulment: "The occupants of the new addition to the courthouse...are becoming alarmed for their safety. The entire new addition is becoming detached from the old building, there being a crack...extending from the ceiling to the floor a quarter of an inch wide," the paper reported. One judge refused to even enter the building.
By Bob Harner
After two failed trapping expeditions in present-day Arizona, James Pattie settled into a more sedate (and more lucrative) life with his father, Sylvester, operating the Santa Rita del Cobre copper mines in New Mexico Territory. Unfortunately, this venture also ended in failure when the mine’s assistant manager absconded with most of their money. At the same time, they learned that the Mexican president had ordered all Spanish-born residents to dispose of their property and leave the country. The mine’s Spanish-born owner, who had been renting the mine to the Patties, hoped to sell them the mine. With the loss of their funds, this proved impossible.
By Bob Harner
If you have been following our series on “How Arizona Got on the Map,” you’ll recall that by 1821, the land that would come to be known as Arizona was part of Mexico. There were Spanish-speaking settlements at Tubac and Tucson. North of Tucson the land was largely ungoverned. There were no English-speaking settlements; there was no Anglo presence. Into this void stepped a handful of rugged individualists who cared little for governments or boundaries. These were the “Mountain Men” – men like James Ohio Pattie.
