By Ray Carlson

The Pima Villages were an oasis for southern Arizona in the 1850s.  Thanks to irrigation developed over 1200 years, they had water and ample crops, and the Akimel O’odham [formerly called Pima] had a reputation for being reliable and peaceful.  That peacefulness, though, required being treated with respect.  In the 1850s, the Piipaash [formerly called Maricopa] moved near the Akimel O’odham in order to get protection from traditional enemies.  Three hundred Yuma warriors and allies attacked a Piipaash village and set it on fire.  A distress signal to the Akimel O’odham brought several warriors.

By Ray Carlson

When one considers people who warranted recognition for their role in the Civil War in Arizona, George Washington Bowie jumps out.  He became commander of the Union forces for the District of Arizona on January 29, 1864. The fort built at Apache Pass was named to honor him, and before being mustered out Bowie was breveted a Brigadier General.

By Mick Woodcock

In Part 1, last week, we began the story of Russian immigrants, referred to in the newspapers as Molokans, but who called themselves, according to an article in the August 10, 1917 Prescott Journal-Miner, “Holy-Jumpers” or Spiritual Christian Pryguny (the proper Russian term) and disavowed being Molokans.  These were the men whose religious beliefs kept them from registering for military service.  This week we resume the story as the men are reporting to the Federal Court in Phoenix to face the consequences.

By Mick Woodcock

On May 18, 1917, as the United States geared up to go to war in Europe, President Wilson signed the Selective Service Act, which required young men to register for possible military service.  Some men — for a variety of reasons — resisted.  Among them were the Molokans living in the area of Glendale, Arizona. They were a Christian group who had fled Russia to avoid religious persecution. The Molokans were from a sect known as “Jumpers” for their jumping and leaping during worship.
 

By Joe Webster

How many of us played “cowboys and Indians” when we were young?  Did we love the western movies when we could tell the good guys from the bad guys?  I suspect that many of us couldn’t wait for the next installment of the Lone Ranger serial.  The western movie was a staple of movie making since the later part of the 19^th century.  It continues even today.
 

By Murray Smolens

Granite City. Goodwin. Audubon. Gimletville. Azatlan. Long-forgotten Arizona ghost towns? Actually, without the determination of first territorial secretary Richard McCormick and his supporters, one of these could have been of the name of the first territorial capital. Instead, the town was named for a now-obscure 19^th-century historian who never visited the area.
 

By Barbara Patton

Last week’s article left Joseph Walker with his tired and weary men high in the Sierra Mountains facing the formidable Yosemite Valley.  Although they tried, they couldn’t find a way to descend to the valley floor, so they followed the western ridge until they found an Indian path leading down the western side of the mountains.  Now able to find game to fuel their famished bodies and with Walker’s assurances the Pacific Ocean was not far away, the men’s spirits lifted.   

By Barbara Patton

Most Prescott residents know there is a Walker Road named after the man who in 1863 led an expedition up the Hassayampa River in search of gold —  the discovery of which contributed to the founding of Prescott in May 1864.  However, Joseph Rutherford Walker was known for many other accomplishments before he led that last expedition of his career. Most importantly he was a man who garnered great respect from his fellow mountaineers, some of whom became much more famous than the quiet unassuming Joe Walker; although those who knew him proclaimed him one of the best.

By Erik Berg

In popular culture, beer and whiskey are the traditional drinks of the Old West.  I have yet to see a western movie where the grizzled cowboy bellies up to the bar and asks the barkeep to recommend a nice bottle of wine – perhaps something French – that would pair well with venison and biscuits.  But wine was popular too on the western frontier and often promoted by establishments as a mark of quality and distinction.

By Mick Woodcock

When Congress passed the Selective Service Act of 1917, it was in response to an enlistment of 73,000 men when the need was for ten times that amount. The low enlistment rate might have provided a clue as to the popularity of President Wilson’s war, but once the law was enacted, many men enlisted in the branch of their choice rather than waiting to be called up.