By Tom Collins

The 16th Territorial Governor, Joseph H. Kibbey, kicked off the 24th Territorial Legislature in 1907 by demanding the abolishment of gambling which he viewed not only as a public evil but also an impediment to statehood for Arizona. He knew he had to improve the territory’s wild reputation before that goal could be accomplished. Two members of the Territorial Council (the upper house) followed Kibbey’s lead by introducing anti-gambling bills.

By Tom Collins

For over four decades (1864-1907) Prescott was a gambler’s paradise. The numerous saloons on Whiskey Row offered not only plenty of liquor, good food and musical entertainment, but also games of faro, poker, keno and the inevitable slot machines.

By Parker Anderson

In 1889, Father Alfred Quetu, pictured last week, came to Prescott to take over Sacred Heart Parish. This would become a turning point for the church in Prescott, as Father Quetu did more to strengthen the local church than any of his predecessors had done.

By Parker Anderson

It is believed that the first Catholic priest to pass through the area that later became Prescott was Father Francisco Garces, of the San Xavier del Bac Mission in Tucson, circa 1776, on his way to minister to the Hopi Indians. Nearly 100 years later, in 1863, tradition holds that Santa Fe Archbishop Lamy celebrated a Christmas Eve Mass with the regiments at Fort Whipple.

By Judy Riggenbach

One of the most notable and respected women of Prescott, Viola Jimulla, was the first Chieftess of the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe. She led the tribe for 26 years.

By Marjory J. Sente

Education has been a priority for the citizens of Prescott for a very long time. One of Prescott’s first public buildings was a log cabin schoolhouse, a replica of which is located on the grounds of Sharlot Hall Museum. St. Joseph’s Academy and the Prescott Free Academy were both established in the 1870s.

by Guy Coates

Between 1876 and 1890, Prescott’s first City Marshal earned a reputation as one of the toughest marshals who ever lived in the West. Although James M. Dodson never garnered the fame of such lawmen as Wild Bill Hickok and Wyatt Earp, those who knew him considered him to be just as brave.

By Stan Brown

Rachel Berry’s 20-year-old son, Wiley, had just been killed by two cattlemen brothers, Zechariah and John Booth, while driving his father’s sheep from St. Johns to the Salt River Valley for winter grazing. Wiley Berry and Juan Vigil, the 16-year-old son of their hired sheepherder, Santiago Vigil, were both shot as they ate breakfast at their sheep camp near Gisela (south of Payson), early on December 22, 1903.

By Stan Brown

As we approach the 100th anniversary of Arizona’s statehood, we are discovering stories of little known events from our state’s beginnings. One of these is about the first woman to be elected to our State House of Representatives and the tragic event that motivated her.

By Charles B. Genung, 1915

(Edited by Parker Anderson and Kathy Krause)

(Charles B. Genung (1839-1916) came to Arizona in 1863 and was involved with the earliest mining in the area around Stanton, Rich Hill, Yarnell and Walnut Grove. He settled in Peeples Valley, was active in civic and community affairs and befriended Sharlot Hall, aiding her in preparing for the establishment of the museum in Prescott. The following is a continuation of his account of gold mining in 1863. He and his partners had just registered their claim, the Montgomery.)