167 - Alice E. Mackin, 10 Jul, 1988, Transcript: No and Digitized: Yes
Interviewee: Alice Ellin Mackin (b. 03/31/1916 – d. 01/07/2007)
Interviewer: Zoe Blaine
Audio Number: 167
Duration: 00:35:14
Date: July 10, 1988
Acquisition Number: ACC#
Topics Discussed: Groom Creek stage stop; Mackin children (Evelyn, George, Emmett, Joe, Edward (died at 6 weeks) Lester Mary and Alice); Father’s death; Senator Mine; White Cloud Mine; Bennett family; Goldwater Lake; Mackin Acres; Peter, Joseph, Owen and James Mackin; Cripple Creek, Colorado; St. Joseph’s Academy; Grant Bennett; Eddie Andrews; Mrs. Otto Land; Mrs. Stanley Day; Schemmer family; Orthell Brothers; Ensminger’s Soda Fountain; Jack Whitney; Hassayampa Inn; Ferrell Archer, Earl Passmer & Howard Duvall; Night Cap; Green Frog Café; Floyd Motor Company; Bishop Liquor Distributors; Coffee Cup Café; Baptist Camp; Lennox Maternity Home; JC Penney; Bob Gilmore; Bruno Rizzuniko; Albuquerque.
Time Topic /Subject Discussed
00:00:47 Born 03/31/1916 – Groom Creek, AZ
00:00:52 Born at the old original stage stop
00:01:00 8 children in the family
00:01:07 3 girls 5 boys
00:01:21 Alice was the last child
00:01:23 Mackin Children :
Evelyn, George, Emmett, Joe, Edward (died at 6 weeks) Lester Mary and Alice
00:01:52 All children born in Groom Creek
00:02:03 Father was a miner
00:02:09 Operated stage stop and saloon
00:02:11 Was also a teamster
00:02:14 Hauled heavy duty equipment to the mine
00:02:23 Father was killed in 1919
00:02:33 Senator Mine
00:02:37 White Cloud Mine
00:02:42 Out Senator Highway by Groom Creek
00:02:55 Was hauling mine equipment
00:02:58 Accident happened on Senator Road
00:03:15 Hauling a big boiler
00:03:26 Chain broke
00:03:33 Father tried to jump from wagon
00:03:37 Caught foot in wheel – ran over him and crushed him from the waist down
00:03:45 Lived for about 3 days
00:03:48 Dad died on his 50th birthday at Mercy Hospital
00:04:06 Mother was a Bennett
00:04:11 Was born where Lake Goldwater is now
00:04:19 Bennett family had a ranch there
00:04:26 Father came from County Armagh, Ireland 1900’s
00:04:30 Met mother and married in 1902
00:04:34 Bough Mackin Acres, Groom Creek
00:04:46 Father and 4 brothers came from Ireland
00:05:02 Father Peter Mackin, brothers – Joseph, Owen, and James Mackin
00:05:14 All came from Ireland – ship “Majestic”
00:05:16 1900
00:05:25 Father and brother Joe went to Cripple Creek, Colorado
00:05:36 Jim Mackin went on to California
00:05:41 Became first postmaster of Los Angeles, California
00:05:45 Brother Owen became lawyer, lived in Chicago, Illinois
00:06:00 Father and brother stayed in Cripple Creek, Colorado
00:06:13 Moved to Prescott
00:6:16 Both lived in Prescott until death
00:06:27 After father’s death, mother sent George and Evelyn to board at St. Joseph’s Academy
00:06:47 Uncle Kim supported with tuition
00:06:56 Rest of family stayed in Groom Creek
00:07:01 Mother had cattle, chickens, rabbits
00:07:04 Gardened and canned
00:07:13 At one time family owned all of Groom Creek
00:07:19 During hard times would sell off the land
00:07:23 1st sale went to Mormon Church – Upper Groom Creek
00:07:34 Had a dance hall
00:07:40 Mother and Uncle Grant Bennett build dance hall
00:07:46 Dances on Saturday nighty
00:07:50 All Groom Creekers would come
00:08:06 Made a little money
00:08:16 Moved to Prescott – first home is now West Yavapai Rehab Thrift Store on Montezuma
00:08:46 Mary, Lester and Alice went to school at St. Joseph’s Academy
00:08:52 Eddie Andrews – taught Alice to read
00:09:14 Eddie’s father had a cigar street on Cortez Street
00:09:22 Alice – 1st to 6th grade at St. Joseph’s Academy
00:09:37 Lived in town in winter, sometimes
00:09:40 Sometimes lived at Groom Creek
00:09:50 1 room schoolhouse at Groom Creek
00:09:55 Mrs. Otto Land
00:10:01 Lived in Groom Creek
00:10:10 Mrs. Stanley Day – previous teacher
00:10:23 Brother – Fren Schemmer
00:10:47 Gertrude (Schemmer)Day was teacher at that time
00:10:54 Had to walk in the snow
00:11:07 1 room schoolhouse
00:11:15 Brother was first to leave
00:11:24 Brother George was a ranger at Cherry Creek for 15 years
00:11:31 Sister Evelyn worked at Head Lumber Company
00:11:43 Worked for Mr. Orthell
00:11:44 Orthell Brothers
00:11:46 Worked for 28 years
00:11:57 Les stayed at the ranch
00:12:09 Les worked at Ensminger’s Soda Fountain
00:12:16 Les and Jack Whitney used to run soda fountain
00:12:28 Les an Jack moved root beer stand from where Dinner Bell is to Old Mill location
00:13:03 Wheels still embedded in the steps
00:13:18 Les married
00:13:26 Bartender and bar manager at Hassayampa
00:13:40 Worked at Green Frog Café during war years
00:13;43 1945 – Les and Ferrell Archer bought the Night Cap
00:14:10 Corner of Miller Valley and Hillside
00:14:30 End of town
00:14:42 Sold share to Ferrell Archer
00:14:48 Took over faigrounds
00:14:50 Ran fairgrounds for over 20 years
00:14:58 Put in race track
00:15:06 Jalopy Races – late 1930s
00:15:21 Built stables
00:15:24 Built Mackin building
00:15:41 Died June 1982
00:16:00 Never left Prescott
00:16:28 Uncle Emmet – “Mac” – trucker
00:16:40 Mac and his wife lived on Alarcon Street
00:16:44 Had a son – Emmett born in 1935
00:17:00 Mac lived in Bell CA
00:17:08 Mac and wife separated – Mac came back to Prescott
00:17:27 Mack died in 1950’s
00:17:48 Joe – Mechanic for Floyd Motor Company
00:17:56 Corner of Goodwin and Montezuma
00:18:06 Moved to Ash Fork
00:18:08 Worked for State Highway Shop
00:18:15 Died
00:18:27 George lived in Tucson, San Francisco then Prescott – worked for Bishop Liquor Distributors during World War II.
00:18:55 George and wife Marie (Etherton) moved to San Francisco
00:19:13 Both worked for the ship yards
00:19:45 Mother married Claude Clyburn
00:19:50 Alice was 7 when mother remarried in 1922
00:20:12 Mother lived in Groom Creek
00:20:25 Claude was a cook
00:20:28 Worked for Yavapai County Sheriff’s office, Arizona Pioneer’s Home and Yavapai Hospital
00:20:52 1937 – Alice married Walter LeGrande Moll
00:21:07 Walter was from Wellington, Kansas
00:21:19 Came with CC camp to Prescott in 1933
00:21:26 Worked as a bell boy at the Hassayampa Inn for Ralph Hooker
00:21:33 Ferrell Archer was also a bell boy at the Hassayampa Inn
00:21:44 Earl Passmer and Howard Duvall also bell boys
00:21:57 Hassayampa Inn was built in 1928
00:22:06 Lived at 150 N. Alarcon Street then
00:22:16 Mother would rent a big house then take in roomers and boarders
00:22:30 1930’s parents owned restaurant – Coffee Cup Café
00:22:31 Was in building where current West Yavapai Guidance Thrift Store is now
00:22:53 1930 lived on Marina Street
00:23:09 December 1930 - temperature was 26 below and lots of snow
00:23:38 Schools were not closed
00:23:50 Walk in Ice Box
00:24:05 Step dad broke off 100 pound icicles to keep meat fresh
00:24:37 Groom Creek property is still in the Mackin family
00:24:42 Late 1930’s Uncle Jim Mackin had property where the Ideal Mine was
00:25:09 Uncle Jim died and left Mackin children 4 acres apiece (32 acres total)
00:25:17 After mother died, Baptists wanted property
00:25:29 Had property surveyed
00:25:44 Sold property
00:25:55 Baptist camp in Groom Creek is there now
00:26:12 Joe Mackin’s daughter still has some property
00:27:10 Anita Mackin 00:27:50 Indian hung
00:28:56 Hung on Indian Reservation
00:29:08 Alice’s daughter Barbara was born 09/1940
00:29:28 Born on Mt Vernon – Lennox Maternity Home
00:29:51 Moved to California 12/1940 – Barbara 3 months old
00:29:48 Came back to Prescott 1944 – Divorced husband
00:30:16 1944 – 1st job back in Prescott – JC Penney
00:30:17 43 1/2 cents an hour
00:30:25 Paid room and board to mother and stepfather
00:30:28 Lived on Marina Street
00:30:37 JC Penney was on Gurley
00:30:50 Moved from Cortez Street
00:31:01 Woolworth’s store
00:31:11 Worked for Western Auto on Cortez
00:31:31 Mother passed away November 1945
00:31:43 Went to work for brother and Ferrell Archer at the Night Cap
00:32:09 Mr. Hale – manager of JC Penney
00:32:27 Took sack down to Penney’s and filled with toys for Barbara for Christmas
00:35:14 Black dress with poinsettia
00:33:41 Worked at Night Cap
00:33:42 Night Cap burned down in 1945
00:34:03 Married Bob Gilmore
00:34:19 Ferrell Archer build Ferrell’s Place
00:34:43 Sold to Bruno Rizzuniko (Bruno’s Place)
00:34:49 Ferrell and sister Mary moved to Albuquerque
00:35:09 End of Interview