By David Perkins

Some diseases and medical emergencies in early Prescott could be taken care of with home remedies and treatments. Other circumstances needed intervention and were much more serious. Along with venereal diseases and drug addictions, smallpox was another scourge of frontier towns.

Since the early 1800s, and perhaps earlier, there had been a well used foot trail between the Prescott/Verde area of the Arizona Territory and the Colorado River. By the mid-1880s, this footpath had developed into a well traveled and maintained wagon road for freight wagons moving to and from Fort Mohave, established in April of 1859 on the east side of the river, 7 miles south of present day Bullhead City. The fort provided protection against the Indians for California immigrants traveling across the Beale Wagon Road in northern Arizona Territory.

By Susan Jones

On August 1, 1896 the Prescott Journal Miner published the following obituary: "May Ackerman, better known as ‘Diamond May’ died suddenly this morning at her room on Granite Street. A few months ago this unfortunate woman figured in the noted diamond robbery of this city, being the victim and losing it is said several thousand dollars in precious stones in that crime. Her sad ending this morning surrounded by vice and nurtured to the last in extreme poverty, disclosed a life that has surrounded it that which only a courtesan knows. Several years ago she fell through the influence of her womanly charms, and in her conquests became somewhat noted in many places of the east as well as the west, drifting with the tide however until wrecked in the gulf of despair and dissolution. She leaves a sister to mourn her loss and will be laid away tomorrow in citizen’s cemetery."

By Tom Collins

In September 1883, a Prescott newspaper reported sadly that "Hon. A.L. Moeller, one of our oldest citizens, has been in poor health, suffering from indigestion, etc., which has culminated in rendering the subject helplessly insane." Although he had sought medical treatment in San Francisco, it was to no avail and he returned to Prescott in July 1883 "in good spirits, but quite morose." Soon he grew worse, talking wildly upon "all kinds of visionary subjects." His life was nearing its end.

By Guy Coates

Taylor T. Hicks, Sr. graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in dentistry in the spring of 1933 and by September he had returned to Prescott, his hometown, to open his dental practice. A few months later he married his longtime sweetheart, Frances Lodge.

By Guy Coates

Dr. Taylor T. Hicks, Sr. was a man of high energy, firm vision and extraordinary ideals and lived a life filled with amazing achievements. He was highly revered for his boundless zest and dedication to community service.

By Carol Powell

"Ma Hutch" died in her sleep in Tucson, AZ at the age of 98 on February 19, 1991. She was a tough-minded Democratic Arizona legislator who fought "for the poor, the little people," a blackjack-packing child of the frontier who was the third woman ever to serve in the Arizona House of Representatives. "Ma Hutch" served nine terms from 1953 to 1972.

Written by H.C. Hodge as told by Michael DeHay

(Edited by Parker Anderson)

(On January 14, 1876 Michael DeHay was legally hanged for the murder of his wife in Cerbat, Mohave County, Arizona. Shortly before, the Miner newspaper in Prescott sent reporter H.C. Hodge to Cerbat to interview DeHay and extract a statement from him. DeHay’s confession was printed in the Miner on January 21, 1876. It is reprinted, in full, here. – ed)

By Stan Brown

(Today is the 98th anniversary of Arizona Statehood. The first Governor of the new State of Arizona was George W. P. Hunt, who was a very controversial, polarizing figure in his lifetime, but is remembered today as one of Arizona’s great pioneers.)

By Judy Stoycheff

By 1933, the Eagle Drug Store had been relocated to the northwest corner of Gurley and Cortez Streets where it would remain until 1981. A collection of old medicine bottles, tins and tubes were saved and recently resurfaced when donated to the Sharlot Hall Museum. The majority of the donated bottles are well labeled, either by paper label or the glass bottle was embossed or both. The contents were "patent" medicines and not prescription medications. The manufacturers basically kept their ingredients secret and actually patented them.