By Stuart Rosebrook, Ph.D.

Stuart Rosebrook, Ph.D. is the Editor of “True West” magazine and the incoming Executive Director of Sharlot Hall Museum. He has written about Edward S. Curtis for “True West” and been an admirer of the photographer’s work for many years.

Over nine decades after Edward S. Curtis published his final volume of The North American Indian, A Series of Volumes Picturing and Describing the Indians of the United States and Alaska(TNAI), no other photographer has attempted an artistic and literary project of such magnitude. While not financially successful for Curtis, his 20-volume project is regarded today as one of the most important photographic and ethnographic records of the Indigenous people of North America. As historian Larry Len Peterson notes in his introduction to Edward S. Curtis: Printing the Legends, “Curtis…left behind the greatest photographic publication in American history, TNAI, with each set containing over 2,200 photogravures.”

By Cydney Janssen of the USDA Forest Service (Smokey Bear images used with the permission of the USDA Forest Service)

In 1941, an Imperial Japanese Navy submarine shelled an oil field near Santa Barbara and the Los Padres National Forest. Many experienced firefighters were away fighting in the Second World War and there was widespread concern that wildfires, whether started by America’s enemies at the time, or careless neighbors, could not only ravage the west coast, but become a serious nation-wide problem. Walt Disney allowed animal characters from the popular “Bambi” movie to be used in a successful wildfire prevention poster for one year only. The Forest service’s fire prevention campaign needed a new illustrated animal ambassador.

By Erik Berg

In popular culture, beer and whiskey are the traditional drinks of the Old West. You are unlikely 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 on the western frontier and often promoted by establishments as a mark of quality and distinction. In Prescott the numerous saloons and merchants who advertised in the Weekly Arizona Miner frequently enticed readers with the popular promise of “Wine, Liquor, and Cigars.”

By Worcester P. Bong

If you’ve visited the Bob Stump VA Medical Center campus in Prescott, Arizona, one building (Building 11) stands out among the white buildings around it. It serves as a reminder that the medical center’s campus sits on the grounds of the former Fort Whipple, a US Army post that was established at this site in May of 1864.  Building 11, its exterior painted light yellow with dark green trim, is located along the row of former Officer’s Quarters. Built between 1903 and 1908 and designated as one of six Lieutenant’s Quarters along Officer’s Row when built, it’s home to the Fort Whipple Museum. 

By Kristen Kauffman

In 1912 President Frank L. Wright of the Prescott Power Company had an idea. In the early 20th century, towns hosted chautauquas, a week-long series of lectures and concerts focused on rational and cultural subjects—and one was coming to Prescott. Wright wanted to make the streetcar operational again, but he would need money. He announced how much he previously lost on the streetcar project: $26,000 ($832,347 today). Ten local businessmen put up a $500 bond to get the tracks in order, and the Arizona Power Company agreed to repair the wiring, so the only cost was railway repair and wages for two motormen.

By Marjory J. Sente 

Miss Helen A. McNutt was Prescott’s first woman postmaster (sometimes informally referred to as a postmistress), serving from 1931 to 1936. On April 28, 1931, President Herbert Hoover approved Miss McNutt’s commission as postmaster. Earning $200 a month, an excellent salary at the time, she succeeded Warren F. Day, who remained in the office until May 1 while she wrapped up her secretarial duties at the law firm of Favour and Baker. McNutt was active in the local Business and Professional Women’s Club, holding the position of president at the time of her appointment as postmaster.

By Melanie Sturgeon

On July 23, 1914, Frances Willard Munds (b. 1866 - d. 1948) announced that she would seek nomination for state senator from Yavapai County. This would not have been possible without her dedicated efforts as the leader of the Votes for Women campaign granting Arizona women, in 1912, not only the right to vote but also to run for elected office. This was eight years before the passage of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution.

By Kristen Kauffman

In recognition of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, here's Kristen Kauffman with a reminder of how people dealt with the very different kinds of accidents that occurred in the 1800s…

On February 1, 1873, a Prescott newspaper, the Arizona Miner, reported on a detective chasing a diamond swindler across the country and then to Europe. There were stories about the Arizona Territory erecting schools and selecting instructors and about balls being hosted at townspeople’s houses and in public spaces. Nestled between an article about church services offered in the area and an ad for Wm. B. Hooper & Co. General Merchandise was this article offering advice:

By Brenda Cusick

Can you imagine a well-born woman living in Manhattan during the Victorian era moving to the sparsely populated Hopi Mesas in Northern Arizona? Prescott pioneer Kate Thomson Cory did exactly that in 1905. Cory was a university-trained painter and photographer who taught young ladies during New York’s “Gilded Age” at prestigious Cooper Union College. At a meeting of the Pen and Brush club she met a fellow artist, Louis Akin. He convinced her to travel west and join an artist colony he was putting together at the Hopi Mesas.

By Kristen Kauffman

John P. Bourke (sometimes John T.) served as Yavapai County Sheriff from January 24, 1866, until July 1, 1867. Bourke collected taxes, oversaw the building of a new jail, appointed undersheriffs and oversaw elections. A few times he organized Sheriff’sSales—auctions on the Plaza with proceeds benefiting private owners who couldn’t themselves organize the sale. But some of his other activities read like action-packed westerns.