Description

This image shows a 7x20 foot painted mural representing downtown Prescott before the 1900 Great Fire and was created by artist Charles E. Kemp.  This color mural is based on an original black and white photo of downtown Prescott taken in the late 1890s.

The mural was originally painted in the Pioneer Bank at 108 North Cortez Strreet in Prescott, Arizona, sometime between 1960 and June of 1961.  Charles Kemp came to Prescott in 1958 and died in June 1961.  Later, the Pioneer Bank reproduced the mural as an oversize panoramic reproduction print that they gave to their customers.  This mural was also associated with Great Western Bank at 122 N. Cortez Street and the Norwest Bank Arizona, Prescott Bank.  Today [2000], the color mural hangs inside Wells Fargo Bank at Frontier Village Shopping Center.

Included in the mural left to right along Whiskey Row is the Sam Lee's Resturant & Short Order House, J. L. Fisher General Store, The First Courier Buidling, Sam Hill Hardware Store, Robert Connell Wholesale & Retail Liquor, D. Levy & Company Groceries, Palace Bar, Cabinet Saloon, Tough's Hose Cart Stand, Kearney's, Hotel Burke. 

In background from left to right is J. W. Wilson Clothing, E. A. Kastner Co., Bashford-Burmister Company & General Store, R. H. Burmister & Son, Sazarac Saloon with baths, M. H. Smith's Meat Market, Bone's Cigars Shop, Aitken & Robinson Cigar Store, George Cook Jewelry Store and Brisley's Drug Store.  The second Yavapai County Courthouse (torn down in 1915) is right of center and just right of the courthouse is the Bank of Arizona building (established in 1877), C. C. Bean Mining building, The Hawkins Building, an unidentified office building and the Otis Building Groceries.