Tragic Market Return Address
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Unknown Unknown 1100-2023-1601.jpg Days Past Color 1100-2023-1901 1100-2023-1901 Print 5x7 Media May 12, 1886 Reproduction rights are not available. Owned by another institution.Description
Tragic Market return address on a registered letter, 1886.
From 1880 and for more than four decades, J. (Josiah) Q. Stephens was a prominent rancher and businessman as well as a mine developer in Yavapai County. In 1880 Stephens moved his family to Prescott from Roseburg, Oregon, driving 160 head of horses and mules.
According to J.Q.'s son Joe, interviewed in the February 21, 1947 Yavapai County Messenger, the demand for the stock was high and quickly sold, allowing them to buy cattle ranches. Stephen’s first purchase was the 7-Up ranch at Camp Wood. The Head and Lincoln outfit, the 5-Bar, the Diamond and a Half, and the Long Meadow were ranches that Stephen’s operated in Williamson Valley.
By 1886 Stephens had purchased a meat market in Prescott. An ad in the January 13, 1886 Arizona Weekly Journal-Miner indicated that The Tragic Meat Market was located on Gurley Street between Montezuma Street and Granite Street. (Author unable to find out why the meat market was referred to as “tragic”.) The store sold fresh and salt meats as well as sausages of all kinds. Cash was paid for cattle and sheep, hides and pelts. Meat was delivered free of charge to all parts of the city and Whipple.
“The Tragic Market and J. Q. Stephens” are the return address names on an envelope with a May 1886 Prescott, Arizona postmark. Stephens, the current owner of The Tragic Market, had recently bought out his partner Douglass. In fact, Mr. Stephens was still using old Douglass and Stephens stationery and crossing out Douglass’ name.
Stephens had borrowed money from Marks to buy the store and according to the enclosed letter accompanying a payment on his debt, he was excited about the prospect of the railroad coming to Prescott. “We are going to have a branch R.R. to our city and we will have a boom. I have a nice little business here, but it does cost so much to live. I have never been able to build me a house, but have been paying rent ever since I have been in Arizona but I think I will come out all right after a while. I am very near half a hundred.”
Courtesy of Marjory Sente.
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