A Prescott, AZ Weekend

After only 14 hours after returning to our house from my busy East Coast adventure, we were loaded up in our camper and on our way to Prescott, Arizona for the next fun happening.

Prescott was founded in 1864 at the behest of Congress and President Abraham Lincoln in an effort to secure the area's mineral riches for the Union forces during the Civil War, the town was named for historian William Hickling Prescott by the settlers. This was a new place for us so we were excited to learn its history.
Wanting to gain more knowledge bout Prescott and beyond, we headed to Sharlot Hall Museum, named after its founder, Sharlot Mabridth Hall (1870-1943).  Sharlot became well-known as a poet, activist, politician, and Territorial Historian (the first woman to hold a salaried office in Arizona). She was considered one of the West’s most remarkable women and someone I need to read more about.
As early as 1907, Ms. Hall saw the need to save Arizona’s history and planned to develop a museum. She began to collect both Native American and pioneer material. In 1927, she began restoring the first Territorial Governor’s residence and offices to house her extensive collection of artifacts and documents. The Gubernatorial Mansion Museum opened in 1928. After her death in 1943, the museum was re-named in her honor.
It was fun to find a Tahoe connection. John Charles Frémont, the fifth Territorial Governor, and his wife Jessie and daughter Lily rented it as a residence for $90 per month, from 1878 to 1881. The home quickly became the “Governor’s Mansion” in every sense of the word, given Jessie’s guidance and attention-to-detail. The windows were hung with heavy brocade curtains, and thick red carpeting covered the floors. A hand-carved oak fireplace imported from Scotland was installed, and ornate kerosene lamps made of brass and hand-painted glass trimmed with crystal lit the rooms. Loving restored, one could sense the grandeur.

I have a 'thing' for hair wreaths and this one was one of the more elaborate we have seen. WOW.
The first two governors called this log cabin home. In the summer of 1864, workers built this log house as the governor’s home and office. It is the oldest building associated with Arizona Territory still standing on its original location.
Called a “mansion” because it was very upscale and permanent compared to the shanties and tents of the time, it enjoyed a place of prominence in the young community. In the 1920s, thanks to Sharlot Hall, the building was saved and repurposed to hold her collections of historic artifacts.
Today it is furnished based on a letter written by Margaret McCormick and dated April 1, 1866, where she describes “her home.” The Mansion also houses exhibits describing its construction and featuring artifacts found during restoration work in 1981.



Fort Misery is the oldest log building associated with the territory of Arizona. It was originally built two blocks south of the museum on the banks of Granite Creek in 1863-64 by Manuel Yrissari, a trader from New Mexico, to be his home and mercantile. Constructed in haste, its nickname indicates the difficult challenges facing the first residents of this wilderness capital. The crude building served many purposes, including as a store, boarding house, and law office for Judge John Howard. So much history on 11 acres in the middle of Prescott.
When we experienced knowledge intake overload, we left for lunch at Hotel St. Michael. In 1864, Prescott was designated as the inaugural capital of the Arizona Territory. During that era, the town revolved around the notorious "Whiskey Row," where one could encounter dubious characters and legendary figures of the Wild West, such as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday.
Hotel St. Michael has stood as the cornerstone of Prescott’s historic downtown since the late 19th century and is a familiar landmark to locals and tourists alike, an architectural centerpiece proclaiming the history and heritage of its quaint southwestern surroundings. It is also a purveyor of delicious food, preparing us for the rest of our day of exploration.
More history was found at the Western History Center. We were drawn in by these two characters!
It houses a diverse and amazing collection of exhibits covering everything from the Arizona Rangers to the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe.
In the Film History section, I learned of Junior Bonner, starring Steve McQueen and filmed right here in Prescott. This actual phone booth was featured in a pivotal scene with Mr. McQueen.
"Ace Bonner returns to Arizona several years after he abandoned his family, Junior Bonner is a wild young man. Against the typical rodeo championship, family drama erupts." Hmmm.
How about this cactus sun hat? Made from the prickly pear cactus, I am intrigued.
A visit to the Court House Plaza introduced us to the American sculptor, Solon Borglum. He is most noted for his depiction of frontier life, and especially his experience with cowboys and native Americans. This statue is a tribute to the Rough Riders and has been called the finest equestrian statue ever made. Certainly Solon Borglum, to the end of his days, considered it his best work. An interesting sidenote is the fact that Solon is the little brother of Gutzon, the creator of the masterpiece known as Mount Rushmore

Here we also learned more about the tragic loss of the Granite Mountain Hot Shots. The Yarnell Hill Fire was ignited by dry lightning on June 28, 2013. On June 30, it overran and killed 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a group of firefighters within the Prescott Fire Department. The Yarnell Hill Fire was one of the deadliest U.S. wildfires. Heartbreaking reminders are found throughout town.
Smiling in this photo seems wrong. Especially following the story of the tragedy previously mention. We come to cemeteries to pay our respects and learn more about those who have passed before us. The Arizona Pioneers' Home Cemetery was established in 1911, through donations of land from the Simmons family, and Dr. W. E. Day. It built upon an older private cemetery, the Simmons family section, which was established in 1864.

After 'meeting' Sharlot Hall at her museum, a visit to her gravesite was a must.
Another famous woman here was Mary Katherine Horony Cummings (November 7, 1849 – November 2, 1940), popularly known as Big Nose Kate. Kate was a Hungarian-born American outlaw, gambler, prostitute and longtime companion and common-law wife of Old West gambler and gunfighter Doc Holliday. "Tough, stubborn and fearless", she was educated, but chose to work as a prostitute due to the independence it provided her. She is the only woman with whom Holliday is known to have had a relationship and Prescott was the last town in which she lived.
And what do these two women have in common? Besides the fact that they both lived in Prescott at the same time, both women died here at the Arizona Pioneers' Home. The Arizona Pioneers' Home, also known as the State Hospital for Disabled Miners, is a retirement home established to provide housing for early Arizona pioneers. The home is operated and funded by the state of Arizona.
In the early 20th century, the idea for a retirement home in the Arizona Territory originated with three prominent Arizonans who thought that Arizona should provide a rest home for aging settlers who moved to Arizona to help establish the area. To design the building, a female architect was selected: W.S. Elliott of Prescott. The three-story retirement home, built of brick with wooden porticos, was completed at a cost of $25,000, in 1911.
When first built, the rest home could hold 40 men. It was open to destitute men who were at least 60 years old and who had been living in Arizona for 25 years. In 1916, a private endowment provided for expansion with a women's wing added to house 20 women. The building was opened to disabled miners in 1927.
Today, the expanded complex of buildings can hold 155 residents. Its operating expenses are provided mainly by about $5 million each year from the state, and by some residents who pay a portion of their own care. Applicants must have lived in Arizona for 50 years. Residents who died were buried in the previously visited Home's cemetery. It is incredible where history can be found.
Home for the next three nights is at Watson Lake, one of two reservoirs at the Granite Dells, here in Prescott, that was formed in the early 1900s when the Chino Valley Irrigation District built a dam on Granite Creek. The City of Prescott bought the reservoir and surrounding land in 1997 to preserve it as recreational land and we're so glad it did. It's gorgeous here.
Just look at our campsite.
After settling in, we headed to the lakeshore and were thoroughly impressed.


So why Prescott? We're here for a fundraising weekend called The Big Sting: It's a Country Thing. This exciting event combines the best of country music with the thrill of camping in the great outdoors. The festival features top-notch country music acts, delicious food and drinks, and plenty of activities for all ages. With multiple stages and a diverse lineup, there’s something for everyone at the Big Sting Country Music Campout Festival Weekend.
How amazing is this setting?


This first night was a private party just for people who were camping at the festival. It was an acoustic jam session with four fabulous song writers: Kevin Rueb, John King, Whitney Lusk and Matt Farris. The spent the evening telling stories and just entertaining the boots off of us all.
“Words make you think a thought.
Music makes you feel a feeling.
A song makes you feel a thought.”
– E.Y. Harburg

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