Sign In
Free Newsletter
Times Past: Hotel Westward Ho
At the gala celebration for the opening of the newly constructed, $2.5 million ($29.6 million when adjusted for inflation), Hotel Westward Ho, recently elected Gov. John C. Phillips was asked to speak. He said, "I am not a great man and I have never done great things. With your friendship and cooperation and the assistance of Divine Providence, however, I sincerely hope that I will make you a good[...]
Geronimo’s Autobiography
In his autobiography, Geronimo told about the lifestyle and beliefs of his people, the Bedonkohe, who lived in the mountains along the eastern border of Arizona. He said he was born in 1829 near the headwaters of the Gila River.
Arizona Governor’s Mansion
The Governor’s Mansion in Prescott was built for $6,000 and was the meeting place for the first Territorial Legislature in 1864. Today it serves as the Sharlot Hull Museum.
Baseball in the Old Pueblo, c. 1908
These are the members of Drachman’s Elysian Grove baseball team in Tucson. Standing left to right are Frank “Pancho” Navarro, Emanuel “Manny” Drachman (team captain and catcher), Herb Drachman, William... […]
The Dons and Doñas
Barry Goldwater, Carl Hayden and Ernest McFarland were members. So was President Harry S. Truman. Members of this group, the “Dons of Arizona,” are dedicated to exploring and preserving the history, legends and lore of Arizona and the Southwest.
Buffalo Bill comes to Phoenix
William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody was born near Davenport, Iowa, on Feb. 26, 1846. In 1860, at age 14, he joined the Pony Express which advertised for “expert riders willing to risk death daily.” During the Civil War, he served as a scout and enlisted soldier, and at age 21 was hired by the Kansas Pacific Railroad to hunt buffalo that would be used to feed construction crews. In 17 months, he[...]
Alianza Hispano-Americana
During the mid to late 19th century, Mexicans and Anglos were living side-by-side in many cities and towns throughout the Southwest. In Tucson, the first Anglos settled during the 1850s. They enjoyed a close association with their Hispanic neighbors, both socially and in business, and intermarriage was more common than not. During the 1870s, as the Anglo population rapidly increased, racial tensio[...]
Postcard King of the West
Perhaps it was fate that Burton Frasher, who would eventually be eulogized as the “Postcard King of the West,” was born in 1888 — the very same year that George Eastman coined the word “Kodak” and the slogan “Kodak as you go” for his new mass market camera.
Stick ’Em Up… Just Kidding
George Smalley, editor of the Tucson Citizen, staged this photograph with the outlaw Billy Stiles in 1900. Smalley had sympathy for outlaws and a dislike for the local sheriff.
Arizona School of Music, 1907
According to one historian, people thought this music school would be a failure because it was built “too far from the business section of the city.”
Times Past: Campfire Comrades
Evenings spent around a campfire often warm the body. The fire glow can also warm the soul as friendships are formed and deepened. In some cases, romances start, business pacts are arranged and plots are hatched. Three memorable campfires, with lasting impact to Arizona, are recalled here.
Marvel Crosson and the Powder Puff Derby
Women had been flying airplanes since the early days of aviation, and by 1928, they had also piloted balloons, parachuted out of disabled planes, served as their own mechanics, set altitude and speed records, wing-walked and barnstormed. But they hadn't yet raced airplanes.
