[News on the Society and Historical Activities around the State]Source: Arizoniana, Vol. 2, No. 2 (SUMMER 1961), pp. 39-44Published by: Arizona Historical SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41700553 .

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ARIZONI AN A 39

fiery chollas , and dressed in the usual tarantula-hide costume, each carrying three Winchester rifles, half a dozen muchacha knives and a couple of self- cocking tortillas . . . Selecting the junta of the town - a harmless old man - as the victim of their after- noons' sport, they fastened him with their rawhide frijoles to the limb of a stately ocatilla and commenced firing their tortillas at him, until his clothes were riddle with tómales , several of which grazed the skin. They then drank up all the whiskey in town, mounted their chollas and rode off to their mountain stronghold, under the hanging wall of an ore chute.

The Yuma Republican, Thursday, January 22, 1885.

A dispatch from Yuma to Sunshine and Silver makes one wish the fool killer would visit this section. It

speaks of the arrival of troops who are on the look out for the Mexican bandits, and closes with these words: "It is feared that an attempt may be made to liberate some pals who are incarcerated in the territorial prison." Now if there is any one thing more to be hoped than feared, it is just such a course on the part of the mutineers. The penitentiary is in an isolated posi- tion, and a surprise could easily be effected - that is, the attacking party would be buried in consterna- tion in about three revolutions of a buzz-saw. By all means let the Mex- icans bandits try to liberate their comrades. The Lowell battery gun at the penitentiary is in fine working order, and in the hands of its efficient manipulator can do a great deal to- wards making the surprise thorough and complete.

THE ARIZONA PIONEERS' HISTORICAL SOCIETY ENTERS NEW ROLE.

At the beginning of 1960, commen- surate with a national rebirth of inter- est in restoration throughout the na- tion, Mr. Harold Steinfeld, President of this Society, inaugurated an im- portant new activity of the society: the preservation of historic sites. Through the years, a host of Tucson - ans as well as thousands of friendly winter season visitors to Tucson, have decried the irreclaimable loss of many examples of early territorial architec- ture.

Modern business and new construc- tion has forced leveling of much of the heritage of the West. Tucson is such an example. The growing pub- lic appreciation for valuable histori- cal restoration is a heartening signal to those wishing to act before it is finally too late.

A committee under the direction of Mrs. Emery C. Johnson, appointed by

the Society's President, selected as the first site for preservation, the Charles O. Brown residential property of 1868 - known today as the Old Adobe Patio, at 40 West Broadway. Charles O. Brown arrived in Tucson in 1858. He was a property holder, influential citizen, best known as the owner of the famed "Congress Hall" of 1868; a

The Adobe Patio, 40 West Broadway , Tucson

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40 ARIZONIANA

deluxe saloon and meeting place of that day for both social and govern- mental events.

The residential property of the Brown family is an historic site great- ly admired in Tucson. Today, it houses a thriving restaurant, art gal- lery and arts and crafts shops; an at- tractive meeting place for Tucsonans. Thousands of tourists are delighted at visiting this popular lone remaining typical territorial residence of the 1860's, which exists in the center of this city.

The sites committee found that this property was owned by Miss Eliza- beth Congdon who, as a far-sighted consistent winter visitor and long time Tucson property owner, had purchased the site many years ago in order to prevent its destruction. Through the years Miss Congdon had kept the property in fine repair and restoration. Now the property was again endangered and marked for total destruction by an Urban Re- newal Program of the City Council. Miss Congdon was contacted and ad- vised of the Society's efforts in behalf of the preservation of the Old Adobe. Many calls were made upon public of- ficials and thousands of names were obtained on petitions which expresed requests for preservation.

The Committee had hoped to ef- fect preservation by city proclama- tion, a recommended procedure by other cities that had been contacted

by the Committee over many months of correspondence. Upon learning the chances of success were remote by this procedure, Miss Congdon was advised that only by deed to the So- ciety as a state institution, could the site be preserved. At the same time, Dr. Emil Haury, Director of the Ari- zona State Museum and member of our Committee, agreed to certify this property as an historic site that should be preserved. This was accomplished under the 1960 Antiquities Act of the State of Arizona, that made possible this permanent addition to the Ameri- can heritage of the Southwest.

Miss Congdon, whose home is in Minnesota, came to Tucson, con- ferred with Members of the Commit- tee and Board Members of the So- ciety. She expressed appreciation for the work of the Arizona Pioneers' Historical Society and paid them the fine compliment of a deed to the property.

The Arizona Pioneers' Historical Society will this coming year confer upon Miss Elizabeth Congdon its highly coveted Honorary Membership for her perception, foresight and gen- erosity to her fellowman.

V

WANTED The Society badly needs back issues of these magazines and journals. We would ap- preciate your gifts of copies for use in the Archives by researchers: American Anthropologist Journal of American Folklore American Heritage McClures Magazine American Historical Review Military Collector and Historian Catholic Historical Review Mississippi Valley Historical Review Century Magazine Montana: The Magazine of Western History Civil War History National Geographic County Museum Quarterly, Los Angeles Natural History County Museum Overland Monthly Harpers New Monthly Pacific Historical Review Hispanic American Historical Review Scribners Magazine Historical Society of So. Calif. Southwestern Historical Quarterly Quarterly 1954-1961 The Historian

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HISTORIC SITES COMMITTEE

During the Second Annual Arizona Historical Convention, a special meet- ing of the Executive Council of the Historic Sites Committee was held. Progress reports for the various coun- ties were summarized and plans made to stimulate those areas lagging be- hind. Some county and city survey teams are 90% finished with their in- spection and recording of historic sites, trails and locations. With this in mind the council made some specific recommendations regarding the mark- er program. A plan for close coop- eration in accordance with current state legislation is being formulated with the Arizona Development Board, the Arizona State Parks Board and the Arizona Department of Library and Archives. As soon as possible, a standard plan for a marker will be presented to the Development Board and the Parks Board. At such time as markers are ready for placement, the wording to be shown thereon will be submitted to the Library and Ar- chives for their verification. This will insure a close line of communication between state agencies.

The sites committee has promised

full support to the State Parks Board in the hope for legislative financial support in a major marking program. Legislation has provided that the State Parks Board will embark on a marking program, but no funds have ever been allocated for this purpose. It is our hope that the some 400 mem- berships of this Committee will be able to lend necessary support towards this goal. In addition the Historic Sites groups working in their own counties will, by this fall, be em- barking on a separate program to ob- tain financial assistance from city and county governments; from merchants and businessmen and from organiza- tions and clubs for the specific pur- pose of erecting handsome historical markers. The communities are the beneficiaries of the markers which obviously bring tourists; and, more important, through these a commun- ity can point with pride to its heri- tage.

Arizonians can be justly proud of the groundswell of interest shown by its citizens in this program. Within the near future the evidence of their efforts will be well-known.

A GUIDE TO THE COLLECTIONS OF THE ARIZONA PIONEERS' HISTORICAL SOCIETY

During the year 1958, a physical in- ventory was begun of the manuscript holdings of this Society. The study was completed near the end of 1959, and has been kept current from that time. The compiler and editor, Ray Brandes, has prepared for distribu- tion printed copies of a Guide which contains descriptions of some 450 selected manuscript collections. The Guide , indexed for researchers, is essentially intended as a means of acquainting research institutions and qualified researchers with the wealth

of material in our archives. Thou- sands of smaller collections were omitted from the Guide because of costs involved in the preparation. These smaller collections, however, are gold mines of information which can be easily located through the li- brary index card system. We invite and solicit the use of our facilities; new and important acquisitions of documents are being made weekly to further enhance the research potential.

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THE ARIZONA CIVIL WAR CENTENNIAL COMMISSION and the

POSTAL HISTORY DEPARTMENT The only official patriotic Civil War Centennial covers for the eight significant events to be re-enacted in the State of Arizona. Illustrated covers will be mailed for each event on the day of re-enactment with spe- cial cancellations and appropriate commemorative stamps. Historians and collectors will treasure this spe- cial collection of eight covers.

THE EIGHT EVENTS 1. July 4, 1961: The Cross-Mowry

duel re-enactment, at Tubac, Ari- zona)

2. Aug. 1, 1961: Colonel John R. Baylor's proclamation establishing the Confederate Territory of Arizona, (at Tucson )

3. Feb. 14, 1962: Territory of Ari- zona formally admitted to the Con- federacy. (at Tucson)

4. Feb. 28, 1962: Confederate troops reached Tucson - Captain Sherod Hunter's Arizona Rangers, (at Tuc- son)

5. Apr. 15, 1962: The Battle of Pi- cacho Pass between Union and Con-

federate Troops. The most westerly engagement of the war. (at Picacho)

6. July 15, 1962: The Battle of Apache Pass between Union troops and Apache Indians, (at Apache Pass)

7. Feb. 24, 1963: Arizona Territory joins the Union, (at Tucson)

8. Jan. 22, 1964: Establishment of the first Territorial Capitol, (at Fort Whipple, Arizona)

Fully serviced covers for any single event - .50 each.

Fully serviced set of eight covers - $3.00 per set.

Special prices to dealers and stamp clubs ordering 100 or more complete sets.

These may be ordered from: Arizona Civil War Centennial

Commission c/o Arizona Pioneers' Historical Society

Postal History Museum 949 East Second St., Tucson, Arizona.

POSTAL HISTORY MUSEUM

Three members of the Tucson Stamp Club have volunteered for an important postal history research pro- ject. Mrs. A. K. Williamson, past President and Director of the club, will be assisted by Mrs. Elizabeth R. Taylor and Mrs. Ionne Ladd, in re- searching most newspapers published in Arizona for all the facts concerning postal history. In conjunction with this project, they will also index all significant articles bearing on the gen- eral history of Arizona, so that we can augment the present indexes on all subjects. Historians and research- ers will benefit substantially when we have a complete index to the news- papers.

Curator Alexander and Associate

Curator Evans represented the Mu- seum at the American Philatelic So- ciety Meeting and Exhibit in Phoenix, on March 17, 18, and 19; one of the largest ever presented in our state. The exhibit entered by the museum was awarded second prize. We are duly proud that the museum won a prize in a national show; the first time that the department has entered an exhibit.

Several new deputy sheriffs have joined the Philatelic Rangers (the group sponsoring the Postal History Museum). Mr. Ernest Cabat and Mr. Harry Ackerman, of Tucson; Mr. John Birkinbine, Lindsay, California and Mr. Walton E. Tinsley of Los Angeles are now wearing the deputy

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ARIZONI ANA 43

sheriff badge of the organization. The museum prepared an exhibit

of Civil War mail, both Union and Confederate, for the Southern Ari- zona Bank to display in the lobby of the main office in Tucson, during the month of February.

We have arranged a philatelic ex- change with Carnegie Museum of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and have received from them fourteen of the Wells Fargo Pony Express Stamps is- sued between 1861 and 1864. These are unused rarities that are now in preparation for an exhibit.

Several philatelists have been kind enough to donate gifts to augment

the growth of our postal history ma- terial. Mr. Walter A. Benz of Rock- ville Center, New York, presented a substantial number of stamps and covers. Curator Alexander donated much Western material, together with Union and Confederate mail of the Civil War period. Mr. James S. Reyn- olds contributed a Territorial cover and letter from Safford. Postmaster Harold Collins of Tucson gave sev- eral postal guides and publications that will facilitate our postal research. Mr. John Birkinbine delivered some interesting Arizona Territorial mail items.

IN THE MUSEUM HALL During the month of march, the featured exhibit was a loan from Mis- sion San Ignacio de Caborca, Sonora, Mexico. The exhibit, arranged by Father Norman Whalen of the Tomb- stone Parish and Mrs. Byron Ivanco- vich, include chasubles, stoles, veils and other vestments. In addition, there were shown baptismal registers from Cucurpe Mission. During the Historical Convention, there was on special display the exhibit of paint- ings depicting Fray Eusebio Francisco Kino's work by Arizona artist Ted DeGrazia. A loan exhibit from Tu- macacori National Monument was the statue of the "Padre on Horse- back."

Plans are underway to equip and install a photographic darkroom un- der the direction of Mr. French An- derson, a volunteer worker whose ex-

perience in photography will consid- erably enhance the program. The equipment and darkroom facilities will permit the society to print, from negatives, thousands of pictures which have been given to the organ- ization in past years. In addition, it will be possible to undertake micro- filming of family records, and of pho- tographs and documents which cannot be given to the Historical Society at the present time.

The special exhibit planned for the month of April featured the famous dime novels including many from the Beadle-Adams firm which operated before the turn of the century. The archives of this Society contain many outstanding and representative ex- amples of these publications that were of considerable interest to the public.

MUSEUM EXHIBIT SCHEDULE

APRIL: Nickel and Dime Novels MAY: Western Art, (Original sketches and illustrations

from notebooks and reminiscences in our Archives. ) JUNE: Rare Arizona Newspapers. JULY: The John and Isabella Greenway Collection.

AUGUST: Arizona Characters. SEPTEMBER: Arizona Ghost Towns.

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DUST FROM THE ARCHIVES

Of ma jor importance was the instal- lation of a newspaper research pro- gram during the month of March. Four major Arizona newspapers were selected from the hundreds issued in this state since 1859, and compe- tent researchers are establishing an index file to these papers. Names, places and events will be extracted and placed on index cards for use by researchers at some future date. At the present time, Omega Williamson, Elizabeth R. Taylor and Ionne Ladd have volunteered their services to this project. We are hopeful that we may interest others in this research. Any interested persons should contact Mr. William L. Alexander at this Society.

Staff members continue their quest for additional family papers and col- lections of material. There are many

individuals and families whose rec- ords are not a part of the Historical Society. Every Society member should be a self-appointed representative to insure that his family is a part of the story of Arizona. Here in the Archives, the materials of history are organized and made accessible to the public. Papers and collections do not lose their entity in a historical society; they are brought to light. We ask your assistance in the collec- tion or gathering of additional docu- ments, pictures and maps which will enhance our research potential. Un- der the family name, in the special collections division, they will have their rightful place.

SEMINAR IN HISTORY MEETS AT THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Introduced for the first time this spring by the University of Arizona was the seminar in Western American History given by Professor J. A. Car- roll of the History Department. This seminar of approximately 15 gradu- ate students met weekly in the reading room of the Historical So- ciety. The seminar topic for the se- mester was "The Indian Barrier in Western America." Special works and publications relative to this sub- ject were withdrawn from the

library stacks and made available to students taking the course work. Papers being delivered by the grad- uate students included such topics as: "The Deployment of the Army in the West," "The Trans-Pecos Southwest," "The Navajo Campaigns," "The Or- ganization of the United States Army," "The Sioux Campaign of 1876," "Transportation in the West," "The Fur Trade," and "Protestant Missionaries to the Indians."

SOCIETY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM REACHES MANY

Between July 1, 1960, and May 30, 1961, 6,756 school children toured the museum hall and archives. Field trips included students from the second grade through high school. 1200 stu- dents heard lectures on some phase of Arizona history. In addition, lectures to 18 civic organizations reached an- other 750 individuals. These figures surpass the numbers reported for the

fiscal year from July 1, 1959, to June 30, 1960.

Some organizations hearing lectures were: Senior Citizens Club Tucson Advertising Club Minnesota Club Downtown Rotary Club Old Pueblo Rotary Club Rincon Lions Club Catalina Optimist Club Amphitheatre Optimist Club Overseas Women's Auxiliary

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