We visited the town of Prescott, AZ (pronounced press-cut), twice before and never saw much more than the square. It was beautiful and well worth another visit on its own, but we hoped to see a bit more while we were in the area this time. Our new friend up the road, Norman, recommended we visit Sharlot Hall Museum. It included a collection of historical buildings and exhibits representing the rich history of the very young state of Arizona.
Arizona has been the leading copper producer in the U.S. Since 1910, producing approximately 64% of domestic copper.
A copper overdress was commissioned for
Sharlot to wear while delivering Arizona's three electoral votes to
Washington after Calvin Coolidge won the Presidential election in
1924.
Looking at the model of the governor's mansion from the rear we realized we were standing in a room that was originally an open stable for horses. Arizona's first governor made Prescott the capital because he did not care to associate with the southern sympathizers living in the much larger city of Tucson.
One of the museum docents suggested the Palace as a good place for lunch, so we took a break from the museum for a quick bite. There was plenty of old west atmosphere as we were seated by the "Sheriff." All around were displays depicting the history of the Palace Saloon, the town and the state.
With full bellies, we headed back to the museum to finish our tour.
In the center of the picture below was Sharlot's car. She bought the Star Four Touring car, manufactured by Durant Motors, in 1927 for $737. She liked its "open body and pulling power on bad roads". Its 38 hp engine allowed top speeds of 45 mph.
No comments:
Post a Comment