Whiskey Row History

Our Whiskey Row History Show featuring Whiskey Row History: Origins and Evolution

The Origins of Whiskey Row | Whiskey Row History Show In this episode of the Whiskey Row History Show, Join hosts Constab...

Re-posting because of the excellent responses. Thank you! Unfortunately, the WRH deleted a few derogatory comments (hence those who "liked" and applauded those derogatory comments and random acts of unkindness--you should know better) about this great group of full-of-life people. Such people who do that must have an illusion that it makes them appear superior. It really does not. We can only hope and pray that someday they will see that it is really unnecessary and not how it's done. RANDOM ACTS OF RUDENESS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. As for you "full-of-lifers" and those who applaud them, this is for you!

Extremely proud to know these people who know how to live well! Thank you Dennis McCormick and Derry for loaning us the Palace that morning.

Here is a rough draft excerpt from the upcoming Doc Holliday in Prescott:

Today, Prescott is not only historically important to Arizona and to Old West history in general, but also a hub of western culture and historical education. In 2012 and 2021, Prescott was named the number one “True Western Town” in America by True West magazine. And over the years, if not number one, it has consistently been ranked in the top ten of that coveted annual list.
There are numerous factors contributing to these laurels. Not only is Prescott near the geographical center of Arizona, but it is arguably the true heart and soul of its recorded history. That reality is honored and cherished today by a sizable and still growing number of locals. The town is home to several recognized historians. On top of this, it is the home of a throng of serious and knowledgeable history buffs. Award winning historian Peter Brand noted during a visit to Prescott, “I left Prescott impressed by the how eager the people were to learn history. I attended several lectures while there, and every one of them was standing room only.” This sentiment has been echoed by several visiting historians over the years.
Many Prescottonians share their love of history, especially that of their hometown, with outsiders. Some go above and beyond by offering them a sense of stepping back in time, even Doc Holliday’s time. Exceptional historical reenactor groups abound in Prescott, keeping history alive. Then there is a multitude of those who just like to dress up and flaunt their stuff downtown in 1880s western wear. Some choose to wear clothing that resembles styles seen in Western movies or television shows. “Cosplay dorks” to their dissenters, they do so in a refreshing and joyous manner in their endeavor to add to Prescott’s Old and Wild West culture.
These groups include the Prescott Regulators & Their Shady Ladies (honored by True West Magazine as the “Best In The West” re-enactment group twice in the last five years), the award winning Whiskey Row Social Club & Historical Society, Whiskey Row Renegades, John Ford Fourth Cavalry, Prescott Corral of Westerners International (the largest, most vibrant “corral” in the world), Arizona Territorial Society, Prescott Tea Society, Arizona Rough Riders, Arizona Frontier Legends, E Clampus Vitus—Lost Dutchman Chapter, and others.
These colorful groups consist of members who are veterans of war and others who have served in the military. They are law enforcement officers, firemen and women, linemen, medical professionals, teachers, real estate brokers, hairdressers, businessmen and women, artists and actors, radio personalities, actual cowboys and cowgirls, entrepreneurs, salespeople, engineers (even a roller coaster engineer), and many more who have greatly contributed to society, and still do.
These full-of-life people come in all ages and can be seen three hundred sixty-five days a year adorning Prescott’s renowned Whiskey Row, the vibrant Prescott Western Heritage Center, the beautiful Elks Theater on Gurley Street, the famous Palace Restaurant and Saloon, and the prestigious Sharlot Hall Museum, the latter of which is within walking distance of all four of these locations. They often pose for photographs that tourists ask to take of them, and usually with them.
Some of these precisely dressed folks assume an alter ego. There are Buffalo Bills, Wild Bill Hickoks, a number of Earp brothers, a real-life Soapy Smith descendant, a few Josie Earps, Calamity Janes, Annie Oakleys, and more. Some people invent unique personas, such as Turquoise Tom, Dagnabit Dan, Madame Martha, Legend Derry, the Constable and Constableless, the Milkshake Kid (also known as the Whiskey Row Historian), and the Queen of Whiskey Row. The most popular cosplay character on the Row (although usually more reminiscent of Val Kilmer’s vaunted portrayal of Doc Holliday in the movie Tombstone) might be John Henry “Doc” Holliday.

A popular, almost viral post from a while back that believe it not, was not done using AI (the WRH actually does not know how). For more on Prescott's Kate, come to hear about her with some new discoveries during Doc's Birthday Dinner on August 15 at the Hassayampa Inn’s Marina Room. Check this page's event section for information.

Recently, the question, "Did Doc Holliday spend more time in Prescott, or Tombstone?" has come up twice. The answer is Tombstone. All in all, Doc spent 7-8 months in Prescott. The Whiskey Row Historian prefers the term "headquartered" when referring to Doc's time in Tombstone, as he sometimes traveled to Tucson and Globe, and Doc biographer Gary Roberts allowed for the possibility that Doc returned to Prescott, i.e., Whiskey Row, a time or two as part of the gambling circuit. Doc spent somewhere around 19-20 months in Tombstone. But length of time is secondary to significance of that time. This will be discussed in the upcoming book "Doc Holliday in Prescott" from The History Press. In the meantime, a taste of that can be read in the 2024 commemorative booklet by the same name. PM for info, and/or visit Prescott's Doc HolliDaze.

https://www.prescotttombstoneconnection.org/

Saw some FB talk about how the Great Fire of 1900 crossed Goodwin Street over to the 100 Block. Here is the story:

"Ferdinand Scopel’s Grandview House, which also housed the Courier headquarters, was considered “magnificent” by locals. It featured some of the finest architecture in town. Made of brick, there was hope it could be saved. Therefore, the building bordering the southern wall of the Grandview, the OK Annex, was blown to bits and flattened.
It was for naught. Harry Brisley testified that the fire then “entered” the Grandview House. The firefighters concluded that it, too, would have to be dynamited.
Some questions arise: Did these firefighters have any experience dynamiting brick buildings such as the Grandview House? Surely, they understood the hazards associated with blowing up wooden-frame buildings. But what about buildings constructed of brick? Yes, dynamiting had worked during the fires of 1883 and 1884, but no brick edifices were involved.
The firefighters placed in the “vortex of heat, sufficient dynamite to crumble walls to the earth.” Astoundingly, “the masonry stood firm,” Brisley wrote. Photographic evidence demonstrates that at least the northern wall of the Grandview House did indeed stand firm.
Because the Grandview House was not only solid but also tall and narrow, it behaved like an enormous cannon. According to Brisley, the embers and sparks and “firey [sic] forks” did not blow straight across Goodwin to the Montezuma Street segment of the infamous Block 13, but because of strong winds blowing north and west, they blew toward the buildings on Granite Street."

Arizona’s Most Famous Saloon Story
The Legend of Chance Cobweb Hall and the True Tale of Violet “Baby Bell” Hicks, part four
By Bradley G. Courtney

Caveat: The first installments of this story are that of the legend that came from the true story, which will be told in future posts.

Now, the judge faced the matter of telling Mrs. Hall the improbable story of how it came to pass that he was bringing a baby home for keeps. As Mrs. Hall held the child, trepidation shook her voice when she asked her husband to explain. Her fears eased as she listened to his Whiskey Row story. When her husband finished, Mrs. Hall announced, “Let us give it the best care our meager fortune will provide.” The couple agreed to adopt the baby.
It was convenient that the couple’s last name was “Hall,” so Groom’s christening needed no surname change.
Wells maintained that several fruitless attempts were made to locate the child’s birth parents. Nonetheless, Mrs. Hall soon learned how the baby wound up on a bar counter on Whiskey Row and who deposited her there. It was George Ah Fat, the well-known Chinese laundry proprietor, who left her. His business registry mark had been found on one of the baby’s garments, which led Mrs. Hall to visit and quiz him.
Reluctantly, Ah Fat confessed that a striking woman had left the baby in his care until she was able to better her circumstances. But after some time, he concluded she was not going to return and that there had to be a more appropriate place for a girl to be raised. He believed his friend Captain Fisher would know what to do. Instead of going directly to Fisher, however, he decided to drop her off on the counter of his saloon during a cold, stormy night, then blend into the crowd. That was all Ah Fat was willing to divulge.
Soon, wrote Wells, the whole incident “was forgotten as one of the romances of the town.”

Part five coming soon. Scroll down to read, parts 1-3

Arizona’s Most Famous Saloon Story
The Legend of Chance Cobweb Hall and the True Tale of Violet “Baby Bell” Hicks, part three
By Bradley G. Courtney

Caveat: The first installments of this story are that of the legend that came from the true story, which will be told in future posts.

Before the situation got out of control, Fisher interjected a proposal. All those who were desirous of adopting the child, he submitted, should partake in a game of dice: ten dollars for one throw of four dice for the pretty stranger. All of the money pooled would go to the winner to jumpstart the child’s long-term care. No one dissented. After all, the Whiskey Row way of life embraced gambling.
Player after player rolled. Finally, it came time for the most unlikely candidate for parenthood to play: the aged bachelor Robert Groom. Incredibly, he laid out four fives, and with that, Groom declared himself the winner.
However, patiently waiting in the wings for his turn was Judge Charley Hall. He announced that nothing was decided yet, as he had the last throw. Excitement akin to that experienced in overtime at a sporting event filled the room as Hall braced for the roll.
The dramatic moment resulted in a miraculous throw of four sixes.
Hall had won the baby. Joyous congratulations and applause came from all but the suspicious Groom. He claimed that Hall had somehow loaded the dice. Yet Groom conceded, but with one stipulation: he must name the baby. The judge consented immediately.
The speech Wells attributed to Groom is worthy of being quoted in full. Lifting his glass of champagne, he toasted:

"As the bead of this sparkling wine ascends to the surface, so may the destiny of this little waif rise from obscurity and sparkle amongst the stars of the heaven on earth, uplifting humanity making us better men and better women. And in memory of this presence, I now christen thee, little miss, and name thee Chance Cobweb Hall. Drink."

Part four coming soon. For parts 1 and 2, scroll down.

Arizona’s Most Famous Saloon Story:
The Legend of Chance Cobweb Hall and the True Tale of Violet “Baby Bell” Hicks, part two
By Bradley G. Courtney

Caveat: The first installments of this story are that of the legend that came from the true story, which will be told in future posts.

Why was the Chance Cobweb Hall story accepted as historical verity for more than seventy years? An original Prescottonian, Wells boasted a résumé of beyond-the-norm accomplishments that was several pages long. It is a record that includes him being the first Republican candidate for governor after Arizona was awarded statehood, a longtime president of the Bank of Arizona and, it is widely believed, Arizona’s first millionaire. Still more crucial, Wells owned an enduring reputation of unwavering integrity. Except for some over-the-top elements in his story, no tangible reason existed to not take Wells’s version of the story at face value.
Wells’s account assigns the setting for the initial incident of the abandonment of the baby to an actual Whiskey Row saloon called Cob Web Hall and its ownership to the magnetic Captain “P.M.” Fisher. Citing no actual date, Wells simply notes that it was a snowy winter night, and the “Cobweb” offered a warm haven. The gambling tables had been bustling, but activities were tapering off. Drinks and ci**rs had been sold by the gallon and bushel, but the smoke was starting to clear. The cantina’s popular female vocalist had retired for the night, as had many others.
Some soldiers from Fort Whipple and miners from the nearby mountains were stretching the evening out a tad longer. A few of Captain Fisher’s friends remained, including two Prescott icons, Colonel Henry Bigelow of the Nifty Saloon and Bigelow’s best friend, Prescott’s original surveyor, Robert Groom. They were amid a group who were lagging behind in the hopes of engaging Fisher socially. It was then that the tone of the night suddenly transmuted.
Someone noticed a peculiar bundle on the part of the bar counter that was closest to the entrance, and it was peculiar because it was moving. A sound, although stifled, was coming from it. Until that moment, no one had seen the bundle, knew how it arrived or how long it had been there. Bigelow summoned Fisher, who unraveled the parcel to discover a beautiful, ebony-eyed baby girl. He held her aloft for all to see. Some grizzled miners were dumbstruck, but the majority extended a hearty welcome. It did not take long for all to comprehend that she had been abandoned.
Suddenly, the newly homeless baby was declared up for adoption. Arguments commenced regarding the baby’s immediate and future welfare. Soldiers and miners proffered their respective cases to be her adopter. Dissension started to radiate throughout the saloon.

Part three coming soon.