I'm heading to the Tucson Festival of Books this month, so I thought it would be fun to tell some of Tucson's dude ranch tales. People flocked to the area in the early twentieth century because the dry climate was thought to be good for respiratory trouble; more specifically, tuberculosis. The city of Tucson did … Continue reading Let’s Go to Tucson!
Arizona history
Happy Birthday, Fred
On this day in 1849 -- 175 years ago -- Frederick Wadsworth Loring was born in Newton, a suburb of Boston. He was a poet, playwright, novelist, and journalist and died just weeks before his 22nd birthday. Those of you who know me remember that I have been researching (obsessed with) Fred ever since I … Continue reading Happy Birthday, Fred
Mrs. Dr. Brown of San Francisco
Charlotte Blake at Elmira College, 1866. As we start Women's History Month, I want to tell you about someone I have long admired and written about: Dr. Charlotte Blake Brown. In 1874 Dr. Brown and her family moved from Napa to San Francisco, where she hung out her shingle as one of the city’s few … Continue reading Mrs. Dr. Brown of San Francisco
From the Collection: Postcards
As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, I have over 100 pieces of dude ranch memorabilia in a collection I started about 10 years ago. Some of my favorite pieces are the postcards, because they are all so different and present very different messages about dude ranching. The card pictured above is the oldest … Continue reading From the Collection: Postcards
Much Excitement at the Saloon
At the end of August 1909, the regulars at Evarts & Schwanbeck’s saloon in Wickenburg, Arizona were enjoying a few refreshing beverages. Someone ordered a brand of whisky that wasn’t on the shelf, so bartender Al Evarts reached for a drawer where he remembered putting a bottle of the special stuff. He pulled it open … Continue reading Much Excitement at the Saloon
Elizabeth Smith: A Black Entrepreneur in Arizona
February is Black History Month, and I have a little-known story for you from the history of the West. Over the last few years historians have been thinking and writing about Black history in new and exciting ways. A lot of the focus has been on the South, but there is also a rich African-American past … Continue reading Elizabeth Smith: A Black Entrepreneur in Arizona
The Cowboy Singer Who Wasn’t A Cowboy
Folks of a certain age in the United States will remember the Death Valley Days TV show of the 1950s. But before Ronald Reagan, Robert Taylor, and Dale Robertson hosted the long-running series, Death Valley Days was a popular radio program. It debuted in September of 1930 and featured a singer called The Lonesome Cowboy, … Continue reading The Cowboy Singer Who Wasn’t A Cowboy
The Wickenburg Massacre: Still Mysterious After 150 Years
Grab a cup of coffee or a soda and put your feet up: I've got a long post for you today. November 5 marks the 150th anniversary of the “Wickenburg Massacre,” a stagecoach shootout that inspires either spirited discussion or fist-shaking arguments among historians and history buffs. The arguments are about who actually did the … Continue reading The Wickenburg Massacre: Still Mysterious After 150 Years
A Visit to Wickenburg in 1867….that didn’t go well.
In May of 1866 the Rev. Charles Morris Blake, his wife and two children moved from Pennsylvania to Fort Whipple, in Prescott, Arizona Territory. Rev. Blake had a spotty record as an Army chaplain in the Civil War, but he stayed in the service and was assigned to minister to the troops at Whipple and … Continue reading A Visit to Wickenburg in 1867….that didn’t go well.
Tumblereads: A New Twist on the Old West 