Congress, AZ - Museuming

In the afternoon, we toured the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg, which is the other reason, besides weighing, that we are in this area. The main floor was filled with art by such artists as Remington, Beeler (whose are we also saw in the Basha’s Museum earlier), Bierstadt, Russell, all in all a marvelous collection of oils, pastels and statuary. There was a large collection of cowboy artifacts from rodeo posters to prison-made horse-hair gear to movie artifacts to Wild West Shows gear.

Of course, I couldn’t take pictures of any of the art on the first floor since it was all loaned to the museum. However, I could take pictures of the permanent collection down stairs. Here is where they tell the history of Wickenburg with some early street scenes from Wickenburg, several scenes from homes including a parlor, a bedroom, a laundry, etc. and several dioramas showing its growth from mining to ranching to modern day.

A large, very complete museum and we enjoyed our time there.

Afterwards we found a local sandwich shop which had a delicious bowl of clam chowder for Gary and a small pizza for me. There was also live music which almost drove us out of the restaurant. A local gentleman who played the guitar and sang Western songs - and he actually hit a few right notes also.

We met and spoke with two women: one had moved 2 years ago from the Seattle area when her husband died to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren. She was not happy and regretted her move since there was so little to do in town although she had found enjoyment being a volunteer at the museum. The second woman, the owner of the restaurant, loved the town with its helpful, friendly community-oriented people. Two women, one town and very divergent opinions. But, then, Gary and I have different opinions too.

After that delicious lunch, we walked around the main area of town to view all the bronze sculptures they had placed throughout. Most of the statures were people and told the story of town’s history. Here’s a felon chained to the Jail Tree. Seems that early Wickenburg citizens were plenty busy and too busy to build a jail. So, they just chained prisoners to this large mesquite tree in the center of town until they could be transported to the nearest jail in Prescott, about 42 miles away.

Below is a dance hall girl outside a local saloon. Gary wanted to challenge the cowboy for her favors but I was standing over his shoulder.

Meanwhile I was being serenaded by a local singer.

  

Here’s a fascinating woman who opened a hotel in town in the late 1880’s, Elizabeth Smith. who was born in Alabama in 1869, the daughter of a freed slave. Her father encouraged her to get an education which she did becoming fluent in French and studying business. In 1897 she and her husband, Bill, who worked as a porter for the Santa Fe railroad, rode into town on the local train and became the first black citizens of town, blending in with the Mexicans, the Asians, the Indians and all others who had arrived in this frontier town to make a living in the local mines.

They were immediately hired to work in the local hotel as maid/cook and bartender. They saved enough money and his mother sold her home so they could buy the old hotel which they made into a rousing success, drawing people from as far away as Phoenix. Soon, the railroad convinced her to open a hotel in 1906 across the street from the train depot to serve dinner to riders since trains did not yet contain dining cars. In some towns the railroad built the Harvey Houses, here in Wickenburg, they contracted with Mrs. Smith to provide lodging and food. This hotel, called the Vernetta after Bill’s mother, also became a rousing success and the railroad built a walkway from the depot to the hotel so passengers wouldn’t get their feet muddy. She ran the hotel while Bill ran the Black and Tan, the bar in the corner.

However, he seemed to drift in and out of her life with a bottle in hand and she finally divorced him in 1912. She was quite an entrepreneur and expanded her business interests to include a barbershop, several rental homes and a cattle ranch. She helped found the Presbyterian Church and the opera house. She even taught French to local citizens and several who journeyed up from Phoenix.

However, it all came to an end in the 30’s during the Great Depression. Competition for jobs increased prejudice and soon people refused to eat in her hotel. She was even ousted from local bridge games and the the Presbyterian Church. When she died in 1935, the citizens of Wickenburg would not bury her in the white cemetery but in the Mexican, Indian and Asian cemetery on the outskirts of town. Now, they’ve erected a statue to her at the front of her Vernetta hotel.

There’s your bit of history for the day. But, what an amazing woman.

As we were heading back to our car through a laned alley, we found this cat monitoring our every move from its perch in this cactus.

Nice day in Wickenburg but it’s time to head on back to the campground.