The Whiskey Row Fire of 1900

by Bradley G. Courtney

Overview

A fire of frightening magnitude was not a question of “if” but “when” in young Prescott..

On July 14, 1900, the feared conflagration found its spark. After several years of drought, a candle slipping from its holder was all it took to utterly destroy Prescott’s business district, red—light district and famous Whiskey Row. People grabbed what they could to rescue it from the flames, but the party didn’t stop. Even the piano from one saloon was moved to a new location, and people continued to play. Author Bradley Courtney explores the conditions leading up to the disaster, the surprising details of its effects and the amazing recovery that shapes the town today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467143158
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	01/20/2020
Series:	Disaster
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Bradley G. Courtney, author of Prescott’s Original Whiskey Row, is a historian who has taught in both Phoenix and on the Navajo Indian Reservation in northern Arizona. He was a riverboat pilot who gave tours on the Colorado River. Brad has also recorded three albums of original music and has appeared on CNN, the Travel Channel and other stations across the country. He has a master’s degree in history from California State University and is the founder of Whiskey Row History Walking Tours.

Table of Contents

Foreword Marshall Trimble 9

Acknowledgements 13

Introduction 15

1 A Territory and Prescott Are Born 19

2 The Origin and Evolution of Early Whiskey Row 28

3 A Row Is Named after Whiskey and the Birth of the Palace Saloon 36

4 The Earps, Doc Holliday and Whiskey Row-Folklore Versus "Factlore" 48

5 The Sherman Block Fire and the First Resurrection of Whiskey Row 54

6 Prelude to a Conflagration, 1900 71

7 Deciphering the Cause 78

8 Prescott Learns that a Fire Has Started in the Scopel Block 87

9 Dynamiting Begins and the Fire Jumps Goodwin Street 92

10 The Legend of the Palace Bar 104

11 The Great Fire Reaches Gurley Street 108

12 The Firefight on West Cortez Street and Success at Last 116

13 No Time for Gloominess-the Rebuild Begins 120

Epilogue 151

Bibliography 153

About the Author 157