December 2014 - Pimeria Alta Historical Society and Museum

NON PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PA I D
NOGALES, AZ
PERMIT NO. 34
Pimería Alta
Historical Society
1914
2014
“Taking Pride In Our Past”
RETURN ADDRESS REQUESTED
Winter
136 Grand Ave. Nogales, Az. 85621
P.O. Box 2281 Nogales, Az. 85628
Pimeria Alta Museum
www.pimeriaaltamuseum.com
e-mail: [email protected]
Captain L. W. Mix
and
Bracey
Curtis
Capt. L. W.
Mix and
Bracey Curtis
HOW IT CAME TO BE:
1914 NOGALES CITY HALL
In the Heart of Downtown Nogales
By ↓1914 Building Committee
1.
L.W. Mix: "Father of the Nogales
Fire Department"& stalwart supporter of
the Battleship U.S.S. Arizona -was also
Mayor of Nogales at the time- witnessed
the birth of the Fire Department Building
because there had been plans since 1906
to construct a building in the NormanEnglish style; that would include
castellated walls and a battlement tower
rising high above the building.
2.
George H. Fiedler, the Political
Animal who liked to Fight Fires, also a
member of the Nogales Volunteer Fire
Department as early as 1907 and, because
of his political and business acumen, was
the perfect choice when choosing who
would serve on the 1913-1914 Building
Committee
3.
Bracey Curtis, "the Firefighting
Banker who loved fighting fires - on July
14th, 1914, without any real money in the
coffers, yet with delusive plans to cover
the construction costs- the 1913-1915
Building Committee, of which Bracey
Curtis was a member, awarded the big
contract to Burton & Son of Nogales to
build the new Fire Building and Town
Hall. It would be based on the Mission
Pimeria Alta Historical Society
Revival Style plans and specifications that
had been submitted by Henry O. Jaastad,
the prominent Tucson architect for the Fire
Department Building on June 14th, 1914.
4.
Herbert M. Clagett, another
businessman and Fire Chief Curtis’ trusty
first assistant Chief when the new Fire
Department Building was built.
5.
Adolphus "Dolph" S. Noon,
Firefighter and Jack-of-all-Trades had
been a loyal member of the Nogales
Volunteer Fire Department since January
23, 1907, when he first became a member
of Papago Engine Company No. 1. Dolph
would eventually become the Company's
Foreman and there would be no better man
for this position.
These became the “Five Fire Boys” of the
1913-1915 Building Committee and were
strictly volunteers. Essentially
businessmen, who fought fires for free
and, -much to the contrary- paid dues for
the privilege of being included in this elite
fraternity of young men to "get there
quick, fight hard, stay with it and
conquer.”
TIMELINE:
MARCH 7, 1914, at ten o'clock in the
morning, a crowd of citizens gathered to
witness the breaking of ground for the new
Fire House and Town Hall Building on
Grand Ave. Fire Chief Bracey Curtis acted
as Master of Ceremonies.
NOVEMBER 19, 1914 -Again at ten
o'clock in the morning, close to three
months before the dedication of the
building a cornerstone was laid, made
from Santa Rita granite that is still there
reads: "Erected by the Nogales Fire
Department 1914"- placed on the
southwest side of what would eventually
become the Nogales Fire House and Town
City Hall Building. The event was directed
by the “Five Fire Boys” Building
Committee who were also the people that
invested themselves into the construction
of the building.
Next Page...
December 2014
1914 - 2014
Centennial
Celebration
$100 for 100 Years
This year only, The Pimeria Alta
Historical Society is offering a unique
opportunity for our members. Our 2015
fundraising campaign, “$100 for 100
Years,” is for members who choose a
Centennial Membership of $100 or more.
With this purchase, your name will be
engraved on a bronze plaque as a
Centennial Sponsor, which will be
displayed at the museum for the next 100
years. Yo u w i l l a l s o h a v e t h e
opportunity to contribute to the 2015 time
capsule, which will be replaced in the
museum wall later this year. On January
21st, we will open our display of the
contents of the 1915 time capsule. The
contents of this capsule will provide a
glimpse into the lifestyles of Nogalians of
that time. Imagine what future
generations will discover from your
contribution to our 2015 capsule!
When your Centennial
membership is received, we will send you
a 3x4-inch card where you can write a
message to the future, to be placed in the
new time capsule. What do you want them
to know?
We are not having our Home Tour
this spring, as our volunteers and staff are
focusing on the Centennial Celebration.
The Home Tour is one of our major
fundraisers, and so we hope that you will
consider a Centennial-level membership
to support the museum through 2015 and
beyond. Please join us in creating
history!
A crowd of citizens gathered to
witness the laying of the cornerstone with
appropiate ceremonies. Members of the
fire department, town government, and
community were present to hear Capt. L.
W. Mix, speaking as Mayor of Nogales,
and Fire Chief Bracey Curtis talk about the
significance of the building, which was
nearing completion.
TIME-CAPSULE: A
hermetically sealed iron box was then
placed in the stone. The box included
several articles selected by Chief Bracey
Curtis such as a large photograph of the
Nogales Fire Department taken on
Memorial Day, 1914 also a list of names
of members of the Department
corresponding with the numbers on the
photo. A typewritten list of members of the
Papago Engine Company No. 1 with a
badge and a button of the organization.
Also an assorted group of letters,
comprising of 27 views of Nogales and
vicinity and copies of the Nogales page of
the Tucson Citizen, and the Nogales Daily
Herald dated November 18, 1914.
Que pasa in the museum?
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
At this time we are busy preparing for the
President
1914 Nogales City Hall Centennial next Feb.
Suzanne
Sainz
15, 2015 as well as the holiday season. We
have been fortunate enough to count on many
Vice President
people to support our building needs
Arnold Montiel
assessment issues.
Our PAHS Board members have been
working hard to get the building in shape for
Secretary
the centennial party. Lots of paint and new
Kathleen Escalada
exhibits, clock tower and second floor
restoration, etc.
Treasurer
Our website is now going great with the
Kiki Rodriguez
wonderful help from Patrick Simpson who is
Alma D. Ready's son and himself a proven
For PAHS information
author.
He is generously working on
Guided tours, etc.
www.pimeriaaltamuseum.com to make it
(520) 287-4621
easier for our visitors to access information
and photos and research requests from our
Dues: $35. Per year
archives. All in memory of Alma Ready who
authored one of our best PAHS publications
136 North Grand Avenue
"Open Range and Hidden Silver" as well as
Nogales, Arizona 85621
many more dedicated to the Pimería and the
Nogales, Arizona she loved.
Printed by Zacarias
We also continue working on the 1914
Nogales City Hall 3D model that should be
Pimeria Alta Museum
ready
soon under the direction of Gildardo
Town Hall Dedicated:
www.pimeriaaltamuseum.com
Leon and his students who work on it every
A Red-Letter Day in Nogales History
[email protected]
day. We were even able to take this project to
February 15, 1915
(520) 287-4621
Nogales Fire House
the Tumacacori Fiesta December 6th to
& Town Hall Dedication
share it with the children who helped and
MUSEUM OPEN
"It's a Long Way to Tipperary", the learned by exploring history through art.
Marching Anthem of the Battlefields of
Europe during the Great War, written by
Jack Judge, was played by the 12th
Infantry Band.”
Data taken from manuscript & future
book: The Nogales "Old City Hall"
Story, a Centennial Commemorative;
by José Ramón García.
Feliz Navidad everybody....See
you next year Feliz Año Nuevo
Tuesday ‘ Sunday
11:00 - 4:00
Editor: Teresa Leal
[email protected]
Pimeria Post is a free
bi-monthly publication
distributed to members or
available at our museum
Where are we ?
“Celebrating 100 years of 1914
Nogales City Hall Cornerstone
November 19, 2014”
1914 NOGALES CITY HALL & FIRE DEPARTMENT BUILDING IS LOCATED ON THE EAST
SIDE OF GRAND AVENUE IN NOGALES ARIZONA:
North of the north side line of Crawford Street, projected to intersect with the east side
line of Grand Avenue a few yards away from the International Border.
At the center of the first floor of the building, with an opening from Grand Ave., is a
wide stairway leading to the second floor. The second floor has a large ball room on the
north end of the second floor with a mezzanine gallery to the south, connecting to a
reading room, card room, a billiard room, buffet and shower bath, toilets, and
dressing rooms.
From the mezzanine, a smaller stairway leads to the attic with a large storage and coat
room accessing to the bell and clock tower. The clock itself is a high-grade Seth Thomas
four-dial clock with illuminated dials. The round-shaped bell and clock tower were
donated by Bracey Curtis.
USS ARIZONA SILVER SERVICE
Part I
BY: José Ramón García
"Captain Mix spearheads yet another
Committee to Acquire a Silver Service for
the Battleship USS Arizona."
After having spent the better part
of the summer of 1915 in Honolulu, Hawaii
with three of his daughters ( he had four ),
Capt. Mix was in Nogales again and would
commence to spearhead yet another
special committee related to the
commissioning of Battleship Arizona. It
was called the Battleship Arizona Silver
Service Committee, State Board of Trade (
an attempt to create an Arizona Chamber
of Commerce of sorts ) ( “All for Arizona”
was its slogan ), this time to raise money to
purchase a sterling silver service for the
ship's officers' galley. Putting it more
precisely, the committee's main objective
would be to present the ship with the silver
service as a gift from the people of Arizona
in the U. S. naval tradition of old.
By May 1916, Capt. Mix, as
chairman of the committee, and Colonel
Allen T. Bird ( another Nogalien ), as its
secretary and treasurer ( he had declined
the chairmanship ), would commence to
raise the funds needed to pay for a sixtysix piece silver service and a “Miner
Statue” ( a mustached hardrock miner,
made in bronze, about a meter high ) that
the renowned silversmiths of Reed &
Barton of Taunton, Massachusetts had
commenced to manufacture.
No upfront payments had been
made to Reed & Barton when they decided
to start manufacturing the silver service, as
well as the miner statue, for a cost of
approximately $8,000.00. Reed & Barton
would in effect have complete faith in the
people of Arizona that they would come
through and do their bit, and come up with
the necessary funds to pay them off. But
the times for fundraising would get tough in
Arizona with America's gradual slide into
the maelstrom of war, a war that would
become known as the Great War, and the
money needed to pay for the silver service
would become harder and harder to come
by in an ever weakening wartime
economy. The committee's fundraising
effort from the very start would garner
paltry results.
A patriotic call of duty to the
Arizona public by the Silver Service
Committee would go into full force during
the second half of 1916 to revitalize their
failed fundraising effort. Aside from Capt.
Mix and Col. Bird, T. E. Campbell of
Phoenix
( he would become the 2nd
Governor of Arizona in January 1917, and
again in January 1919 ), W. E. Berg of
Flagstaff, and L. S. Cates of Ray, who
made up the rest of the committee, would
leave no holds barred when urging their
friends and business associates to give to
a worthy cause. As but one example of
their stepped up effort at fundraising, a
Battleship Arizona silver service
contribution form was published in the
form of an ad in The Arizona Republican,
the big Phoenix newspaper, on October
10, 1916, in order to reach as many people
as possible.
Bolstering the committee's
fundraising blitz, the now finished silver
service was touring many of the towns and
cities of Arizona so that the public could
have a look at what was going to be
presented to the dreadnaught that bore
their state's name. Indeed, between
October 23 and October 28, 1916, the
handsome Battleship Arizona silver
service was on display in Nogales,
Arizona, at Capt. Mix's International Drug
Store and in the big show window of
Samuel Leeker's El Paso Store on Morley
Avenue. It then went on exhibit at the more
spacious Steinfeld's Department Store in
Downtown Tucson in time for the Southern
Arizona Fair.
Despite school children collecting
pennies across the state during
designated Tag Days ( Memorial Day and
th
the 4 of July ), and private citizens making
small contributions, the funds needed to
pay off the Battleship Arizona silver service
was still wanting; a total of $1,800.00 had
been collected by November 1916. By
early 1917, Capt. Mix would get so
desperate that he would complain that it
would be “a blot on Arizona's escutcheon”
if the funds were not raised to pay for the
silver service.
Capt. Mix would make this remark
only after a failed attempt by his committee
to collect funds from the statewide county
assessment rolls. The idea of collecting
funds from public revenues for the silver
service was good in its intention, but highly
unlikely to happen. This not-too-easily
introduced proposal by the committee had
earned an automatic veto from each of the
state's fourteen county attorneys. What a
bunch of fools, he must have thought, not
seeing the farfetchedness of the silver
service committee's proposal. The
proposal was farfetched and ill-advised
because the committee already knew that
similar thinking politicians like Governor
Hunt and many state legislators were
adamantly opposed to using tax money to
buy a silver service for the USS Arizona as
early as 1915.
Capt. Mix must have nevertheless
thought that the county attorneys who
gave their thumbs down to the committee's
proposal were all incapable of sensing the
sublime in anything of beauty, let alone in a
splendid silver service for a ship named
after their state. All of the blended
decorative elements of saguaros, cacti,
flora, rope trim, flags, eagles, mermaids,
dolphins, anchors, shells, and other
nautical forms smartly juxtaposed with
several majestic scenes of Arizona's most
popular landmarks and objects ( to include
a Gila monster ) engraved on the silver
meant nothing to them. The sight of the
State seal and the Navy emblem on many
of these pieces, along with the candelabra
and candle sticks, with the pine trees and
classical foliage exquisitely incorporated
into their form, thus exposing the
painstaking precision of the silversmith's
art, the masterful way in which the silver
metal, and even the native copper ( the
burnished copper-plated punch bowl and
goblets ), was manipulated, meant zilch to
them. The ability to marvel at the skill and
the creative imagination needed to
produce aesthetic objects was missing in
them. Art was dead. They would not be
moved
Putting the aesthetics of the
Arizona Silver aside, the now wounded
Capt. Mix must have just hoped that the
county attorneys had enough gumption in
them to contribute to the Battleship
Arizona silver service cause as private
citizens, but would not count on it.
Finally, a big fish would bite. It
would be in late June 1917.
to be continued...