When Whiskey Row Shot Up in Smoke

took precedence over wood, fireproofing was incorporated, and architectural design was updated to reflect changing times and tastes. The stately Hotel Burke, on the north end of Whiskey Row, was back in business by 1901. Renamed at least partially in honor of partner Michael Hickey, it still functions as the Hotel St. Michael. A few doors to the south, the Palace Bar and Hotel was built of granite, iron, and brick in the Neoclassical Revival style. Thebuilding, which cost an estimated $50,000, serves today as a focal point for the entire block. The ground-floor saloon, with its high ceiling and elegant back bar, still sees considerable action. The second story accommodated the hotel rooms and later a restaurant. Today the second-floor hotel is quiet and vacant, perhaps like the old fellows on the park benches in the plaza across the street remembering more exciting times.

Additional Reading: To learn more about this mile-high city, we recommend Prescott: A Pictorial History, Melissa Ruffner; Prim Rose Press, Prescott, Arizona; 1988; and Echoes of the Past, Volume 1, Learah Cooper Morgan, editor; Yavapai Cow Belles of Arizona, Prescott, Arizona; 1972. Available at Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott.

Jim Willoughby lives and works in Prescott, lured there eight years ago by the small-town ambience.