Since early territorial days, the “Arizona Pioneers” (self-designated as those who entered the region before 1870) had a strong sense of identity as a group who had individually and collectively made significant contributions to the settling of the west (1). In 1847 a group of leaders from Tucson formed the “Pioneer Historical Society” to collect written histories, as well as other documents and artifacts, to preserve the stories regarding the people who had braved the early frontier (2). The society gained prestige and a source of funding when it was recognized by the legislature in 1897, “making it a trustee of the territory” and from that point forward, received appropriations for its support (1). In 1901 this society moved its headquarters into a room above the city offices in Tucson, offering more congenial space for their meetings, as well as a secure place to keep the records they had assembled (3). Regular monthly meetings were held and officers elected (4).
Those early pioneer men took an active part in civic affairs,
including lobbying for Arizona to gain statehood. They wanted legal
standing to provide “home rule, home government, and the satisfaction of
enjoying the rights of a sovereign people,” expressing the desire to once more
be able to “vote for a president before they cross the divide” (5).
Several of the members of that early society lived out their
last days in the Arizona Pioneer Home (6).
When I explored the roster of the first 100 residents of the home, I gleaned the following information:
A third or more of the original residents were immigrants.
It is possible there was an even higher percentage of immigrants since no place of birth was recorded for ten of that first group.
Many of those who were born in this country were the sons of immigrants and may still have had language, food and other preferences from their parents' home country. Several could neither read nor write.
Because of the time period in which these men were raised, regional differences could have mattered a lot, since quite a few had served in the Civil War. There was a definite majority of Yankees in the group.
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Their professions were as varied as their places of origin. While many did engage in mining, there was a bookkeeper, a newspaperman, a school teacher, merchants, farmers, a carpenter, blacksmiths, stage coach drivers, stockmen and others.
The first 93 residents were all male, as women were not admitted to the home until 1916. Of course, having women in the place definitely changed the social dynamic. In a 2018 story about the Home for Prescott Living Magazine, Prescott author Drew Desmond related "After women were admitted, one couple wanted to get married. Since there were no accommodations for couples, the superintendent turned the matter over to the state Legislature. After serious debate, they were turned down. Despite this, the couple eloped and after returning from their honeymoon, the superintendent relented and gave them a room together" (6). By the time I started researching the place in 2020 women far outnumbered the men, leading to some stiff competition among the ladies for the attention of the gents. But in those early days, women were by far the minority.
There has been some sensational press about the residents of the place claiming they were "Oldsters who spit, cuss and fight with canes" (7). Legend has it that "For years, food was served family-style until Dynamite Joe once turned a bowl of gravy over the head of Six-Shooter Smith in a quarrel over a chicken leg. Thereafter, meals were served in individual portions" (6). Indeed, there were a number of men who were either dismissed or just took off during the early days because they were not happy with the rules that specified how often they bathed or limited their use of alcohol. However, in order to be admitted to the institution in the early days each resident had to be recommended as suitable. I had the honor of reviewing the document submitted vouching for those early residents. I also read through many reasons given for why a person might want to live there:
While some of the early residents did marry and raise families, the overwhelming majority remained single. In their various ways they had dedicated their lives to the settling of Arizona Territory at a time when life was hard and often dangerous. They worked hard, often at considerable peril. With no family to care for them in their senior years, the Arizona Pioneers' Home gave them a place where they could come together live out their days with fellow pioneers to share stories, and perhaps occasionally fight over a chicken leg.
SOURCES:
(1) Newspapers.com. Arizona Daily Star. (Tucson, Ariz.) 05 Jan
1908. Sun. Page 7. “Address of Pres. Osborn to Pioneers. https://www.newspapers.com/image/163774734/?terms=Pioneer%2BHistorical%2BSociety
(2)
Arizona Historical Society. Review of “Pioneer Heritage: The First
Century of the Arizona Historical Society” by C. L. Sonnichsen. Western
Historical Quarterly, Volume 16, Issue 4, October 1985, Pages
474–475, https://doi.org/10.2307/968636
(3) Newspapers.com. Arizona Daily Star. (Tucson, Ariz.) 27 July 1901.
Sat. Page 5. “In New Quarters”.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/163013773/?terms=Pioneer%2BHistorical%2BSociety
(4) Newspapers.com. Arizona Daily Star. (Tucson, Ariz.) 07 Oct 1905. St.
Page 8 “Local Paragraphs”. https://www.newspapers.com/image/163099501/?terms=Pioneer%2BHome
(5) Newspapers.com.
Arizona Daily Star. (Tucson, Ariz). 17 Oct 1905. Tues. Page 2 “Pioneers
Want Statehood. https://www.newspapers.com/image/163105292/?terms=Pioneer%2BHome
(6) Desmond, Drew. Prescott Living Magazine. February 2, 2018. "The Story of the Arizona Pioneers Home". https://prescottlivingmag.com/story-arizona-pioneers-home/
(7) Stanush, Claude. Time Life Magazine. Nov 3, 1947. "Old Pioneers' Home".
https://pioneershome.az.gov/sites/default/files/documents/files/LIFE_Nov_3_1947.pdf
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