Arizona Trivia #5

Nebraska State Historical Society, [Digital ID, e.g., nbhips 12036]

This city in Arizona was named after a hand in a card game.  What city is it?  

Answer:  Show Low

James Moore Hall (1838 - 1903) - Troubles Unbearable

James Moore Hall was born August 1838 in Tennessee. He was the son of John Mabin Hall and Elizabeth White Moore.

Judging from the birthplaces of James’s siblings, the Hall family moved to Mississippi around 1844. Their mother Elizabeth Moore died soon thereafter. In 1846, the family moved to Locust Bayou, Ouachita County, Arkansas, where John Mabin Hall wed his second wife, Elizabeth Jane Dowdle.

James’s father died in 1864 and his adult siblings scattered. By 1870, he was married to Mary Hudson and living in the household of his brother-in-law, Warren F. Hudson.

James and Mary remained in Texas until at least 1881, with perhaps a brief sojourn in New Mexico between 1875 and 1878. This is based on the birthplaces of their children as listed on the 1880 federal census.

The Halls moved to Phoenix around 1884. In June 1899, James, Mary and their daughter Lula Bell were among the founding members of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Phoenix. Perhaps this afforded Mary some spiritual solace, as she died 8 October 1899 of cancer.

Following the death of his wife, Hall is reported to have suffered from bouts of despondency. In 1903, he sold most of his property to his son John, then gambled away the money he had received in the vain hope of recouping his lost fortune, and died tragically in 1903. - adapted from a story by Donna carr.  

For more information on James Hall, come visit us!

Edna Laziola (1872 - 1900) - Burlesque Girl

Theatrical Poster of a Burlesque Girl

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print

Edna was born October 23, 1872 in Branford, Connecticut to William and Anna Oblenis.Edna’s father died prior to 1880 and Edna’s mother, Anna, now had five girls to support.  The census showed Anna and sister Minnie were employed sewing corsets.  However they were accused of doing more than sewing.

According to Rev. Ross, a neighbor, Mrs. Oblenis and her older daughters Minnie and Helen were entertaining men.  On March 8, 1880 their house was raided and the women and three men were accused of participating in a house of “ill fame.”A music teacher who came to the house weekly stated that she never observed anything illicit going on.  

Edna and her sisters became theatrical performers around 1890.  They were known for their singing and the skirt dance, popular with the burlesque shows.  The sisters used the stage name of Laziola (Lazeola), which became the name all the siblings eventually adopted.  They would tour with various theatre companies throughout the east and by 1892 were at the Original Vienna Buffet in Los Angeles, California.  Edna and sisters would arrive in Phoenix around 1894.

Edna was singing at the Palace in Phoenix, while Minnie and Annie would go to Yuma and play at The Place, which was owned by Louis Iaeger.  They would then return to Phoenix to perform at the Palace with Edna. The sisters were described as very popular with patrons at both establishments.  

Edna and Annie even created quite a stir in Tucson at one point when their train arrived at the same time as two political candidates.  The two men thought all the excitement was about their arrival, but were not happy to learn everyone was there waiting for the Laziola sisters.

The sisters embarked in many other adventures in their early years, and Edna would die under tragic circumstances in 1900.  

For more information, come down and see us.  We will be glad to introduce you to Edna!

PCA Archive

Arizona Trivia #4

 

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.20540  

                                                             

One of the 50 States owns the London Bridge.  Which one is it, and what city is it located in?

Answer:  Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Christian Hanny II (1837 - 1893) - Men's Clothing Merchant

 

Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.), 04 Oct. 1921. 

Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. 

<https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020558/1921-10-04/ed-1/seq-13/>

Christian Hanny II was born November 25th 1837 in Gertsenzay, Canton of Bern, Switzerland.  His father Christian I brought him to Ohio in 1854.  They moved to Cairo, IL where Christian II opened a men’s clothing store.  

Victor E. Hanny was born in Cairo, IL September 26th 1873 to Christian II and Ursula Jane Hanny, nee Gaither.  Ursula died in the 1880, and with a severe depression, Christian II came to Phoenix in 1887 bringing his children Victor and Florence.   

Christian II took Vic and Florence to Long Beach CA where he enrolled them in school and boarded them in a private home.  Christian II returned to Phoenix and was employed with a men’s clothing store.  Vic returned to Phoenix in 1888 and Florence was enrolled in a school in Ohio.  Vic attended a predecessor of Phoenix Union High School until Christian II died in 1892.   

Vic boarded with the Drachman family and accompanied them to Tucson in late 1892.  This period was recorded in the book Chicken Every Sunday where Vic was mentioned as “Walter” Hanny. 

Vic met Alice Hughes in Tucson and they were married October 27th 1903 in Buffalo NY.  They returned to Tucson where Vic and his partner, Phil Brannen, opened the men’s clothing store “Brannen and Hanny”.  They were also very active with the Twin Buttes Mining Company and were also partners of the Twin Buttes Railroad.  

For information on the Hanny's store or Vic Hanny, come down to the PMMP!