Elizabeth Hudson was born in Alabama in 1869, the
daughter of freed slaves. She married a Pullman
porter named Bill Smith in 1896. He worked for the
Sante Fe, Prescott & Phoenix railroad which passed
through Wickenburg. This prompted
them to move to Wickenburg in 1897, where they
invested their savings into a rundown hotel. They fixed
the place up and Elizabeth?s talents as a cook soon
had the business thriving.
Around 1900, the Sante Fe railroad asked the Smiths to
build a new hotel near the train station. Borrowing
money against property left to them by Bill?s mother,
Elizabeth hired noted architect James Creighton to
design the hotel which they named in honor
of Bill?s mother, Vernetta.
Elizabeth Smith was one of many
entrepreneurial black women who ran hotels and other
businesses throughout the western United States in
the early 20th century. Racism was institutionalized
in Arizona
with the
passage of segregation laws in 1901. In spite of
legal discrimination, black women often prospered
more than their white counterparts. They had higher
literacy rates, were often older, married and had
fewer children. They also tended to settle in urban
areas.
The Vernetta Hotel thrived and became an important
meeting place for Wickenburg citizens. However, the
Depression changed everything. As often happens in
hard times, people look for a scapegoat. They
stopped patronizing the Vernetta and even ousted
Elizabeth from the Presbyterian church that she
helped to found.
Elizabeth Smith died in 1935, leaving a large estate
to distant relatives. Despite all she had done for
the development of Wickenburg, the community would
not allow her to be buried in the town?s main cemetery.
She now lies in the Garcia Cemetery outside of town
among the Mexicans, African Americans, Asians and
Indians who remained loyal to her until the end.
In recent years, the people of
Wickenburg have
recognized Elizabeth Smith?s contribution to the
growth of the town. A life-size street scene in the
Desert Caballeros Western Museum includes a
reproduction of the Vernetta Hotel with a mannequin
to represent her and a description of her
accomplishments. Her grave site is well-maintained
along with the other prominent pioneer families.
Now called the Hassayampa Building, the Vernetta is
listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
For more information about Elizabeth Hudson Smith
and other Arizona pioneer women, see More Than
Petticoats: Remarkable Arizona Women by Wynne Brown.
