Elizabeth Hudson Smith - Wickenburg, AZ - Statues of Historic Figures on Waymarking.com

Elizabeth Hudson Smith, a woman of African American descent, arrived in Wickenburg in 1897. She first stayed at the Baxter House, an adobe building of doubtful reputation. The owner hired Elizabeth and her husband to manage the property and her cooking soon attracted the attention of the community. The Santa Fe railroad encouraged her to build her own hotel and provide food and housing for travellers. She built the Vernetta Hotel, designed by James Creighton who was the most prominent architect of Arizona's territorial period. Elizabeth was a prominent member of the community during its early years, supplying the hotel kitchens from farms and ranches she owned. The Great Depression introduced racial prejudice due to economic competition and the hotel was shunned by travellers. Elizabeth passed away in 1935 and the dining room closed at that point. This painted bronze sculpture of her was completed in 2008 by J. Seward Johnson. The figure is life size and dressed in clothing appropriate to the turn of the twentieth century. She stands in front of the hotel's main entrance, welcoming passengers to have a drink or rent a room. The railroad had built a covered walkway from the train station to her hotel.
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Date Logged Log User Rating   07/09/2022 desert georangers visited it