12 NOVEMBER 2022 Bob Nolan Marty Robbins Zane Grey Amanda Blake Walter Swan Giovanni Vigliotto Pearl Hart A mong Arizona’s historical accounts are various individuals from bygone days who contributed, in one way or another, to the state’s lore and legend. Some are easily recalled, like Senator Barry Goldwater, Rex Allen and Billy the Kid. But others have faded into the dusty pages of time, once well known, now but memories. And so, to give them another moment in the spotlight, here are seven of my favorites in that category. Bob Nolan (1908-1980) was born Clarence Robert Nobles in Canada. After his parents separated, he joined his father in Tucson, changed his name and graduated from high school. Nolan moved to Los Angeles in 1929, where he met Leonard Slye; together, they formed a western band named the Rocky Mountaineers. That venture didn’t last, but he stayed in touch with Slye and they, along with Tim Spencer, formed the Sons of the Pioneers in 1934. Slye left the group in 1937, changed his name to Roy Rogers and became the leading cowboy movie star. Nolan was also offered a movie series but chose to remain with the Sons of the Pioneers and wrote almost 200 western ballads, including the immortal “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” and “Cool Water.” He did end up appearing in nearly 90 movies, usually as a singing sidekick to Rogers and Charles Starrett. Glendale native Marty Robbins (1925- 1982) was not only a top recording artist but also a NASCAR race car driver who had hit songs on both contemporary and western charts. He spent his formative years in Glendale but left at age 17 to join the Navy, where he taught himself to play the guitar. After returning from the service, Robbins played in local venues, then earned his own radio and television shows. Given a recording contract, he moved to California, where he reached the top spot with his rendition of “Singing the Blues.” Eventually, he would record 500 songs and 60 albums, including his most famous pair: “El Paso” and “Big Iron.” Novelist Zane Grey (1872-1939) built a cabin on the Mogollon Rim near Payson and spent portions of the summers there from 1923 to 1930. He left Arizona for good in 1930 when he was denied an out-of-season hunting license. His cabin was left to the elements until Phoenix businessman Bill Goettl had it restored in 1966, but a forest fire destroyed it in 1990. A replica now stands in a Payson park. Grey’s novels have been converted into 112 movies, two television specials and a TV series. His classic “Riders of the Purple Sage” has been made into three films. Fans of old western television programs will remember her as Miss Kitty Russell. Amanda Blake (1929-1989) played that role opposite James Arness in 425 episodes of Gunsmoke . She also appeared in 21 movies before retiring and moving to Phoenix with her fourth husband, businessman Frank Gilbert. While living in Arcadia, on Exeter Blvd., Blake built a special enclosure for her pet lion, Kemo, and founded the Animal Welfare Society. She and her husband also organized a successful cheetah breeding program. In Bisbee, they still talk about Walter Swan (1919-1994) and his bookstores. In the mid-1970s, Swan wrote Me ‘n’ Henry , a book about growing up in Arizona. When he couldn’t find a publisher, he paid $650 to have it published, then rented a store in downtown Bisbee and opened the One Book Bookstore, so named because it only sold his one book. Fans bought 8,000 of them at $19.95 each. He wrote more books, rented space next door and opened the Other Book Bookstore. Eventually, Swan sold 20,000 books and was featured in an Erma Bombeck column in People Magazine and on the David Letterman Show. While on trial in Phoenix, Giovanni Vigliotto (1930-1991) admitted he probably had married 105 women and never divorced any of them. Although far from handsome, Vigliotto had no trouble finding mates. However, after marrying them, he absconded with most of their money and material goods, which he sold at flea markets across the nation. It all ended when a Mesa woman (his alleged 105th wife) tracked him down in Florida. He was returned to stand trial in a Maricopa County court, found guilty of fraud and bigamy and sentenced to 28 years in prison. He served only eight years before suffering a fatal stroke. On May 29, 1899, Pearl Hart (1871-1956) set out from Globe with a male accomplice to earn her niche in Arizona history as the nation’s first and only female stagecoach robber. However, it was not a successful venture; both were caught within days. A compassionate jury found her not guilty on the robbery charge, but an enraged judge had her rearrested within minutes. The judge ordered a new jury that found Hart guilty of another offense, and she was sentenced to five years in Yuma Territorial Prison. She was released after 18 months and went to live with a sister in Kansas City. She tried to become a stage actress in a play about her life but wasn’t much better at that. One critic said she “portrays herself with the enthusiasm of a pile of rocks.” Although forbidden to ever return to Arizona, a popular theory is that she came back, married a rancher in Gila County and died there at age 85. Gone – and almost forgotten The Lowe Road A former Valley newspaperman who now writes about his travels across Arizona, the U.S. and the globe. BY SAM LOWE

N O V    D E C   Enjoy a month-long holiday extravaganza featuring stunning décor, the best in dining and shopping, and more than 45 incredible events. It’s a celebration you won’t want to miss! SCOTTSDAZZLE.COM · oldtownscottsdale · #SCOTTSDAZZLE Check out the dazzling event lineup