This week I’m putting on my museum hat and bringing you up to date on some news there.

The recent annual Italian Dinner Museum Fund-raiser was even more of a success than we earlier thought.

Final figures show we raised more than $11,000 at this year’s event, held on August 16. Thanks again to Phil Rodakis, of Phil’s Filling Station Restaurant, who donated the food for the event at no charge to the museum. I want to thank all of the businesses and individuals who donated items for the auctions. And I appreciate all of the volunteers who donated their time and performed numerous tasks for the museum and the dinner.

We recently got a new piece of history at the museum. Several months ago, Historical Society President Debbie Skehen received an email from Alice Duckworth, collections manager at the Arizona Capitol Museum.

She informed Debbie that there was an object in their archives that she felt belonged in our museum. She had a large stone block which she believes was once a footing for one of the wood pillars at Fort McDowell. Carved into it are the initials “WHB, 5th CAV, and 1873.

Searching through the archives, Duckworth found a reference to a Capt. William H. Brown who served at the fort from 1873 to 1875.

It is documented that Capt. Brown was a member of the 5th cavalry and that he successfully won the Battle of the Caves in the Salt River Canyon in 1872. He was also successful when he encountered Apaches in the Superstition Mountains in the next year. He was recommended by Gen. George Crook for brevet promotions up to brigadier general, and the general regularly assigned Brown on sensitive missions requiring tact and brains – qualities frequently missing in rough-hewn frontier officers.

Interestingly enough, his death did not come on the battlefield.

In 1875, while on leave in New York, Capt. Brown cut his throat with a razor and died the next day, on June 4th. The reason was said to be his deep love for Irene Rucker, who married Gen. Phil Sheridan the day before.

Anyway, his stone square was a part of the old Fort McDowell Army Post and now it can be seen in our museum. Thanks to members of the Sons of the American Legion and the American Legion Post 58, who arranged to pick up this heavy piece and deposit it in the exhibit area containing a replica of the fort as it looked in 1889.

Our first dinner meeting of the season is coming up on Wednesday, Sept.17.

The topic will be the remarkable life of Dr. Carlos Montezuma who was taken from his Yavapai people in 1871 as a boy, later became a medical doctor and returned to live with his people at Fort McDowell and called out for Indian rights.

The presentation will be made by Gina Capaldi, who wrote the book on the story of Carlos Montezuma, called “A Boy named Beckoning.” A big thanks to the Fountain Hills Library Association which is co-sponsoring her appearance.

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In closing this week I want to say Happy Birthday to my mom who turns 88 on Saturday, Sept. 6. Diane and I took her to the Diamondbacks game last Sunday. You are truly amazing, mom.