December 19, 1926, will be remembered as the day the small Arizona town of Douglas was rocked by a scandal that threatened to compromise its booming economy. The Borderland Climate Club, a group touted as a champion of local tourism, had been issuing stickers emblazoned with the slogan ‘Where She Walked,’ which had become an overnight sensation. The demand for these stickers was so high that orders were pouring in from across the country, including from a prominent Los Angeles newspaper and the Southern Pacific railroad.
However, beneath the surface of this booster campaign lay a web of deceit. It appears that the stickers were not only a harmless promotional tool but also a clever ruse to fleece unsuspecting tourists. A Los Angeles newspaper, eager to capitalize on the stickers’ popularity, was set to run a feature story highlighting their connection to the town’s boosting campaign. Meanwhile, a Tucson hotel owner had requested 500 stickers to adorn the windshields and suitcases of his guests, who were reportedly clamoring for them.
But the most telling evidence of the scam came in the form of an order for 500 copies of the Borderland Climate Club’s booster booklet, which was received from high-ranking officials of the Southern Pacific railroad. The order, which was originally sent to W.W. Windham, the freight and passenger agent for the railroad in Douglas, was later redirected to F.S. McGinnis, a Southern Pacific official in San Francisco, who was tasked with distributing the booklets to areas where they would do the most good.
As the town of Douglas struggled to come to terms with the implications of this scandal, one thing was clear: the booster campaign had become a vehicle for exploitation, rather than a genuine effort to promote the town’s economy. The question on everyone’s mind was: who would be held accountable for this deceitful scheme?
In the end, the town of Douglas was left to pick up the pieces and wonder how something so seemingly innocuous had turned into a full-blown scandal. The incident served as a stark reminder of the dangers of unchecked boosterism and the importance of transparency in business dealings.
The Douglas Daily Dispatch will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.
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Key Facts
- State: Arizona
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Era: Historical
- Source: Library of Congress — Chronicling America ↗
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