"Elevation 5,346 feet. One-time capital, county seat and mining town. On Granite creek. On Ash Fork-Phoenix branch A. T. & S.F.Railroad. Originally a branch railraod was built to Prescott "on the sod" from what was then called Prescott Junction, later Seligman, A.T. & S.F. Railroad. When Santa Fe built from Ash Fork, this line was abandoned.
Name Prescott was selected at a public meeting on May 30, 1864. Sugested by Secretary of Territory, McCormick, in honor of the historian. Was the capital until November 1, 1867, when it was moved to Tucson. Later on taken back to Prescott. In January, 1899, was moved to Phoenix. Has at time been called Granite, Gimlettvilee, and Goodwin City. McClintock says: "The official records in State Adjutant General's office show that J. Ross Browne, the writer, was appointed a Captain in the First Arizona Volunteers from 'Prescott, Socorro County, New Mexico'".
Judge Wells says the first Apache attack on Prescott was March 16, 1864, when Joseph Cosgrave was killed while herding stock, almost in the town itself. Post Office established May 18, 1865, Calvin White Post Master."
Barnes, Will C. Arizona
Place Names University of Arizona Press. 1997.
pp. 347-348
"Prescott resulted from the establishment of the Territory of Arizona. On December 29, 1863 the territorial governing party arrived at Navajo Springs. Gov. John N. Goodwin proclaimed that the seat of government would be near Fort Whipple, which had been established in November. On January 22, 1864, the party arrived at Fort Whipple adn in may the site of the future Prescott was selected. The Indian name for the location was In-dil-chin-ar (=pine woods). Prescott was named in 1864 to honor William Hickling Prescott (1796-1859), a prominent historian. The name was preferred over others because of the "Aztec memorial everywhere existing in this region and confirming the conclusions of the great American historian." The growing community had local names, such as Goodwin City (for. Gov John Goodwin), Granite(it was on Granite Creek), Gimletville, and Fleuryville (for Judge Henry W. Fleury(d. 1896), who had his headquarters on the west side of Granite Creek.)
Among the first to settlers was Joseph Ehle (b. March 13, 1813, New York, d. Nov. 1912), who arrived from Colorado with his family on July 28, 1864. In 1865 he established a government road station at his ranch in Skull Valley, but returned in 1868 to Prescott. Prescott has the honor of having held the first rodeo in 1888, now an annual event held on July 4rth.
In 1867 Tucson became the territorial capital, but Prescott again became the territorial capital in 1877, retaining that honor until 1889 when the capital was moved to Phoenix. Prescott is the seat of Yavapai County. PO est Aug 25, 1863, Hiram W. Reid PM."
Barnes, Will C.; Granger, Byrd (ed.) Arizona's names : X marks the place Falconer Pub. Co. : distributed by Treasure Chest Publications, c1983. P. 500
Arizona Department of Commerce Community Profiles- Prescott, Arizona
http://www.commerce.state.az.us/pdf/commasst/comm/prescott.pdf
Prescott Arizona Local Government Website
http://www.cityofprescott.net
The Arizonan.com Prescott, Arizona
http://arizonan.com/Prescott/
Read this Publication Online
The Daily
Courier
Listing of Prescott City Newspapers (1864-Present) on the ASU
Library Catalog
AN2.P9
A75x
Arizona miner. : T.A. Hand, 1864-1868.
Daily Arizona miner. : E.A. Bentley, 1866-1867.
Continued by
The Weekly Arizona miner. : J.H. Marion [and] B.H. Weaver,
1868-1873.
The daily Arizona miner. : John H. Marion & Co., 1873-1885.
Continued by
Arizona weekly miner. : J.H. Marion, 1874-1877.
Daily Arizona journal. : The Arizona Pub. Co, 1883-1885.
Continued by
The weekly Arizona miner. : C.W. Beach, 1877-1885.
Arizona journal-miner. : The Arizona Pub. Co., 1885-189 .
Continued by
Arizona weekly journal-miner : J.C. Martin, 1885-1903.
Daily Arizona journal-miner.: J.C. Martin, 1897-1900.
Continued by
Weekly Arizona journal-miner. : Journal-Miner Co., 1903-1908.
Arizona daily journal-miner.: J.C. Martin, 1900-1902.
Continued by
Weekly journal-miner. : Journal-Miner Pub. Co., 1908-1929.
Arizona journal-miner. : Journal-Miner Co., 1902-1912.
Continued by
Prescott journal miner. : The Journal-Miner Pub. Co.,
1912-1934.
Some issues online, click here
Continued by
Prescott courier-journal: 1934-?
Continued by
The Daily Courier (Current)
Other Prescott Papers
The howler. : L.R. Barrow & F.S. Jackson, 1900.
The Arizona enterprise.: Paul Weber, 1877-1879.
Prescott Public Library
215 East Goodwin Street, Prescott Arizona 86303
928-777-1500
http://www.prescottlib.lib.az.us/
Sharlot Hall Museum
415 W Gurley St PRESCOTT AZ 86301-3615
(520) 445-3122
http://www.sharlot.org/
Smoki Museum
147 N Arizona PRESCOTT AZ 86303-4401
(520) 445-1230
http://smoki.prescott-az.com/~smoki/index.html
Phippen Museum
4701 Highway 89 North Prescott AZ
(520) 778-1385
http://www.tfaoi.com/newsmu/nmus62.htm
Highlands Center For Natural History
1980 Williamson Valley Rd PRESCOTT AZ 86305-6200
(520) 445-5497
http://www.prescottinfo.com/org/highlands/
Prescott College
http://www.prescott.edu/
Books/Manuscripts found in the ASU Library Catalog
Founding a wilderness capital: Prescott, A. T., 1864. Illustrated by Don Perceval.
Last Updated: July 23, 2002
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