By Judy Stoycheff

(When last we left the story of the Sandretto property in northeast Prescott, we became acquainted with the history of the property prior to the Sandretto purchase and the family history of the Sandrettos.)

Dominic Sandretto purchased Section 10 in 1915, and with the assistance of Phillip Brito who had a herd of dairy cows, began a dairy and vegetable farm. Initially, they produced and sold butter (for ten cents a pound) as well as vegetables. This was not enough to support both families, so, according to Dominic's granddaughter, Catherine Miller (personal communication in 1996), Brito moved to Williamson Valley where he found "rum running" to be more profitable.

The Sandretto family remained on the land and eventually established what was to become the Willow Creek Dairy. Sandretto expanded his original holdings in Section 10 to include Section 15, across Willow Creek. 

He later inquired into acquiring land through the Homestead Act of 1802 but found the requirements too tedious, as he did not want to build a new house on the property as the Act required. He did, however, purchase and lease several acres in the surrounding area, primarily for grazing purposes. 

The last listing in the Prescott Phone Directory for the Dairy was 1936. He was listed in the City Directory at the Dairy location as a "rancher" until 1938. Dominic and Catherine raised their three surviving daughters, Dolly, Irene and Mary on the property. (A son, Vincent, died of pneumonia in 1936 in his teens and a 9-month-old daughter died of cholera.) 

Initially, the family moved into what was described as the "lower" house, which presumably was on the banks of Willow Creek, as it existed then. Dominic's daughter, Mary (Coates), described the house as "needing to be remodeled--we could see the stars through the roof." 

Some years later, the family moved to the "upper" house, which also was present when they purchased the property. Mary stated that her father added two bedrooms on the second floor of the house, which were connected to the lower floor by a narrow staircase. They added an indoor bathroom that did not always function properly, forcing them to use a succession of 'outhouses', one of which was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), according to Mary. 

Work on the dairy farm was indeed a family affair. Catherine planted and tended grapevines, as well as peach and apple trees down by the creek. The vegetable garden provided a variety of edibles for immediate consumption and canning or preserving. Mary recalled that vegetables not consumed by the family were sent by railroad to A.J. Bayless stores in Phoenix. 

Initially, wagons and horses were used for all farm chores. As the dairy grew and motor vehicles became more common, the girls were pressed into service delivering milk by truck throughout Prescott. It was while delivering milk on Marina Street that Mary met her future husband, John Coates, who was the custodian at Prescott High School. Her sister, Irene, married John's brother, Charles. 

Willow Creek, which bordered the farm on the south, often caused problems for the milk trucks and other traffic intended for Prescott proper. The creek frequently flooded, resulting in a long out-of-the-way trip past Wilkinson's ranch (what is now Highway 89A) and then into town. Dominic 's granddaughter related a story told by her mother of an escapade brought about by the muddy conditions of the roads. It appears that Mary and one of her sisters wished to go to a dance at the Granite Creek pool (Granite Dells), but Papa said "no". Undaunted, they waited until he was asleep and snuck off to the dance in the truck. Unfortunately, for the teens, it got stuck in the mud and they had to hitch a ride home, harness up a team of horses, go back to the dance, and rescue the truck. Then all had to return to the barn, the truck and team groomed, and the latter fed. Presumably, the girls had very few hours of sleep before milking time! 

As well as the daily chores, the girls attended school. Their first schoolhouse was a little building where Willow Lake is now located, but flood danger caused the school to close. The second school was Pleasant Valley School located on the Wilkinson Ranch a short distance away. They frequently rode horseback to this school, as was the custom at that time. Two of the three daughters went on to high school through the 11th grade in Prescott, five miles away. 

All three girls married Prescott men and moved from the farm to the 'city.' In 1938, Dominic gave up ranching and he and his wife moved into Prescott to a house on Whipple Street. It was at this time that he began to lease/rent his property to various and sundry persons and uses. 

Catherine Sandretto died of tuberculosis in 1941 at the age of 50. Dominic passed away in 1969 at the Pioneers' Home, at the age of 93. As of this writing, 2006, all three of their daughters are deceased. 

(Conclusion of the Sandretto property will be next Sunday's Days Past, April 30th.) 

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(bus5087p)
Reuse only by permission.
At Pleasant Valley School, c.1923, Dolly Sandretto is third from left (with sailor-type smock); sisters Irene and Mary are in the rear center of the picture beside their teacher, Mrs. Sussman.