By Stan Brown
In 1912, the Santa Fe Railroad built a spur line through the Perkins ranch from Clarkdale to Drake. This greatly facilitated the shipping of the Perkin's cattle and the depot, not far from the ranch house, was called Perkinsville. In the same year, the railroad had secured an easement across the Marion Perkins's ranch and created Perkinsville as a watering station.
In 1927, Marion A. Perkins died, and his wife, Annie, died two years later. The large family spread was divided several times among Marion and Annie's descendents.
In 1938, thirty-two acres were sold to the town of Prescott for the establishment of Love Field. During World War II, smoke from the smelter in Clarkdale had so clouded the ranch that it was killing the range grass. The family won a lawsuit over this with the Phelps Dodge mining company, and for settlement, Phelps Dodge bought a ranch from Don Fain to assign over to the Perkins. This considerable expansion of the Perkins' holdings became known as The Deep Well Ranch and stretched west to Granite Mountain.
Marion and Annie's eldest son, Robert Elisha Perkins (Rob), married Laura Digby, and they had one son, Robert M. Perkins in 1919. Robert M. met Ethel Davis from Bisbee while they were attending the University of Arizona, and they were married. Robert M. was killed in action on a South Pacific island while serving in World War II. Ethel and her daughter, Betty, divided their time between the two families in Bisbee and Prescott and eventually Ethel married Vic Lytle. They lived in Prescott and were active in the community. For many years, Ethel would get out the publicity for the Annual Cowboy Camp Meeting. That annual gathering had its beginning in Prescott in 1945.
Rob Perkins recalled his upbringing in Texas as he mourned the loss of his son. There was the spiritual inspiration of those Camp Meetings during his youth, and memories of his close friend Joe Evans. He began to search for a spot on the ranch that looked like the old Davis Mountain Camp Meeting site, and found it in a grove of oaks on the Deep Well Ranch off Williamson Valley Road. He contacted his old friend, Joe, who by then was a leader in establishing Camp Meetings throughout the southwest. The two of them went to work on setting up the first Prescott Cowboy Camp Meeting, with much help from the Perkins family and neighboring ranchers.
Articles in the Prescott newspaper, usually written by Ethel Lytle, told of the growing popularity of the Camp Meeting, the increasing crowds coming out from town and the variety of preachers that were invited from all over Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and California. Gradually the campground was improved with its own well, and the year I arrived, 1960, the committee had installed electricity.
Each year, the four-day schedule was the same. The Camp Meeting began with the evening service under the large tent on Thursday, led by the traveling Presbyterian missionary. It was a typical time of worship, with the singing of gospel hymns, some inspirational special music and a biblical message by the preacher ending with an invitation to any who would come forward and make a public confession of their faith. After the service a large campfire inspired the singing of "golden oldies," and Joe Evans, who attended all the meetings along with the missionary, would step out to tell some of his famous jokes and stories. One story called forth another, until the sleeping children in their parents' arms brought the day to an end. Everyone would sing, "Blest Be The Tie That Binds," a benediction pronounced, and folks retired to their tents, campers and sleeping bags.
The breakfast bell rang at six o'clock and all found their way to the line of griddles where camp cooks were flipping pancakes, eggs and bacon to place on our tin plates. It tasted great with the hot coffee as we sat at rough wooden tables and got to know one another. A prayer service, made up just of those who were staying on the grounds, commenced at 8:45. By the time the main morning service began at 10:45, the tent was almost full. Ranchers and townsfolk had been drifting in, and the sweet trills of many birds in the surrounding oak and juniper echoed the hymn singing.
The line for lunch was long, as many from town had joined the crowd. All three meals were free each day, though a hat was placed near the cook line and in the tent for those who would give a free-will offering. The hat was never passed. The committee members had footed the bill along with many contributions from those who wanted to see the Camp Meetings continue. The chuck line gave forth mighty helpings of meat, mashed potatoes, gravy and beans. There was salad or fruit with coffee and tea for the tin cups. The table fellowship was gracious, and the committee members, with the preachers, mingled among the crowd. A lot of physical labor went into setting everything up, and appreciations were expressed.
After time for a rest, the afternoon service was held at 2:45. Hymns, prayers and special music sounded forth, and the preacher would once again bring the Good News of God's love and plan for our lives. Sometimes there was but one preacher, but that was quite demanding since there were three or four preaching services each day. Usually two preachers had been engaged for the Camp Meetings.
Things would grow quiet during free time, but at 4:00 o'clock the bell rang to call all for the prayer meetings. The women gathered under the tent, but the men all went out to the Prayer Tree. Every Cowboy Camp Meeting had a Prayer Tree: a big old alligator juniper that the local ranchers had branded with the founding date of that particular camp meeting. The boys and men sat on the grass in a circle and the preacher led them in sharing their testimonies. In a 1962 Prescott newspaper article, Rob Perkins said, "It is under this big juniper tree that many have found a better way of life because there is no pressure to join anything. Rather, there's a personal endeavor just to see yourself as God really made you, the perfect child of God."
Finally, the men and boys all stood and joined hands while prayers were offered. Sometimes the preacher suggested each one squeeze the hand on the right if he wanted to pass, or after he was through praying out loud. I vividly recall the mosquitoes attacking my bare arms during those afternoons in 1960, and since my hands were firmly gripped by the massive hands of ranchers on either side of me there was no swatting to be done. I had to bear the onslaught, but found it nearly impossible to concentrate on prayer.
Supper was a repeat of the noon menu, although the kind of beef began to vary as the days went by. Steaks gave way to ribs and pot roast, and then finally to barbeque. After supper there was time to pitch horseshoes before the evening service began under the big tent.
The Prescott meeting was always about the second week of August, so the monsoon was not an unusual accompaniment to the service. The final day was Sunday, and the crowd had swelled from the surrounding communities. The sun always seemed to be shining for the Sunday morning service and the tent often overflowed with folks sitting on blankets out on the stubble. A simple business meeting was held after the service, and the afternoon and evening services followed the usual pattern. In closing the evening service, the preacher had a special urgency to his invitation for Christian discipleship. A benediction closed it all, and the next morning those who had been camping packed up along with the camp meeting crew, who headed for another opening night on Thursday.
In 1955, Rob and Laura Perkins retired and moved to Phoenix. Rob had retained the Deep Well, while his brother Nick and his family operated the rest of the ranch holdings. With retirement, Rob Perkins sold the Deep Well Ranch to Harold James but he came up for the annual meetings until his death in 1964. The Perkins family continued to play a major role in carrying on the annual Cowboy Camp Meetings, joined by the new owner of the site, Harold James. The crowds came out well into the 1960s. In 1957, it was reported that 300 attended Thursday's opening session, with 150 each of the other nights. However the times were changing, and after twenty years from its founding, the need for a traditional Camp Meeting was on the wane. Paved roads eliminated the isolation of ranchers in Yavapai County; the cattle business was headed for extinction due to drought, falling markets and the spread of developments in Chino and Williamson Valleys. Furthermore, several churches in Prescott had begun to hold summer camp meetings at various campgrounds around the city, and the cowboy chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes held its own Cowboy Camp Meeting in conjunction with the Prescott Rodeo.
The last published announcement for the Deep Well meeting was in the summer of 1968. After that, word of it seems to fall silent and presumably that had been the final year.
For those who attended during its hay-day, the Prescott Cowboy Camp Meetings remain a precious memory and a reminder of spiritual hope in this world. My memory will always return to that prayer tree and the sound of the old cowboy, Pecos Higgins, praying, "Lord, I ain't askin' you for nothin', I'm jest thankin' you for everything!" Thanks to the Cowboy Camp meetings across Texas and the Southwest, Pecos, the tough reprobate, had given his life to Christ in his old age and would travel the circuit giving his testimony. He ended his days in Prescott at the Pioneer Home, and is buried in the Pioneer Cemetery.
Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(The meeting begins) Reuse only by permission.
The beginning of the 1960 Cowboy Camp Meeting. Photo courtesy of the author, Stan Brown.
Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(The Prayer Tree) Reuse only by permission.
The Prayer Tree where the men and boys met each day for prayer and sharing. Photo courtesy of the author, Stan Brown.