By Thomas McColloch
Prescott once had a railroad that ran right through town. The Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix Railway (SF, P&P) was completed in 1895 and provided freight and passenger service to help open the Arizona territory to development. The SF, P&P connected to the Santa Fe mainline at Ash Fork, ran south through Chino Valley and Prescott, then west to Hillside, turning south to Phoenix. The railroad served small towns along the route; transporting dry goods, mining equipment and produce. This route was nicknamed the “Peavine” because of the numerous curves required as the track followed mountainous terrain. At Chino Valley, an interchange with the narrow-gauge railroad that served Jerome was built. In 1898 a branch line was constructed to Mayer to serve the mines in that area. A passenger depot was constructed in Prescott in 1907 on Sheldon Street, with a rail yard for servicing steam locomotives. In 1912 a branch line was built to Clarkdale.
Due to increased use of trucks and automobiles, by the 1950s, railroad freight and passenger traffic to Prescott had declined. The Santa Fe wanted to expedite shipments to Phoenix, the major market for the railroad, so they studied a new track alignment that would eliminate the curves and steep grades between Prescott and Skull Valley. The Prescott bypass track was proposed by the railroad in 1959. This new route would eliminate passenger service to Prescott which required Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) approval to implement. Hearings were held with the City of Prescott, the ICC and the Santa Fe, with the city very much opposed to ending 65 years of passenger service. The Santa Fe ultimately prevailed, and the Prescott bypass track was built in 1961. The bypass connected to the Peavine line at Skull Valley, then went west around Granite Mountain before heading east to rejoin the Peavine line in Paulden. The bypass track went into service in 1962, and the last passenger train departed from Prescott that April. The tracks from the old route between Prescott to Skull Valley were removed in the summer of 1962.
The Santa Fe kept the tracks from Prescott north to Paulden for freight service only. Trains brought lumber, petroleum products and beer to Prescott. The frequency of the trains declined over the years, and by the late 1970s, there was no published schedule, with trains running only as needed. The last freight departed Prescott in September 1983. A few days later, torrential rains north of Prescott washed out the Peavine railbed in several locations. The Santa Fe determined that the limited revenue from the line did not justify the need to repair the track. The freight line was officially abandoned in 1984, although the tracks were not removed until 1992.
The Peavine is still in operation today. Part of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, operating trains to and from Phoenix still uses the Prescott bypass tracks. The Peavine hiking trails in Prescott and Chino Valley are on the former railbed. In Prescott, three railroad landmarks remain. The former passenger station is still on Sheldon Street with the exterior looking much as it did in 1907, though the interior has been converted into office space. The steel truss bridge over Granite Creek, behind the Hilton Garden Inn, looks as it did in 1907. And the machine shop building in the former Prescott rail yard is now a storage building for the lumber yard on Sixth Street. The railroad tracks are still in the floor in this building, and the large wooden trusses supporting the roof are still in place. Look at these structures when you are in town and imagine what Prescott was like when the railroad was here!
“Days Past” is a collaborative project of the Sharlot Hall Museum and the Prescott Corral of Westerners International (www.prescottcorral.org). This and other Days Past articles are also available at www.archives.sharlothallmuseum.org/articles/days-past-articles/1. The public is encouraged to submit proposed articles and inquiries to dayspast@sharlothallmuseum.org Please contact SHM Research Center reference desk at 928-277-2003, or via email at archivesrequest@sharlothallmuseum.org for information or assistance with photo requests.