By Ken Edwards

Rancher, entrepreneur, truck driver, farmer, and builder. All of these terms apply to John Benton 'Jack' Jones, builder of Prescott's historic Hotel Vendome. Often confused with a miner of the same name, the "real" (for our purposes) Jack Jones was never involved in mining activity. Born in a small ranching community in central Texas in 1881, Jack left home at an early age because he couldn't get along with the rest of his family.

By Linda Ludington

In Part 1, we learned that Ed Kellis dreamed of owning a cattle ranch, and that as a toddler, he received his first heifer calf. During the Depression, the Kellis family sold their Blackwell, Texas windmill business and blacksmith shop, and moved to Arizona. Having purchased a herd of goats and cattle in Bagdad, the family met witih financial disaster due to a severe winter, during which most of the livestock perished. Ed Kellis started work at the mine in Bagdad. In 1961, he finally purchased the ranch of which he had dreamed.

By Linda Ludington

The country is not a gentle land. Huge boulders strewn about like a naughty child's toys appear to have catapulted one another to balance themselves capriciously on sheer ledges. Rocks trap and concentrate precious moisture in clefts to nourish Saguaro and desert grasses. Above the Santa Maria River, steep ridges reveal still higher crests to the north. The elevation climbs from 2,000 to over 5,000 feet. The desert gives way to vast mesas covered with pinon, oak, and mountain grasses.

By Evelyn B. Baldwin and edited by Parker Anderson

(This article first appeared in the Prescott Evening Courier on October 27, 1936. It was submitted to the paper by the Courier's Jerome correspondent, Madge Whitford. It was written by her father's cousin, Arctic explorer, Mr. Evelyn Baldwin. The article has been long forgotten, and is presented here, re-discovered at last.) 

The following true narrative of the first Masonic burial in Arizona, as related to me by my old friend, Col. W. M. Williams, of Cairo, Illinois, will doubtless interest your readers. I give it, as nearly as possible, in his own words:

By Bill Peck

From the 1900's until about 1960, livestock shipping corrals stood beside the railroad tracks at most small towns in Arizona. Made of creosoted timbers and plank fences, one could get a good look at all of the local cowboy gentry at shipping time They sat on the top board of the fence which was laid flat for walking purposes.

By Anne Foster

Modern Prescottonians embrace the image of the town as a Wild West icon, complete with a notorious street of saloons and a tumultuous history. For some residents in the late 19th century, however, the goal was to promote a civilized, well-to-do persona in keeping with the prosperity and optimism of the age. In keeping with this ideal, the town's leading ladies formed the Prescott Chautauqua Reading Circle.

By Parker Anderson

One of Prescott’s most enduring legends is the brief history of the Ku Klux Klan in Prescott. The famed white supremacist group had existed in various forms throughout the nation since Southern Reconstruction. By the 1920s, the Klan was the subject of public debate, with state legislatures conducting investigations into allegations of killings, vandalism, and general terror tactics attributed to the Klan. Defenders of the Klan maintained that their group consisted solely of "patriots fighting for White rights", an argument still used by white supremacists.

By Goodwin "Goodie" Berquist

In 1863 when gold was first discovered in the Prescott area, all a miner needed was a pick axe, a strong back, determination, and a little bit of luck. Up to October 1, 1876, of 11, 605 mines located and recorded in the Arizona Territory, 7,298 were in the county of Yavapai. Area mines yielded silver, copper, iron, and lead, as well as gold. Rich deposits of gold nuggets were discovered and mined in these early years.

By Nancy Kirkpatrick Wright

On Tuesday morning, June 8, 2004, the bright planet Venus will move in front of our sun--a transit of Venus--and millions will watch through strong filters as a small black dot moves across the lower part of the sun. Scientists and astronomers are excited since no one now alive has seen a transit of Venus. There were no transits of Venus in the 20th century - the last pair being 1874 and 1882.

By Pat Atchison

Because Citizens Cemetery is near the center of Prescott, many people walk in to look around. Some visit to view the artistic grave markers. Others are history buffs who are interested in the dates and other information listed on the markers. Some walk in to see the beautiful wildflowers in the springtime. Some come on a mission to discover the burial place of a relative.