Buckey O’Neill, Yavapai County Sheriff in 1889, led a four-man posse that same year into northern Arizona. It captured four cowhands who’d robbed a train near Diablo Canyon. One of the outlaws, J. J. Smith, escaped while en route to Salt Lake City. Eventually, Smith was recaptured and hauled to Prescott to stand trial. While Smith was loose, the other three outlaws were tried and convicted, but were needed to testify in Prescott and were thus carted up from Yuma.

By Brad Courtney

William “Buckey” O’Neill is perhaps Prescott’s most famous and revered historical figure. He was also one of Whiskey Row’s most devoted customers and had a knack for stepping smack-dab into the middle of historic events.O’Neill was a natural leader and a nervously energetic go-getter with an ambition that went beyond a run-of-the-mill quest for success.

By Mick Woodcock

While Arizona had cattle growing, cotton production and other agricultural crops, the state’s biggest contribution to the war effort was copper production. Mines in the southern Arizona town of Bisbee, central Arizona towns of Globe, Clifton and Morenci as well as those in Yavapai County at Jerome and Clarkdale were some of the biggest producers in the country. As early as 1910 Arizona was the leading copper producer in the nation.

By Brenda Taylor

 “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” This quote is attributed to American history professor Laurel Thatcher Ulrich whose life’s work is devoted to recovering the history of women, a topic rarely featured in history books.  One way the State of Arizona is recovering histories from its amazing pioneer women, as well as its current living ladies, is through the Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame. 

By Kylin Cummings

The drudgery of ironing was a laborious task that once consumed entire days of homemakers. In the 1950s, a synthetic wrinkle-free fabric called polyester was introduced, saving countless hours for these overworked and underappreciated defenders of the domestic realm. 

By Mick Woodcock

In Part One last week, we learned something about Amasa G. Dunn, an early Prescott pioneer, businessman and lawman.  In 1869 he had a horrible year.  1870 would be worse.

By Mick Woodcock

Arizona was a violent place in 1870.  The November 19, 1870, Weekly Arizona Miner detailed seventeen killings around the territory.  One headline, “Out On Bail,” referred to a shooting reported in the previous week’s paper.

By Brad Courtney

Prescott is the bearer of several well-known legends. One wonders why an event that happened on Whiskey Row on June 28, 1896, is not one of those widely told stories.

By Brad Courtney

It was called "a dastardly deed.” The work of a demon. It was human emotion gone terribly wrong, and at that time considered the greatest atrocity in Prescott’s 32-year history.

By Ron Williams

It is a staple of modern westerns: The Earps ride into Arizona.  Everyone wants them to be lawmen, but they claim to be retired.  Hollywood presents Virgil and Wyatt resistant to strapping on their guns in Tombstone and everywhere else.  That has made for compelling story lines, but it is far from the truth.  Both always gravitated towards law enforcement.  Being peace officers was always their core profession.