By Bob Cornett

A “moving saga” of our Arizona Territorial Capital began soon after Governor Goodwin and his party’s January 1864 arrival near Del Rio Springs in Chino Valley where they set up a temporary camp. It was determined that the location was unsuitable as a capital site. Without delay, Governor Goodwin spent months touring the territory to find a suitable site for the capital and ultimately chose the area that would be named ‘Prescott’ among miners and gold strikes. In May, the Governor moved to the banks of Granite Creek in Prescott and here was built the log structure which was home to the first two territorial governors…now the Governor’s Mansion at Sharlot Hall Museum.

By Ken Edwards

This is a condensed version of the articles on Days Past from November 26 and December 03, 2000. For the complete "story" please refer to these earlier articles by Ken Edwards. Search "Ken Edwards" to locate the articles.

Although dates and places of birth are varied, it is most probable that Pauline Weaver was born in White County, Tennessee in 1797. His parents are thought to be an Anglo-American father and a Cherokee mother. Although Weaver’s given name. . . .

By Stan Brown

The town of Chino Valley has several theories of origin attached to it. Marshall Trimble, in ‘Roadside History of Arizona’ writes, “During the historic 1853-54 survey, Lieutenant Amiel W. Whipple chose the name Chino Valley after the grama grass that carpeted the vast, windswept region. The Mexicans in the party called the range grass ‘de china,’ or ‘the chino,’ hence the name.

Originally written by Charles D. Poston and compiled and edited by Parker Anderson

The following article is comprised of excerpts from a paper written by Charles D. Poston at the request of the Royal Geographical Society of London in 1875, on the subject of the Arizona Territory and its resources and prospects.

Charles Debrille Poston is regarded by historians as the "Father of Arizona." He led the first exploration of what is now Arizona shortly after the Gadsden Purchase in 1853. A few years later, he helped establish the Sonora Mining Company in Tubac, but was forced to flee after the Union. . . .

By Ruth Noggle

By 1955, my family had lived in Prescott for seven years and my oldest brother, Carl was 15-years-old and in the nineth grade in Prescott Junior High. Roy was 12 and in his last year at Miller Valley Elementary School and I was nine and in third grade at Miller Valley.

By Bob Cornett

John C. Fremont, a twenty-five year old lieutenant in the Army Topographical Corps in 1838 was involved in exploration of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.  At age 29, he was commissioned by the U. S. government to explore the Pacific Northwest, preparing maps and guidebooks for wagon routes to the unknown West. His hand picked civilian employees were rugged mountain men, trappers, often French Canadian or Creoles along with Delaware Indians. All could shoot straight, survive in the wild, obey orders and endure deprivations without complaining.

By Charles Genung (b. 1839 - d. 1916)

The following article was orignially written by Prescott pioneer Charles Genung.  This artilce has been edited by Parker Anderson and Kathy Krause, Days Past Editors.

On November 5, 1871, a stagecoach was ambushed and robbed about 6 miles west of the Vulture Mine Road near Wickenburg, the driver and most of its passengers slaughtered. The incident, commonly known as the "Wickenburg Massacre" is still debated to this day as to whom the perpetrators were.

By Tom Collins

Nearly all historical accounts of suffrage for women in Arizona begin with three progressive women: Sallie Hayden, the Hayden’s Ferry postmistress (1876-78) who took a keen interest in politics and entertained suffragist speakers in her home; Josephine Hughes, a Tucson feminist who established the Arizona Suffrage Association (1891); and Frances Munds, who lobbied unsuccessfully for women’s suffrage during the second Constitutional Convention of 1910 when the territory was preparing for statehood.

By Diana Rahe Taylor

Brothers Samuel Carson Miller and Jacob Leroy Miller arrived in the unexplored area of central Arizona Territory with the Walker Party in May of 1863. Sam and Jake left their home in Illinois in 1859, headed to California to seek gold and there joined up with "Uncle Joe" Walker and his group of mining hopefuls. Both Sam and Jake are listed as members of the Walker Prospecting and Mining Company, established on May 10, 1863 on the banks of the Hassayampa River about six miles south of what is now Prescott - near present Wolf Creek Campgrounds.

By Diana Rahe Taylor

The year is 1859. The place, Peoria County, Illinois. The family – the Millers – John Jacob, Celia ‘Docia’ and their children. They made their home on a farm near Princeville, Illinois – that is, ‘Docia’ made her home in Princeville. John Jacob, a frontiersman at heart, suffered from wanderlust and traveled throughout the West, being away from home years at a time. In spite of that, they managed to raise a large family. Two of the boys, Jacob and Samuel, are the subjects of this article.