By Lane Burkitt

A military encampment in Chino Valley in 1863 for the purpose of protecting what many hoped would be the richest gold fields in the West, led to the founding of the town of Prescott. General James H Carleton, military commander of New Mexico Territory with authority over Arizona, was convinced of the mineral riches in this area by reports from the early "placers" (prospecting miners looking for loose gold in the creeks). He especially wished to secure the gold deposits for the Union, as the Civil War was being hard-fought in the East at the time. Carleton wrote several times of "extraordinary developments of gold and silver in Arizona," and it was this belief that prompted him to act with urgency to establish a fort near what would, within a year, become the town of Prescott.

By Kathy Krause

It was the summer of 1857 and two shipments of camels had arrived in Texas from the Middle East bringing the total number to about 75. Lt. Edward Fitzgerald Beale was in charge of the Camel Corps and was assigned to survey a route from Fort Defiance, NM (now Arizona) to the Colorado River with plans to build a wagon road and scout out a route for a southern transcontinental railroad.

By Kathy Krause

Many have heard tales of camels in our state, but few realize the significance they have in our history. Actually, the camel family originated in North America where fossils of many kinds of camel ‘prototypes’ have been discovered. Eventually, the American camels migrated; some into South America, where today they appear as llamas and alpacas; others migrated northwest towards Alaska and the ancient land bridge into Asia, gradually evolving into the camel of today. It wasn’t until the early 1700s that a few were re-introduced as curiosities in Massachusetts. Then came the real test of their usefulness in the United States.

By Tom Collins

At 9:40 on the evening of June 28, 1896, Bertha Hovey and her friend Cora – two "habituees of Granite Street" – were dining out in the rear of the Cabinet Saloon on Whiskey Row. Other customers were drinking and playing poker throughout the saloon. The employees were busy serving. Suddenly, a horrific explosion rocked the building. The vicinity of Bertha and Cora’s table was blown to shreds and the entire dining room demolished. Floor boards in the barroom were torn up, tables overturned, windows shattered and everything movable was wrecked. The force of the explosion brought hundreds of people rushing to the scene to discover the cause of the disaster.

By Charles Debrille Poston, 1864

(Edited by Parker Anderson)

(Charles D. Poston has been called by many historians as "the Father of Arizona" due to his efforts lobbying for creation of the territory. He was an explorer and prospector in the territory before the arrival of the first governor’s party (December 1863) and was appointed Superintendent of Indian Affairs by President Lincoln. He would also become the Territory of Arizona’s first Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives (1864-65). In 1864, he wrote a lengthy letter to his friend J. Ross Browne about his tour of the Territory shortly after the Capital was set up in Prescott. The townsite was named Prescott in May of 1864. The letter was published in the Miner on September 21, 1864 and October 5, 1864. Following are excerpts from that letter. -ed).

By Carol Powell

My mother-in-law, Clara Mae (Miller) Powell, was born in Prescott, Arizona in 1914 to William and Anna (Fairchild) Miller. She and her older sister, Pearl, loved to relate old family stories about their ancestors settling the Arizona territory. One family note passed down by them was simply "Aunt Florence – Madam in Holbrook, married George Laney." A madam in the family! What an interesting note!

By David Perkins

Some diseases and medical emergencies in early Prescott could be taken care of with home remedies and treatments. Other circumstances needed intervention and were much more serious. Along with venereal diseases and drug addictions, smallpox was another scourge of frontier towns.

By David Perkins

Prescott is not the typical American town. Its differences primarily arise from its climate, topographical features and its history. Medical care in Prescott has progressed from an era of folk medicine and home remedies to the modern medical care of today.

Since the early 1800s, and perhaps earlier, there had been a well used foot trail between the Prescott/Verde area of the Arizona Territory and the Colorado River. By the mid-1880s, this footpath had developed into a well traveled and maintained wagon road for freight wagons moving to and from Fort Mohave, established in April of 1859 on the east side of the river, 7 miles south of present day Bullhead City. The fort provided protection against the Indians for California immigrants traveling across the Beale Wagon Road in northern Arizona Territory.

By Susan Jones

On August 1, 1896 the Prescott Journal Miner published the following obituary: "May Ackerman, better known as ‘Diamond May’ died suddenly this morning at her room on Granite Street. A few months ago this unfortunate woman figured in the noted diamond robbery of this city, being the victim and losing it is said several thousand dollars in precious stones in that crime. Her sad ending this morning surrounded by vice and nurtured to the last in extreme poverty, disclosed a life that has surrounded it that which only a courtesan knows. Several years ago she fell through the influence of her womanly charms, and in her conquests became somewhat noted in many places of the east as well as the west, drifting with the tide however until wrecked in the gulf of despair and dissolution. She leaves a sister to mourn her loss and will be laid away tomorrow in citizen’s cemetery."