By Dewey E. Born 

In 1935 and 1936, Prescott had a population of about 5,000 and, like the rest of the country, was in the middle of the great depression. The surprising thing is that this small town had some 25 grocery stores. They varied from the national chain stores to small family stores, but they all seemed to make a profit.

By Terry Munderloh

Arizona's first governor journeyed through Central Arizona in the 1860s. Letters written by members of the expedition mention Fossil Creek by name and commented on abundant "petrifactions" in one of the streams they crossed. Fossil Creek is identified on maps dating from the 1860s.

By Stan Brown 

In 1912, the Santa Fe Railroad built a spur line through the Perkins ranch from Clarkdale to Drake. This greatly facilitated the shipping of the Perkin's cattle and the depot, not far from the ranch house, was called Perkinsville. In the same year, the railroad had secured an easement across the Marion Perkins's ranch and created Perkinsville as a watering station.

By Stan Brown 

Our three children bounced eagerly from window to window in our camper as we went through the iron gate and completed the last mile on a well used gravel road. Our Chevy pickup truck rumbled along the western reaches of the Deep Well Ranch outside of Prescott, Arizona, heading for the 21st Annual Cowboy Camp Meeting in this area.

By Tom Collins 

For decades, the Sharlot Hall Museum has possessed in its archives a fine photo entitled "Interior of an unidentified opera house, c. 1890s." And, since the Museum lacks photos of the interiors of the Prescott Theatre on the corner of Alarcon and Liberty streets (1878-1883); the so-called Prescott (or Bashford's) Opera House in the Howey building on the southeast corner of Cortez and Goodwin (1884-99); nor Patton's Opera House on the south side of West Gurley Street (1894-1897) (or known later as Dake's Opera House from 1897-1903); this, until-now unidentifiable photo, is a rare historical artifact of some significance and curiosity.

Original author Jim Smith, c.1975 & Edited by Jody Drake for this article. 

(Printed with Permission from Northern Arizona University, Cline Library, Special Collections and Archives, Jerome State Historic Park Collection)

"Generally speaking, eruptions of 'righteousness' triggered by revelations of vice are not permitted to get too far out of hand. Reporters begin to weary of the story, editors are restored to their senses, and the police, acting in the interest of the politicians, do only enough to enable the administration to declare that 'action has been taken'." (Harry Benjamin & R.E.L.,Master's Thesis, 'Prostitution and Morality')

By Parker Anderson 

In the early days of the 20th century, it was not especially common for nationally known entertainers to visit the small town of Prescott. It had only happened a handful of times. The Elks Opera House had been constructed in 1905 to help rectify this situation, but things had not gone as originally planned.

By Nancy Burgess - Caption courtesy of Richard Sims, former Director of the Sharlot Hall Museum.

A restored and resplendent elk returns home 

The Elks Club, B. P. O. E. #330, of Prescott, Arizona Territory, was chartered in January 1896 and is the "mother lodge" of Arizona. Desirous of a building of their own in which to hold their meetings and social events, in 1899, a committee was appointed by the Elks Club to investigate the feasibility of erecting an Elks Building in downtown Prescott.

By A.E. Ensign of the Federal Writers Project c.1935 

Editor's Note: continuing our series of articles written by the Federal Writers Project in depression-era America, 'Law and Order' is an exaggerated recount of a courtroom melée during the 1880s. Although many of the hard facts are wrong, the excitable description of this gruesome and almost humorous encounter is an entertaining read and is an example of how an historical event, when told at a certain angle or by a certain person, can become mythical. Please find the original Courier article (which contains most of the correct facts) following the story.

By Stan Brown 

George Crook turned forty-three years of age three months after taking command of the Military Department of Arizona on June 4, 1871. He came with almost twenty years' experience, having graduated from West Point in 1852, fought Indian Wars in Oregon and California, and led Union troops throughout the Civil War. During these years he had risen through the ranks to become a Major General. Upon arriving in Arizona his concern was to confine and defeat the Apache bands that were causing havoc throughout the Territory.