By Juti A. Winchester

In May of 1876, the United States was gearing up to celebrate its centennial.  On the Plains, Indians struggled with the frontier Army for control of their hunting rights and their homelands, and George Armstrong Custer's demise at the Little Big Horn battle was still months in the unknown future.  William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody had just begun his stage career.

By Anita Zellar

When you're ten years old a twig whistle makes a warm spring day a perfect spring day.  Where I grew up poplar was the wood of choice but willow can work equally as well . Whistle making is strictly a springtime task because you need a good deal of sap under the bark to make the project possible. 

By Richard Gorby

The exact age of the Palace Saloon is somewhat of a puzzle.  1877, is used because of this item in the September 21, l877, Arizona Weekly Miner: 

"Mess'rs Shaw and Standefer have fitted up the Palace Saloon in the most superb style, and fitted it with choice liquors of every conceivable kind."  "Have fitted up the Palace Saloon" suggests that it was already there, but no earlier mention can be found.  Few records were kept and most of those were destroyed by Prescott's many fires.  The following two are interesting but doubtful: From the December 30, 1977, Courier:

By Warren Miller 

Bear Creek, Chinese Breakdown, Soldier's Joy, Whistlin' Rufus, Whiskey Before Breakfast, Red Wing, Kentucky Waltz, Sweetheart Schottische, Soppin' the Gravy, Ragtime Annie--- the names of fiddle tunes evoke a past rich in the textures of country life.  These and other colorful old time fiddle tunes can be heard Saturday, October 2, at 1:00 p.m. when the Mile High Chapter of the Arizona Old Time Fiddlers takes the stage at the 21st Annual Sharlot Hall Museum Folk Music Festival.

By Danny Freeman

On August 7, 1913, the Northern Arizona Fair Association of the five northern counties was formally organized and the by-laws were adopted.  A membership fee was set at $2.50, and within ten days two hundred had signed up.  A board of directors of 25 was agreed upon, with five from each county: Yavapai, Mohave, Coconino, Navajo and Apache.

By Linda Ludington

The current owner of the historic V7 Ranch, Betty Wells, is an energetic woman who is full of friendly good will and good stories about six generations of her family who have made Chino Valley their home.  You would not think that this demure Western woman had been named Rancher of the Year by the Kiwanis Club or had been a rodeo-winning team roper or had introduced the Team Penning event to the Prescott Rodeo.  You would not expect to find that, at the age of seventy-five, she still works cattle on young horses she trains herself, fixes fences and brands on the range, but all of these are true of Betty Wells.

By Ruby Schmieder

Before the Mountain Club existed there was the heat of Phoenix B.C. (Before Cooling).  It had a population of about 40,000 most of them suffering through the summer heat.  The more affluent mothers fled with the children to the California seacoast hoping to protect the small children from the (sometime fatal) summer complaints.  However, it was never a desirable situation to separate families for the summer.  Thus there was a need to correct this unhealthy exodus.

By Mary Woodhouse

The world had hardly been introduced to aviation in 1924.  Charles Lindbergh was three years away from making his historic trans-Atlantic flight.  But the board of directors of the Yavapai County Chamber of Commerce could see what flying machines would mean to the remote community of Prescott.

By Sylvia Neely

A beautiful historic brick school building is clearly seen by Prescottonians traveling down East Gurley.  This is Washington School, built in 1903, and Yavapai County's oldest continuously used school and one of the oldest in the state.  Few people know that there was another beautiful brick school building on this same site.  It was known as the Prescott Free Academy, and was built in 1876.  It was Arizona Territory's first graded public school. 

By Kathryn Reisdorfer

Some come to see the rodeo, the parade, or the fair on the Square.  Some come from the Valley to get away from the heat.  Others are drawn by the blow-out on Whiskey Row.  And, of course, there are the high-tech water fights.  Now 111 years old, Prescott's Fourth of July celebration and Rodeo still draws them in-for various reason and via various conveyances.