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.

By Darla Anderson

One day, probably in 1963, my family decided to stop at a quaint spot in Yarnell identifying itself with large letters as "Carraro’s Grotto." From the slender winding road, we could see giant gray boulders and a handmade railing that looked like the entry. In front was a small space to accommodate cars and to the left was a small gray trailer. The grotto loomed above.

By Danny Freeman

The first formalized ‘rodeo’ was held in Prescott, Arizona Territory during the 4th of July celebration in l888 and has been a yearly event ever since. That first ‘rodeo’ was called a "Cowboy Tournament". It was added to the 4th of July activities that year to entice more people to come to town to enjoy the festivities and to spend money with the merchants. There was a planning committee of merchants and professional people to organize. . . .

By Bob Ross

My mother Grace Baldwin, third generation of our family in Yavapai County, graduated from Prescott High School in 1917 and, after a time as secretary in a local law office, moved to Jerome to work as secretary to the school superintendent, J. O. Mullen. In November 1923, Grace married mining engineer, Frank Ross, my dad, in Prescott. Dad was of the southern Oregon pioneer Ross family and their marriage brought together. . . .

By Bob Ross

My grandparents, Frank and Viola Baldwin, the second generation of our family in Arizona and Yavapai County, lived in Prescott for a while after their marriage in 1896. Viola was the next to youngest daughter of Harrison and Marina Reeves who arrived in Prescott by covered wagon with their five daughters in 1876.

By Bob Ross

My family has been a part of Arizona and Yavapai County for six generations beginning in the covered wagon days of 1876 to the present, covering one hundred and thirty-five years from my great-grandparents to my grandchildren.

In 1876, great-grandparents Harrison and Marina Reeves’ wagon and six others resolutely set out from Kansas on the arduous two-month journey to Prescott, Arizona Territory. Along the way, because of fear and discouragement, four wagons turned back. The Reeves, two other wagons and two riders. . . .