Description

This image is a group photo of the Verde Valley Pioneers at a reunion and picnic.  Sharlot M. Hall usually attended this event and can be seen seated in first row middle area to the right in a white cloche hat with a large dark leaf and next to the woman sitting on the ground.

The Pioneer Picnic is a traditional gathering and potluck lunch enjoyed by members of pioneer families and their friends.

The tradition began as the Baptist Old Tree Meetings, when a group of new settlers, established residents, and people from the military post gathered in the shade of an old cottonwood tree to hear "Parson" James C. Bristow preach his first sermon in the Verde Valley on Sunday, October 3, 1875.

Beginning in 1927, the Verde Valley Pioneer Association continued the yearly tradition, often with gatherings at the Clemenceau School during the spring and at the Montezuma Well Picnic Ground during the fall.  Many were held at James Page’s Oak Creek ranch.  In 1962 it became an annual gathering.  There were no picnics from 1959-1971, but in 1972, the Camp Verde Historical Society rekindled interest in the event and often hosts the picnics in downtown Camp Verde.  The Pioneer Picnic is still being held, most recently at Montezuma’s Well on September 23, 2018.

Source: The Verde Independent, September 19, 2018.