HISTORY6 - Prescott, Everybody's Hometown
Pat and I will be visiting Prescott in October to participate in an Arizona Highways photoshoot class. Even though we’ve been to Prescott many times in the past, I wanted to know more about the history of the town this time. Prescott (apparently pronounced “press-kit” by natives and “press-cot” by others) is a town of around 45 thousand people, located in the Bradshaw Mountains of north central Arizona at an elevation of 5,400 feet. Prescott’s history includes that of Native Americans, who have lived in the Prescott area for hundreds of years, the town’s founding as a gold mining camp by white settlers in the 1860s, years as capital of the Arizona Territory, growth after Arizona statehood to become a tourist and recreation destination, and determined efforts to preserve its history and architecture. This modern street map of downtown Prescott highlights Montezuma and Gurley Streets, the center of the town's history. Native Americans The Yavapai have o...