The city of Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. Locals pronounce the name PRES-skit as opposed to PRES-cott. Prescott was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s, and it is also known as "The Cowboy Capital of the World". According to 2009 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 43,217. Prescott is the county seat of Yavapai County. Prescott and Yavapai County reflect both the history of the old west and the future of the new. Remnants of U.S. Cavalry forts, Indian dwellings, gold rush boomtowns, abandoned mines, Spanish Land Grant ranches, homesteads and vast tracts of uninhabited public lands exist side by side with modern housing developments, industry and business here in the mountain heart of Arizona. Yavapai County is one of the four original Arizona counties formed in September of 1864, one year after the Arizona Territory was established. The County was named after the Yavapai Tribe, whose name means the "people of the sun." Prescott got its name when the territorial capital was moved to a new site along side Fort Whipple. The new town was then named in honor of historian William H. Prescott during a public meeting held on May 30, 1864. William Hickling Prescott was an American historian and Hispanist, who is widely recognized by historiographers to have been the first American scientific historian. William Hickling Prescott was a direct descendant of the revolutionary American officer William Prescott, William H. Prescott spent his childhood and adolescence in Boston, Massachusetts. Prescott attended Harvard University. In 1864 Prescott was designated as the capital of the Arizona Territory, replacing the temporary capital located at Fort Whipple. The Territorial Capital was moved to Tucson in 1867. Later on, Prescott again became the Territorial Capital in 1877, until Phoenix became the capital in 1889. One of the main streets of Prescott is called Gurley Street. Since the street, which runs East & West; runs into Montezuma Street, where Whisky Row is located; a common joke is that they misspelled the name. It should have been spelled " Girly " Street ! Actually it was named after John Addison Gurley (December 9, 1813 � August 19, 1863) who was a U.S. Congressman from Ohio during the early part of the American Civil War. He was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln, as the first Governor of the Arizona Territory, but died of appendicitis before taking office. Gurley was born in East Hartford, Connecticut. He attended the district schools and received academic instruction before becoming an apprentice in the hatter�s trade. He studied theology and became a minister, serving as pastor of the Universalist Church in Methuen, Massachusetts, from 1835�1838. He moved west to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1838 and became owner and editor of the Star and Sentinel, later called the Star in the West, and also served as a pastor in that city. Gurley retired from the ministry in 1850, sold his newspaper in 1854 and retired to his farm near Cincinnati. During the Civil War, Gurley served as colonel and aide-de-camp on the staff of Gen. John C. Fr�mont. Another prominent family in Arizona was the Goldwater Family. It could be said that their fortune in Arizona began when Michael Goldwater visited Prescott in the early summer of 1876. Shortly after he and his sons developed a large general merchandise store business in Prescott, & Phoenix. The Goldwater's had a lot to do with the building of Prescott. A complete discussion of their business acheivements would take several pages. On September 3, 1964, Barry Goldwater, announced his run for President of the United States, at the Yavapai County Courthouse in Prescott, Arizona. George DeLange, the author of this page, knew the Goldwater Family, since George's grandfather, was a personal friend of Barry Goldwater. In fact, when George's grandfather, John Oliver Hawkins passed away; Barry Goldwater came from Washington, D.C. to the funeral. George DeLange was also the Assistant Manager of that Prescott Woolworth Store, in the early 1960's. The towns of Prescott Valley (7 miles east) and Chino Valley (16 miles north), Dewey-Humboldt (13 miles east) and Prescott, together comprise what is locally known as the "Quad-City" area. Prescott boasts a four-season climate which is generally moderate, its altitude of 5,354 ft (1,632 m) making it significantly cooler than the lower southern areas of the state yet it does not have the harsher winters found at other higher altitude communities in Arizona. Prescott has many Victorian style homes and, perhaps because of that, has been called the most Midwestern-appearing city in the Southwest. Prescott has 809 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Prescott is home to the historical area known as Whiskey Row, until 1956 Whiskey Row was also a notorious red-light district. It�s been called Whiskey Row ever since before the turn of the century, when more than 40 saloons lined the street. In 1900, all of Whiskey Row was destroyed by a fire. Note: On May 8, 2012, another fire destroyed Pearl�s Place Cafe, Prescott Food Store, and the Bird Cage Saloon on Whiskey Row. Workers razed the burned-out buildings, and the Prescott Preservation Commission approved a new architectural design in late July of 2012. A fundraiser brought in $86,000 that was split among owners of the three destroyed businesses. The money was used to renovate the Bird Cage Saloon; and help pay off debt from Pearl�s Place Cafe. So far, While Pearl�s Place Cafe, and the Prescott Food Store; haven�t returned to Whiskey Row. But the Bird Cage Saloon raised its sign on March 25, of 2013; just five doors south of its original location. Whiskey Row runs north and south on S. Montezuma St. between Gurley and Goodwin St., directly west of the county courthouse. This single city block has been the home of the St. Michael's Hotel and the Palace Hotel since the late 19th century along with other colorful purveyors of night-life. One very interesting building is the Palace Saloon or Bar. The Palace Bar first opened its doors in September 1877. The Palace is still the oldest frontier saloon in Arizona and the most well-known and historic restaurant and saloon in the state. Some of the famous wild west patrons during the In the late 1870's, were; Wyatt Earp, Virgil Earp, and Doc Holliday. Virgil Earp and his wife Allie lived in Prescott where Virgil owned a saw mill at Thumb Butte and where he also was the Town Constable. Wyatt and his other brother, Morgan, visited Virgil in Prescott before they left for Tombstone. Doc Holliday was on a winning streak on Whiskey Row (possibly at The Palace) where he won $10,000 in Poker. He joined up with the Earp's, eight months later in Tombstone. When you visit Prescott's Courthouse Plaza, you will notice the Buckey O'Neil Statue. William Owen "Buckey" O'Neill served as the captain of Troop A, First United States Volunteer Cavalry, known as the "Rough Riders." He lost his life in Cuba on July 1, 1898, in combat below Kettle Hill while commanding Troop A of the Rough Riders. He has a very interesting life history which is beyond the scope of this web site. Prescott is the home of three museums that describe the culture of the area. They are the Phippen Museum, the Sharlot Hall Museum, and the Smoki Museum. The Phippen Museum offers a magnificent collection of Western art and the heritage of the American west, the Smoki Museum provides insight into American Indian art and culture, and the Sharlot Hall Museum tells the story of early Arizona history, highlighted by being inside the original 1864 territorial governor�s mansion. Another place in Prescott of historic significance is Fort Whipple. Fort Whipple was a U.S. Army post which served as Arizona Territory's capital prior to the founding of Prescott, Arizona. The post was founded in January 1864 in Chino Valley, Arizona, but was moved in May 1864 to Granite Creek near the present day location of Prescott. The post was closed in 1913. Then, soon after retiring as a U.S. Army post, it became a Military Hospital that was used throughout the World War I and World War II eras. Fort Whipple is still a hospital today and is also a tourist attraction. The name of the outpost comes from the last name of Amiel Weeks Whipple, a Union General who served in the American Civil War but who died at the Battle of Chancellorsville due to injuries. Along with being a hospital, the fort still has buildings on the hills nearby, which once served as the officers quarters. Now, the buildings are homes to nurses and doctors of the hospital. One of the buildings was turned into a museum, dedicated and shows artifacts and history about the fort. The Fort Whipple Museum is located on the grounds of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center at 500 N. Hwy. 89 in Prescott. The Museum is open Thursday - Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is free. Ft. Whipple is a joint venture between Prescott�s Sharlot Hall Museum and the VA Medical Center. If you like to try your luck and gamble; then you might like to visit the Bucky's and Yavapai Casinos also located in Prescott. An interesting rock formation, picnic area, and hiking area to the southwest of Prescott is Thumb Butte. Thumb Butte is a basalt formation with faces and clean crack routes up to 250 feet long. At almost 6000 feet in elevation with most lines on the north face this is a decent place to climb on warm days. It should only be climbed by experienced hikers. There are also some good basalt boulders down among the pines near the parking area. The extensive picnic area is for day-use only. An interesting riparian area is Watson Lake, conveniently located about 4 miles from downtown Prescott Arizona and featuring fishing, boating, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, rock climbing, camping and day picnicking. Watson's water surface is about 380 surface acres and is distinguished by its sky blue calm waters surrounded by interesting granite boulders with protruding vegetation. Reflected in the waters of Watson Lake is Granite Dells. Granite Dells is destinguished by massive boulders of ancient rock that have weathered into delicately balanced forms and fanciful shapes, Mostly reflected in the surface of Watson Lake. Ancient ruins and artifacts indicate that Native Americans used to live here. The scenic Granite Dells offer a great place for boating, picnicking, or just a stroll. Rock climbers tackle the challenging granite formations. Watson Lake Park, four miles north of town on AZ 89, offers year-round day use and summer weekend camping. Another great recreational area in the Prescott Area is Lynx Lake, which is a 55-acre (220,000 m2) reservoir located within Prescott National Forest, approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Prescott, Arizona, in the Bradshaw Mountains. Lynx Lake is located at 5,530 feet (1,690 m) elevation and is stocked for fishing. It is one of the most popular recreation areas in central Arizona. Mild weather, the cool ponderosa pine forest, trout fishing, boating, mountain hiking , horseback riding, archaeological sites, and bird watching attract visitors from throughout Arizona. Lynx Lake was formed in 1952, when a dam was put in Lynx Creek, 6 miles (9.7 km) below Walker, Arizona. Another do not miss place to visit is Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary, formerly known as Heritage Park Zoo, a non-profit wildlife sanctuary, dedicated to the conservation and protection of native and exotic animals.