Published September 20, 2022, for State 48 A2Z
Located on the Verde River in Yavapai County, the city of Cottonwood was utilized by the US Army in 1874 to house soldiers at an adobe house in the area now known as Cottonwood, five years before the town was founded. However, the land was occupied originally by Native American tribes, including the Hualapai and the Havasupai, well before Anglo pioneers started to settle the area in the 1850s.
Originally called Possum Trot because the area was a natural crossroad for animals going from one watering hole to another. The abundance of game in the area attracted more settlers, hunters, and miners to the land, and as more settlers started to move into the area and the community started to grow, the name Cottonwood was given to the town, named for the circle of large cottonwood trees that were located approximately one-quarter of a mile from the Verde River.
With the Verde River running through the town, the area was very rich in water as well as cottonwood trees which were used to make various items including paper. In the 1850s, the first settlers were mainly ranchers that also grew corn and other grain crops. The first farmers to the area planted orchards but quickly changed over to growing crops such as alfalfa, carrots, potatoes, and eventually citrus. The first ferry arrived in Cottonwood in 1865 and provided a service to shuttle people across the Verde River.
Following World War I, lumber was in high demand, and the forested areas around Cottonwood were harvested to help meet this need. This brought the Arizona Lumber and Timber Company to existence, as the Hull-Oakes Mill was built in town. and was the town's largest employer for several decades before closing in 1976. That mill today is located at the town’s Old Mill Pond. The mill closure is said to have been a result of market conditions, the changeover of mills to electric motors driven by diesel engines, and the construction of Interstate-17.
As America’s history kept changing, so did Cottonwood, which today is home to approximately 12,000 people and attracts thousands of visitors each year. Cottonwood is also close to other historic Arizona towns such as Clarkdale and Jerome and is in the heart of Arizona Wine Country. Yes, believe it or not, the soil, climate, and the convergence of the Verde River and Oak Creek a little to the south of Cottonwood all combine to produce some very good grapes.
When visiting Cottonwood today, you have a wide choice of activities to partake in including boating, kayaking, fishing, hiking, shopping, dining, and more. The town’s Dead Horse Ranch State Park is a fantastic place to take in scenic views as well as a wide variety of animals native to the area. You can also enjoy a self-guided tour of historic Old Town Cottonwood, jeep tours of the surrounding areas, tour the Clemenceau Heritage Museum, hike the Jail Trail located at the top of Old Town, or maybe hit the Verde Valley Wine Trail and enjoy tastings of some of the state’s best wines.
Other things to do in and around Cottonwood include visiting Tuzigoot National Monument, a Native American ruin archeological park and museum located a few miles north of Cottonwood in Clarkdale, or maybe check out nearby historic towns of Jerome and Clarkdale. Spoiler alert!!!!! Look for an article on Tuzigoot next week.
Whatever you decide to do in the area, I am sure you will find Cottonwood a fun and charming old town. To learn more about Cottonwood and things to do the in area visit www.oldtown.org.
That’ll wrap things up for this week. As always, thanks for reading, stay safe, and happy travels. Be sure to like and follow us on social media (links below), share our blog posts, and feel free to give us your feedback. We’d love to hear from you. Peace!
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