Blog Date: 3/28/2022
Date Visited: 8/25/2021
Location: Prescott, AZ
All content is © 2022, Larry Nader & Larry Nader Photography & Art
Founded in 1864 as the Territorial Capital of Arizona, Prescott is yet another Arizona city steeped in southwest history. The city was named in honor of William Hickling Prescott, author of “The History of the Conquest of Mexico, beating out the other proposed names of Goodwin City, and Aztlan.
Over the past 150-plus years, Prescott has had its share of ups and downs but has always pulled through becoming stronger as a result. Today, Prescott and the Prescott Valley are popular destinations for many people from the Phoenix area to get away in and enjoy cooler temperatures in the warmer months and a full four seasons of weather.
Prescott has two main historic districts in its downtown area, and both are located off Gurley Street. The first is located off Mt. Vernon Street and consists of beautiful homes ranging from Victorian to Cottage to Bungalows. The second district of off Park Ave. and surrounding streets where the homes again are a variety of styles. Both districts are within walking distance to downtown shops, attractions, and dining.
Also, in the historic district, and located at the corner of Gurley and Montezuma Streets is the Courthouse Plaza which features the Yavapai County Courthouse, built after the old, antiquated courthouse was torn down in 1916. The grounds around the courthouse occupy a full city block with walking paths, large green areas, and numerous sculptures. This is a perfect place to rest a bit and take in the beauty of its surroundings.
Prescott’s famed Whiskey Row is another must-see stop when you are visiting this high desert town. Whiskey Row was developed following a fire in July 1900 that destroyed the entire block. After rebuilding, there were an inordinate number of bars that were rebuilt in this area compared to other businesses.
At one point, Whiskey Row was home to 40 saloons. The reason for the high numbers of saloons built was the local gold rush which brought in a vast variety of prospectors, settlers, cowboys, bawdy women, gamblers, and outlaws that were attracted to the area and the potential of vast wealth.
While the actual origins of Whiskey Row are shrouded in mystery and myths, some accounts prior to 1877 indicate it may have been closer to Granite Creek before it was relocated to its current spot due to concerns of inebriated saloon patrons having to cross the creek. In 1897 Whiskey Row became the first section of Prescott to have exterior lighting installed.
Nowadays, Whiskey Row, which is located on Montezuma Street between Goodwin and Gurley Streets, is known for its art galleries, shopping, and its historic saloons where some of America’s famous cowboys and outlaws drank including Wyatt and Virgil Earp, and Doc Holliday who were all frequent visitors of The Palace Restaurant & Saloon. The Palace was opened in 1877 and remains in operation today, making it the oldest business in Arizona.
If you visit The Palace, you find the upstairs rooms where the world’s oldest profession happened during its Wild West heyday. These rooms have now been converted to office space. It also still has the original bar. When the fire of 1900 broke out, the saloon's patrons carried the bar out of the burning building to safety. You can still see the bullet holes in the ceiling from the saloons past gunfights.
Prescott has also had its share of Hollywood fame with several movies being filmed (in full or in part) here. One of the first movies to partially film in Prescott was Billy Jack, which started production in the historic downtown area in 1969 before production was shut down and then restarted in New Mexico in 1970. The movie was released in 1971.
Other movies that were filmed in Prescott include Easy Rider (1969), Zoot Suit (1981), Creepshow (1987), Universal Soldier (1992), The Getaway (1994), Jolene (2008), and Only The Brave (2017).
Whether the historic downtown area, Whiskey Row, Watkins Lake, Heritage Park Zoo, or the many museums, restaurants, or bars, a trip to Prescott is full of fun activities, dining, and shopping.
Until Next week...thank you for reading my blog, stay safe, and happy travels!
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