Fall it Prescott

Time to head north to enjoy the fall air.

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Arizona's Christmas City

I have been fortunate to live in Prescott, Arizona my whole life. Not only is it my hometown, but also it is known for being “Everyone’s Hometown.” In addition, Prescott is known as “Arizona’s Christmas City," the “Mile High City” and the former Territorial Capital of Arizona.

Miners flocked to this part of Arizona when gold was discovered near Lynx Creek in 1863. Prescott was founded a year later along Granite Creek where the Walker party discovered more gold. Prescott was designated the capital of this new Arizona territory during the time of President Lincoln and federal troops were sent here to Fort Whipple. When my parents moved here in 1972, my dad went to work at Fort Whipple, which is now a Veteran’s Hospital. Many of the old structures are still here including the officers’ quarters, barracks and the stables.

Prescott has been an ideal place to grow up. The community is rich in traditions, history, culture, entertainment, and environmental activities. Many of our traditions and activities revolve around our downtown Courthouse Square and the Sharlot Hall Museum complex located about two blocks west of the square.

We have always attended events at the Courthouse Square. As a little girl, I remember getting up early on July 4th to go downtown and line up on Whiskey Row next to the Courthouse to wait for the parade to begin. It always had many bands, horses, performing groups and clowns. After the parade was over, we would walk around the square to look at the arts and crafts booths and stand in line to get Indian Fry Bread. As I got older, I remember dancing in the parade as a member of the Lynx Creek Cloggers.

In the evening on the Fourth of July, we would go as a family to Prescott High School and listen to the community band while we waited for the fireworks display to begin. Then we would “cruise” downtown to watch the “water wars,” where carloads of people would drive up and down Gurley Street in trucks, spraying water from buckets and water pistols at participants in other vehicles. My grandmother from New Mexico loved to be here for the Fourth of July to watch these events. In recent years, the water wars downtown were eliminated and the fireworks display was moved to Pioneer Park. Instead of water wars, the city now supports game booths, water slides, and carnival type activities at the park prior to the shooting of the fireworks. It is still a tradition with our family.

Performances and arts and crafts shows at the square are year round activities in Prescott. There is always something going on downtown, including events like the George Phippen Art Show, the Folk Arts Fair, Territorial Days, the World’s Oldest Rodeo parade, Faire on the Square, Oktoberfest in the West, the Bluegrass Festival, Earth Day and Arizona Christmas City Celebrations. While each season brings a unique line-up of events, my favorite times are summer and Christmas.

In the summer, each night on the plaza is reserved for special events. One night is movie night where families can bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit and watch old movies. Other nights are devoted to performances such as the Mile High Square Dancers, the Folk Dancers, the community band, the Old-time Fiddlers, or the Cowboy Poets. However, my favorite night is Thursdays when the Lynx Creek Cloggers perform since I am a member. Our instructor sets up her music system and plays song after song of routines we have learned over the years. Anyone who knows the routines can get up and dance. Cloggers from all over the state drive up to participate while people in the community gather in lawn chairs and on the Courthouse steps to watch. Summer doesn’t seem like summer until we are out on the plaza dancing.

Another fun summer event is during Frontier and Territorial Days. I remember my family going to the Sharlot Hall Museum complex to experience life as it was back in the old days. Volunteers dress up in the clothes from the late 1800s and station themselves at exhibits all over the museum grounds. We then go from exhibit to exhibit to try our hand at “chores.” We dip candles, start fires without matches, cook biscuits over a camp fire, use plants to dye material, carve wooden toys, and practice weaving cloth. As a child, I always enjoyed these hands-on activities and the food booths, but was glad I lived in an era where I didn’t have to do these tasks daily.

In the winter, there are the Acker Music Festival and Christmas activities. The Electric Light Parade takes place during Thanksgiving weekend and is put on by local businesses that decorate floats and vehicles with multitudes of lights in anticipation of Christmas. The Christmas Parade follows this, the first Saturday in December. The Christmas Parade is a big event for local schools, organizations, and businesses. They put together floats based on the Christmas theme for the year and compete to win prizes in the parade.

That evening is the annual Courthouse Lighting and Christmas Program. Students from the local school choirs gather on the Courthouse steps and perform Christmas carols, while a prominent town official reads the Christmas Story. People flock to the square to hear the story and the carols. Candles are passed out to everyone to “light up the world” after the story ends. Then the Courthouse lights are turned on and the official Christmas season begins.

The Acker Music Festival usually follows two weeks later. Businesses downtown stay open late that evening and have musical groups performing at each site as well as on the Courthouse Square. People meander around town stopping in to watch the different groups. Hot chocolate, hot cider and cookies are available at various locations.

Prescott also has the Elks Opera House Theater that was opened in 1905. I have fond memories of this place, because for as long as I can remember we have gone to summer performances there put on by the Arizona Jamboree. This was a musical variety show featuring local musicians and comedians. Two girls my age, that went to the same babysitter I did, started performing with this group when they were five years old. Each summer we would go to watch the show and see them perform. They have since graduated and moved on, but another music variety show, the Arizona Revue, continues the tradition.

In addition to all the historical, cultural and entertainment events that Prescott hosts, another part I love about it is the location and climate. Prescott has four distinct seasons and is located in the central mountains of Arizona. Therefore, there are several lakes, campgrounds, and nature refuges to visit. My family has a tradition of going to Goldwater Lake, Granite Basin Lake, and Lynx Lake for picnics, camp outs and hikes. We like taking rides in my dad’s canoe, fishing, bike riding, hiking and playing board games.

While this essay doesn’t include everything about Prescott, I hope it has given you a taste of why it is considered “Everyone’s Hometown.”

Prescott's Community

Arizona is my home and Prescott is my home in Arizona. Yes, that’s right, I live in Prescott, Arizona and you’re missing out on something if you’re not. Prescott has everything, entertainment, history, good community and a welcoming appeal about it. I know Prescott has a lot to offer and here is some of it.

Prescott is full of entertainment. We have the Elks Opera House, which holds the Elks Jubilee and Country Nites. I saw it myself, and boy was it fabulous, it was great for all ages and I mean, all ages. The Prescott Fine Arts Theater is also a wonderful source of history. The building itself used to be the old Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Prescott Fine Arts Theater has held shows such as The Russian Ballet’s “Sleeping Beauty.” However, those are just some of my favorites. Prescott also has movies, music, and even parks, but that’s not all it has, because every city has its history.

Prescott started out as a mining town because of the discovery of gold. After Arizona became a territory, Prescott was named the capital until 1889.The town received its name from an author named William Hickling Prescott. He was a famous author during the time of the Civil War, whose writings were very popular. Prescott’s history is preserved in the Sharlot Hall Museum and the famous Whiskey Row. Whiskey Row is a famous street downtown where it holds Arizona’s oldest restaurant and bar, the Palace. During Prescott’s history, many fires occurred and destroyed the downtown area. Downtown was then reconstructed and made with bricks. Enough about Prescott’s history, it wouldn’t be the city it is today without its community.

Prescott’s community welcomes everyone. People here are very friendly and polite. There are several programs that people can be apart of. It helps you meet people in your neighborhood, who share the same interests, or just trying to find a place to go on Monday or Tuesday. Prescott’s community wants you to feel invited and welcomed. Prescott seems to have everything to offer including a room with a view.

Prescott is constantly growing but it is still able to keep its natural beauty. As you can see, Prescott has so much to offer and you should come and see for yourself.

Prescott Valley Is My Home

I live in the small town of Prescott Valley. It may be small, but it holds the opportunity for others to not only have big dreams, but to be able to obtain them. Prescott Valley is a little town with many new developments such as thousands of new homes, to a new arena, even down to the Famous IHOP and little community banks. People think of small towns as being inconvenient, like I did before I actually lived in a small town, but this small town is accessorized with a nice mall, a super store Wal-Mart, and many known grocery stores.

A few blocks down the street, there is a skate park where all the local kids go and hang out, and lakes where others enjoy the great outdoors. Activities are cheap and easy to do, such as quad riding in the mountains, mountain biking, fishing, and canoeing. If you like animals, you will love it here. I am able to walk outside and in the fields across the way from my house; there are usually three antelopes, which are pretty human tolerant and not camera shy. There are even horse ranches or alpaca ranches, these animals are kind of like camels, but with out the hump, and much cuter.

People always relate anywhere in Arizona as flat, hot desert, which is true in some parts but not in Prescott Valley. I thought that where I used to live the weather was interesting, boy was I wrong. I have seen days where it is sunny, then clouds roll in, and minutes later, you are in a storm of rain and hail, and then come the thunder and lightning, and then the snow! It is amazing! The seasons here are beautiful. Prescott Valley has nice cool summer days, a colorful fall season and snow covered grounds in the winter. It is perfect for people who love different looks all year round.

The people here are the best. You get the accepting kids at school, down to the wonderful smiling people at work. No matter where you go you will always be able to find someone to help you with almost anything. It is called small town attitudes.

I never imagined in my wildest dreams of going to college, but now that I live here, it just did not seem right to not go places just like my hometown was. If I did not move here to Prescott Valley, Arizona and have all of the great influences of the people and surroundings then I would not be on my way to college. Look at what this small town did for me, and now imagine what it could do for you!

Hometown Appeal

Phoenix, Arizona is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. We are a rapidly growing, strong, and wealthy community. What was once a settlement of land between the California gold mines and endless desert is now booming with opportunities. However, tangled in the haste and hurry everyone seems to possess these days, is the longing for tranquility and peace.

Ever since I was a baby, my family drove me up to the small, simple town of Prescott, Arizona to visit my grandparents. I gradually moved up from “Rugrats” and Fruit Loops to ditch 'em and hide and seek in the forests. I was able to run freely and not worry about “stranger danger.” No, not in Prescott. I remember bawling like a baby whenever I was separated from my grandparents and the city I truly called my home, and was forced back down into the Valley of the Sun, where my source of fun was watching Jeopardy with our eighty-year old babysitter.

My love for the small, simple town has not changed since. Although Prescott is flourishing with homes and businesses, it has not yet lost its hometown appeal. Antique stores surround a green, relaxing courthouse in the small town, which attracts some odd characters. Lazy days whisk by you, lounging in the freshly cut grass, with a cool breeze caressing your hair, gives you the illusion that reality no longer exists. In that moment, you no longer worry about work or car payments or homework. Simply sitting. That is what your hometown should feel like. Prescott can give you that. You can live the life that you want, with the security of knowing your children are safe playing out in the yard. You do not get that feeling everywhere and when you have it, hold onto it. There is only one place that you can truly call your home. Even though I live in scorching, rush hour Phoenix, my heart is laying in the grass next to the courthouse on Whiskey Row.

Chino Valley Activities

Chino Valley is a great place to live because it does not have gangs. It does not have that many people who do drugs or drink. It is a relatively small town, that is what makes it such a great place to grow up, and the people are friendly most of the time. The schools are good for learning but not for socializing. There are many historical buildings around Chino Valley. People are moving up here so fast that the old buildings are going to be torn down if they are not preserved properly.

One of the few things that most people like to do around here for fun on weekends is go to the mom and pop store called “I'm Game” and play magic and other games involving many people. Most of the young people socialize that way. Some young people like to go to the Verde River to clean it up. A karate class is on Tuesdays and Thursdays that many young women go to, sometimes young men too. Few people get in trouble with the law just for fun, but that has gone down considerably. Quite a few highschoolers join the National Organization of Agricultural Education also known as the FFA. They help keep Chino Valley looking beautiful.

Most Midwestern City in the Southwest

Prescott, Arizona, has the reputation of being “Everybody’s Home Town”. It is my good fortune to be able to claim this beautiful, mountain town as the place I was born and raised.

Prescott has a charm that makes people fall in love with it. Local residents enjoy the fresh air, mountain views, beautiful lakes, forestland and small town feeling. Because Prescott is considered the “Most Midwestern appearing city in the Southwest”, many people who visit here from other places find that it feels like home. Much of the downtown area was rebuilt with brick after the big fire of 1900, and this gives the County Courthouse and surrounding square a solid, colorful appeal. You can almost see what the horses and carriages would have looked liked as they traveled down the streets in the old days. In fact, on summer nights, a local vendor gives rides in his surrey, pulled by two well-groomed horses. My town is well known for the historic “Whiskey Row” in the downtown area. Montezuma is full of colorful characters and visitors on any sunny day. This is in contrast to the many pretty churches near the square. All denominations are represented. We also have the quaint Bashford Court Shopping Mall, and many unique shops and coffee houses, like The Cat’s Meow and Cupper’s Coffee House. I have had the opportunity to work a part-time job in downtown Prescott, at one of our antique shops, Harvey Eugene’s. I loved being in the midst of all the weekend activity and was proud to share details of my town. But the part of Prescott that holds the most charm for me is the surrounding forested outdoors. The clean air, tall trees and forest trails allow me to explore when not in school or working. Many summer camps are situated in the woods. I have been fortunate to work summers in a church camp near my house.

Prescott has many beautiful small lakes and high desert forestland. I have enjoyed hiking on trails like the Peavine, Thumb Butte, and Pioneer Park Trail Systems. Hiking past Watson Lake and seeing the bald eagles that nest there, or climbing the rocks at Granite Basin Lake are thrills that are unique to Prescott, with its beautiful views. My memories include camping at Wolf Creek campground, close to home, just to enjoy sleeping out in the woods in a tent.

One of my favorite memories in the Prescott area is spotting a herd of Pronghorn Antelope along the road on the way out to our airport, Ernest A. Love Field. These beautiful animals are becoming harder to find, but they are still there if you watch for them. It is quite an honor to have North America’s fastest land animal right here in our own backyard! When I was in elementary school, we often saw herds as large as sixty to seventy-five animals, but now the groups are smaller. It is still exciting to see them grazing along the fence lines.

Although Prescott has a population of approximately 34,000 people, we have an airport, a university, two colleges, and even a zoo! Our airport is available to local sports pilots as well as Great Lakes Airlines in case you need to get to Phoenix in a hurry. It also is home to many training airplanes from Embry-Riddle University. This university specializes in aviation and engineering degrees and has a very large spread out campus near the airport. Yavapai College is a great place for all members of town, regardless of age, since it has classes for general education, elder hostels, vocational education and specialty classes. I have been able to take piano classes at Yavapai College, as well as a group exercise class with my mom!

My town offers many activities for those who wish to be involved. There are lots of clubs and volunteer agencies that I have been involved with during my high school years. Americorps has an office in here, and they are always looking for dedicated individuals who want to make a difference. By joining this group, I have been able to give something back to a community that has given me so much. I have also been a member of the Youth Volunteer Group, and a Teen Leader in the TAPP (TeenAge Pregnancy Prevention ) drama troupe, as well as a founding member. Every Wednesday I have had the opportunity to volunteer at Mile High Middle School (my Alma Mater) while working with the Prescott Parks and Recreation Department. Prescott High School offers music students the chance to audition and become a “Prescott Highlyte” which is a singing group that attends events all over town. We sing for various clubs and groups. We were especially busy at Christmas time, singing at more than thirty events during the holidays. We help make Prescott the Arizona “Christmas City”. Visitors make the trip here during the cold, just to experience the events and to join in as the town lights up a huge Christmas tree at the courthouse square. Our local YMCA is a great place to get involved. Every year it hosts one of the most famous marathon races in the state- the Whiskey Row Marathon. Volunteers make up the majority of the work force for the race. There are many ways a Prescottonian can develop a sense of belonging and community. My community has given as much back to me as any teen could ask.

When I look at parts of Prescott, I can see history come alive. I can imagine what it might have been like to settle this part of the country in the 1800’s and make a life here. Modern times are so much easier than what the pioneers lived through. The challenges they faced are clear, if you study history. Sharlot Hall Museum paints a clear picture of what it was like for the men and women who made Prescott a town, a capital and my home.

Going to school is Prescott has been a very good experience for me. I have attended preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, junior high and high school in Prescott’s public education system. My teachers have been personable, and caring, and I have been able to feel acknowledged even when I was in a class of thirty-two students. When I was in third grade, my parents took a teaching exchange position in South Australia. I had to go to school there for a year. Although I missed my classmates back in Prescott, I think it made me appreciate what I had back home. My education at Prescott High School has given me a good start for my future at Northern Arizona University.

Mixture of Wonderful Components

As I take a glance down at a map of Arizona, I look for the place I call home. It is one of the small dots on Highway 89 between Flagstaff and Prescott. There it is, the small town of Chino Valley, home. A rush of emotion takes over momentarily as the beloved memories flood in. From the rodeos to lying on my back and looking up at the beautiful sky on a cool night; I remember and appreciate the privilege of living in a small town. Community gatherings were some of the most wonderful experiences from childhood to my life now. The small town school system allowed my peers and I to develop personal relationships with our fine educators and principles (most of which developed out of mutual respect for one another). Everything, from school to the grocery store, is welcoming.

If one were to look around Chino Valley, they would notice the simple beauty of the land. From the rolling hills to the humble structures of the town, everything unifies. The simple road names such as Center and One West make it easy to navigate. Countering the simplistic structure of the town itself are the beautiful homes. The houses differ between neighborhoods and each other. Around Christmas, it is wonderful to drive around and see the artistic display of lights. The individuality is apparent in times like these.

The beauty of the night sky takes ones breath away. The lack of pollution makes the view astounding. The billions of stars shine delightfully in the velvet atmosphere like diamonds. Every once in a while families lie out and watch comets pass. It is always chilly at night. Even the summer night has a cooling touch. Winter is a wonderful excuse to drink hot chocolate, warming ones self because of the icy bite.

Chino Valley is a wonderful community. A town doesn’t have much to offer if the people aren’t welcoming. As a community, we celebrate many holidays. On the Forth of July the towns’ people all go to the baseball field to watch the fireworks. The fireworks themselves are splendid every year. There is plenty to look forward to during the winter. The town cares about its people by making sure all can be touched by the beauty of Christmas. You can either be a caroler or have one visit you. When a holiday isn’t near there are other community events worth attending.

In the fall, Friday night means one thing, football. From toddlers to elders, many of the towns’ people come out to see the young men play. Other sports are also watched. The small town paper records the games for those who couldn’t attend. The theater is active. There are multiple plays annually put on by the schools and churches as well as the fabulous Chino Valley Community Theater. Needless to say there is a lot to be involved in here in this small town.

There are many churches around and they are all welcoming. There are also clubs one can join in. One specific club is the lions club with their bingo and fish fries, what more could one wish for. If one is into playing sports themselves, there are multiple leagues such as the three on three basketball league.

Chino Valley has a down-home feel imbedded in daily life. The “everybody knows everybody” and “everyone calls you friend” atmosphere makes for a comfortable environment. When one walks into a restaurant, they are welcomed with pleasing hospitality. Banking here is also an enjoyable experience. The close relationship one forms with their banker is rare in other places. You are a name rather than a number. The one grocery store is the place to go and see half of the people you know at any given time. It’s always a great social experience to shop in town. The customer service is terrific here, makes me wonder if everyone took a class on that one attribute. I love to think of my hometown as welcoming in all aspects.

There are many reasons to love Chino Valley. It could be the beautiful land or the midnight sky. On the other hand, perhaps it would be the people and their hospitality. One could correctly assume that is the mixture of all the wonderful components of this little town. Chino Valley is indeed a place to call home.

Dewey Is My Home

Arizona is not like any other states. It stands out from the rest, solely because everyone is already rushing here, having seen, heard, or experienced something great and wondrous about it. Arizona, specifically Dewey, is just the prime place to settle down and enjoy all aspects of every season.

We have our snowy white winter days, silent and sparkly, and two days later, you can hang your clothes out to dry in the warm winter sun. In early spring, there are endless outdoor opportunities in our tri-city community. You can enjoy long hikes in several desert terrains, and then walk right on through to the boulders of our pink granite dells. You can take guided tours through ancient Indian ruins or you can stroll through them yourself and get lost in the heavenly odors of our natural pine forest. As winter snows melt, Arizonans don’t have to leave Arizona to find water activities. We can raft the Colorado River, kayak Lake Powell, fish for trout in several of Prescott’s little lakes, or go south and tube the Salt River.

In the spring and early summer, you can revel at the brilliant flowers, otherwise known as weeds such as brown-eyed Susan’s. Sometime around the 4th of July, monsoons roll in from Baja California. This makes summer afternoons in the high desert both mild and pleasant with green vistas and dramatic stormy skies. The much needed rains rarely last long enough to squelch a pleasant round of golf, yet, after it rains for a whole ten minutes, we are graced with astonishing rainbows that stretch across the sky. Finally, when summer days grow short and we crave a breath-taking spectrum of fall colors, Deweyites can head north, through nearby Mingus Mountain and the quaint mining town of Jerome. Oak Creek Canyon and the breathtaking red rocks of Sedona satiate our senses like no other place on earth. Peaceful it is indeed. How could anyone not fall in love with Arizona?

I’ve lived in Dewey, Arizona almost all of my life and I couldn’t picture living anywhere else. It’s far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the big city to make me feel safe at night, yet, it’s not so far out in the boonies that I have to manually pump for water and randomly have to use gas lamps for light. It is an ideal place to live with its friendly people. It’s actually kind of strange that you can see a movie scene here even when there are no cameras in sight. Youngsters really do wave at the cars going by while checking out tadpoles in the spring that flows down from Young’s Farm. Why, even Norman Rockwell would be comfortable here!

Something That Matters

Most people would define a hometown simply as a place where one has lived or where one is currently living. It would not mean anything special to them, and further thought or analysis of it would never cross their minds. I am not one of these people. My hometown is now an inseparable part of me, and it is something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I have grown, learned, understood, and defined both my future and myself in the beautiful town of Prescott, Arizona.

It was 12 years ago when I first stepped foot in the city limits of Prescott. My family was moving away from southern California, where both of my parents grew up. We were leaving behind aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, godparents, and friends, but a new life was awaiting us in the heart of Arizona. The main purpose for our relocation was a new business opportunity for my father, who was looking to expand his engineering company.

I began my “school career” in Prescott, and I will graduate from the same district I started in. I feel that the aspect of my hometown that has affected me the greatest is the education that I have received. The schools of Prescott, along with my parents, have raised me to be the person I am. Knowledge and understanding are the keys to defining oneself, and I have gained these keys through my education. Schools and teachers of Prescott promote academic excellence as well as self-discovery, which have proven to be an effective entrance to my future. I have never been part of a different school district, but I have a strong doubt that any other district is as capable of delivering a productive education as Prescott Unified School District.

One of the biggest attractions of Prescott is its history. Different peoples have inhabited the land of Prescott for thousands of years. It was even the first territorial capital of Arizona, before the major growth of cities like Tucson and Phoenix. Prescott’s history is prominent throughout the city, particularly in the heart of its downtown. Downtown Prescott offers an incredible historical background of our city, and there are numerous museums and shops solely dedicated to the purpose of sharing the history of our beautiful home. An example is Sharlot Hall museum, which is full of Prescott’s history, from an actual old time schoolhouse to different historical artifacts of the city’s past.

With such a complex history, Prescott possesses an enormous amount of culture. It is this culture that interests me so much in the history of our town. There are numerous art shows and cultural fairs around the courthouse, which draw guests of many origins, further enriching Prescott’s culture. Also unique to my hometown are certain annual events. One of these is Prescott’s famous rodeo. Once a year the rodeo comes to town and brings along with it a plethora of tourists to enjoy the show. However, the rodeo is also something that the locals participate in, including me. It’s a cultural event that brings out the true Prescottonian in all of us, whether it is the old western rodeo dances or the crowd-pleasing bull riding. Prescott is also the “Christmas City” of Arizona, offering much to see and enjoy during the holidays. From the holiday parade, to the annual courthouse lighting, Prescott’s Christmas charm is something that has always lifted my spirit.

I think that Prescott is such an amazing place because of its dedication to creating a cohesive community. It is how my family was so easily able to establish itself in the city, and it continues to be the reason behind all that we undertake. The community of Prescott is beyond admirable, and it is the people of the city who make all the difference. I don’t believe there is another community in existence that contains such amiable members of society. Because of this unsurpassable friendliness, Prescott has a family-like quality that makes it even more of an appropriate home. This strong community created the status of my family, and introduced us to amazing people that I now cannot imagine living without. My father’s business has flourished because of our relocation, and our family has gained many good friends through the expansion of the company.

Prescott, Arizona is an extraordinary city full of history, culture, and community. It has been my home since I first started school, and I know that I will consider it my home for years to come. A hometown is something that matters, and in the end, it plays an incredible role in shaping one’s life. My own life has been stamped with the beauty and wonderment of a glorious community, and because of that, I am proud to call Prescott my hometown.