A Brief History of Prescott, Arizona


The discovery of gold in Arizona, led to Arizona becoming a territory of the U.S. in 1863.
Territorial governor John Goodwin established Prescott as the territorial capital in 1864.
Prescott was named after William Hickling Prescott, a noted historian. Prescott remained the
capital of the Arizona territory until 1867, when the capital was moved to Tucson. The capital
was then moved back to Prescott in 1877. Prescott lost the title of capital again in 1889, this
time to Phoenix. Prescott is now the county seat of Yavapai County. Mining, lumber and
farming were all a part of Prescott's development. Many settlers came to Prescott to take
advantage of the abundance of minerals, ponderosa pines, and the wide open ranges. Mining
and ranching are still a major part of the Prescott economy today. With the rapid growth of
the town, Whisky Row was born. This area featured numerous saloons and restaurants, all
staying open around the clock. Preservation of historical sites is a major part of the Prescott
community. Many areas of Prescott stand as they did many years ago, such as Whisky Row,
Sharlot Hall Museum, and Governor Goodwin's mansion.