Prescott, Arizona
Encyclopedia
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in Yavapai County
Yavapai County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*89.3% White*0.6% Black*1.7% Native American*0.8% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.5% Two or more races*5.0% Other races*13.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s.
According to 2010 Census, the population of the city is 39,843. The city is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Yavapai County. In 1864 Prescott was designated as the capital of the Arizona Territory
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
, replacing the temporary capital at Fort Whipple
Fort Whipple, Arizona
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 by Edward Banker Willis in January 1864 in Chino Valley, Arizona, but was moved in May 1864 to Granite Creek near the present day location of Prescott. ...
. The Territorial Capital was moved to Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
in 1867. Prescott again became the Territorial Capital in 1877, until Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
became the capital in 1889.
The towns of Prescott Valley
Prescott Valley, Arizona
Prescott Valley is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States, just east of Prescott. Prescott Valley was the seventh fastest-growing place among all cities and towns in Arizona between 1990 and 2000...
(7 miles east) and Chino Valley
Chino Valley, Arizona
Chino Valley is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to the Census Bureau, the population of the town is 10,817.-Geography:...
(16 miles north), Dewey-Humboldt (13 miles east) and Prescott, together comprise what is locally known as the "Quad-City" area. This also sometimes refers to central Yavapai County in general, which would include the towns of: Mayer
Mayer, Arizona
Mayer is a census-designated place in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,408 at the 2000 census. Mayer includes three sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Mayer Apartments, Mayer Business Block, and Mayer Red Brick Schoolhouse.The 1993-1994 CBS...
, Paulden, Wilhoit
Wilhoit, Arizona
Wilhoit is a census-designated place in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. The population was 664 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Wilhoit is located at ....
, and Wlliamson Valley. Combined with these smaller communities the area had a population of 103,260 as of 2007. Prescott is the center of the Prescott Metropolitan Area, defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as all of Yavapai County . In 2010 Yavapai County had 211,073 residents according to the U.S. Census Bureau, making Metro Prescott the third-largest metropolitan area in Arizona, after Phoenix (4.2 million) and Tucson (1 million).
The Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe reservation is located adjacent to and partially within the borders of Prescott.
History
Arizona TerritorialArizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
Governor John Noble Goodwin
John Noble Goodwin
John Noble Goodwin was a United States attorney and politician who served as the first Governor of Arizona Territory...
selected the original site of Prescott following his first tour of the new territory. Goodwin replaced Governor John A. Gurley
John A. Gurley
John Addison Gurley was a U.S. Congressman from Ohio during the early part of the American Civil War. He was appointed as the first Governor of the Arizona Territory, but died before taking office....
, appointed by Abraham Lincoln, who died before taking office. Downtown streets in Prescott are named in honor of each of them. Goodwin selected a site 20 miles (32.2 km) south of the temporary capital on the east side of Granite Creek near a number of mining camps. The territorial capital was later moved to the new site along with Fort Whipple
Fort Whipple, Arizona
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 by Edward Banker Willis in January 1864 in Chino Valley, Arizona, but was moved in May 1864 to Granite Creek near the present day location of Prescott. ...
, with the new town named in honor of historian William H. Prescott
William H. Prescott
William Hickling Prescott was an American historian and Hispanist, who is widely recognized by historiographers to have been the first American scientific historian...
during a public meeting on May 30, 1864. Robert W. Groom surveyed the new community, and an initial auction sold 73 lots on June 4, 1864. By July 4, 1864 a total of 232 lots had been sold within the new community. Prescott was officially incorporated in 1883.
Prescott served as capital of Arizona Territory until November 1, 1867, when the capital was moved to Tucson by act of the 4th Arizona Territorial Legislature
4th Arizona Territorial Legislature
The 4th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which ran from September 4, 1867, till October 7, 1867, in Prescott, Arizona...
. The capital was returned to Prescott in 1877 by the 9th Arizona Territorial Legislature
9th Arizona Territorial Legislature
The 9th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which convened on January 1, 1877, in Tucson, Arizona Territory. It passed 79 statutes and adopted the Hoyt Code as the basis of the Territory's legal system....
. The capital was finally moved to Phoenix on February 4, 1889 by the 15th Arizona Territorial Legislature
15th Arizona Territorial Legislature
The 15th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which began on January 21, 1889, in Prescott, Arizona, moved to Phoenix on February 7 and did not adjourn till April 11...
.
The Sharlot Hall Museum
Sharlot Hall Museum
The Sharlot Hall Museum is an open air museum located in Prescott, Arizona. Opened in 1928 by Sharlot M. Hall as the Old Governor's Mansion Museum, it is dedicated to preserving the history and folklore of Yavapai County, Arizona...
houses much of Prescott's territorial history, and the Smoki and Phippen museums also maintain local collections. Whiskey Row in downtown Prescott boasts many historic buildings, including The Palace, Arizona's oldest restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
and bar
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
, and many other buildings that have been converted to boutique
Boutique
A boutique is a small shopping outlet, especially one that specializes in elite and fashionable items such as clothing and jewelry. The word is French for "shop", via Latin from Greek ἀποθήκη , "storehouse"....
s, art galleries
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
, bookstores, and restaurants. The City is named after author William H. Prescott
William H. Prescott
William Hickling Prescott was an American historian and Hispanist, who is widely recognized by historiographers to have been the first American scientific historian...
, whose writings were popular during the Civil War.
After several major fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
s in the early part of the century, downtown Prescott was rebuilt with brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
. The central courthouse
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
plaza
Plaza
Plaza is a Spanish word related to "field" which describes an open urban public space, such as a city square. All through Spanish America, the plaza mayor of each center of administration held three closely related institutions: the cathedral, the cabildo or administrative center, which might be...
, a lawn under huge old elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s, is a gathering and meeting place. Cultural
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
events and performances take place on many nights in the summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
on the plaza.
Barry Goldwater, the 1964 Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nominee for president, launched his presidential campaign from the steps of Prescott's Yavapai County Courthouse.
Prescott received national media attention in 2010 after local talk-radio host and city councilman Steve Blair criticized a mural depicting children of different ethnicities on a Miller Valley Elementary School (Prescott Unified School District #1) building. Blair was temporarily removed from the radio show due to the ensuing controversy, which was stirred up by political archrival, former Mayor Jack Wilson.
Government
The City of Prescott, like many municipalities in the United States, operates under a council-manager form of government. The council has six council members and a mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, all elected at-large
At-Large
At-large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body , rather than a subset of that membership...
by the people of Prescott. Council members are elected to staggered four-year terms, and the mayor to a two-year term. Elections for mayor and council members are held in the first year after the national presidential and mid-term elections to keep national issues from overshadowing local concerns. Mayoral and council elections are non-partisan. There are no term limits for council members or the mayor. The council appoints a professional city manager to oversee the daily administrative operations of city services and their respective departments. The current city manager is Steve Norwood. The current mayor is Marlin Kuykendall, elected in 2009. Council members elected in 2009 are Steve Blair, Tammy Linn, and John Hanna. Council members up for reelection in 2011 along with the mayor are Lora Lopas, Jim Lamerson, and Mary Ann Suttles http://www.cityofprescott.net/leadership/officials/.
2009 Mayoral Election
Jack Wilson sought a second term as mayor in 2009 but lost to challenger Marlin Kuykendall, a previous council member. Marlin Kuykendall, Jack Wilson and Glenn Gooding were the only candidates for mayor on the ballot. Kuykendall won 7,365 votes, Wilson won 2,662 votes and Gooding won 3,197 votes. Since Kuykendall won a majority of the 13,255 votes cast for mayor, he became the mayor-elect negating the need for a general election.Culture
Prescott has many Victorian styleVictorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
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
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Prescott is home to the downtown historical area known as Whiskey Row, until 1956 a notorious red-light district
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
. In 1900, a great fire destroyed almost all of the buildings on Whiskey Row, including the 1891 Hotel Burke, advertised as "the only absolutely fireproof building in Prescott". By legend, the patrons of the various bars simply took their drinks across the street to the Courthouse square and watched it burn. At the time of the fire, the entire bar and back-bar of the Palace Hotel was removed to the square by the patrons as the fire approached, re-installing it after the gutted brick structure was rebuilt. (The size of the back-bar is impressive, and appears not easily moved, even by many hands.) Whiskey Row runs north and south on 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 (formerly the Hotel Burke) and the Palace Hotel since the late 19th century, along with other colorful purveyors of night-life. Merchant Sam Hill
Sam Hill
Sam Hill may refer to:*Sam Hill , a euphemism for 'hell' or 'damn'People:* Samuel Hill , railroad businessman and builder of the Maryhill Museum, and Peace Arch* Samuel Hill , Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross...
's large hardware store was located near Whiskey Row.
There are four golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
s within the city limits: Antelope Hills Golf Course, which consist of the City of Prescott South Course and the City of Prescott North Course, Hassayampa Golf Club, and Prescott Lakes Golf Club. More courses are located nearby in surrounding towns.
Prescott is home to The Arizona Pioneers’ Home, a continuing care retirement home, operated and funded by the State of Arizona, originally intended for impoverished Arizona founders from Territorial days. Initially the home was built to house 40 men, but in 1916 an addition of a women’s wing was completed to provide for 20 women. Later, in 1929, the home again expanded to include Arizona’s Hospital for Disabled Miners (current total capacity is 150 beds). Scenes from the 2008 movie Jolene were filmed in the Pioneer's Home in 2006. The Home has had many colorful residents, including a John Miller, who had claimed to be Billy the Kid
Billy the Kid
William H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...
, and who was exhumed from the Pioneer's Home Cemetery in 2005 in an attempt to identify DNA evidence. Another resident was "Big Nose Kate" Elder
Big Nose Kate
Mary Katherine Horony Cummings , known as Big Nose Kate, was the Hungarian-born long-time companion and common-law wife of fabled gambler and gunfighter Doc Holliday in the American Old West....
, who would also be laid to rest in the Pioneer's Home Cemetery, though not without controversy.
While Prescott is known for its western and cowboy feel, it is also the home of Prescott College, a small liberal arts college located just west of the downtown area. In recent years Prescott has become home to The Catalyst Infoshop (an Anarchist Free Space), Karma Farms (a community garden program), a local farmers market, as well as many other establishments. Prescott College has added a huge influx of what many would call anarchists, hippies, and non-conformists. In 2004 the Catalyst Infoshop was raided by the FBI when founders of the infoshop were found guilty of eco-terrorism. There are several areas known to have a high concentration of Prescott College-influenced people, such as the "Eco Hood", a neighborhood known for low-income young people, some in yurt
Yurt
A yurt is a portable, bent wood-framed dwelling structure traditionally used by Turkic nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. The structure comprises a crown or compression wheel usually steam bent, supported by roof ribs which are bent down at the end where they meet the lattice wall...
s, living there and creating organic farms and gardens, the Barrio, often affiliated with its problem with drugs and gang violence, though in recent years growing to be more like the Eco Hood, and the McCormick Art District, a neighborhood full of art.
Prescott hosts annual events such as Frontier Days, The World's Oldest Rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
(1888), Easter Egg-Stravaganza, the Bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
Festival, Earth Day
Earth Day
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...
, July 4 Celebration, Tsunami on the Square
Tsunami on the Square
Tsunami on the Square is an annual performing arts and culture festival in Prescott, Arizona that showcases exotic and unique performance art forms not typically seen in smaller towns. It takes place on the third weekend in June on Prescott’s historic Courthouse Square...
, art festivals, a Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo is a holiday held on May 5. It is celebrated nationwide in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called El Dia de la Batalla de Puebla...
celebration, Navajo
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation is a semi-autonomous Native American-governed territory covering , occupying all of northeastern Arizona, the southeastern portion of Utah, and northwestern New Mexico...
Rug
Carpet
A carpet is a textile floor covering consisting of an upper layer of "pile" attached to a backing. The pile is generally either made from wool or a manmade fibre such as polypropylene,nylon or polyester and usually consists of twisted tufts which are often heat-treated to maintain their...
Auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
, Pumpkin Patch Carnival, World’s Largest Gingerbread
Gingerbread
Gingerbread is a term used to describe a variety of sweet food products, which can range from a soft, moist loaf cake to something close to a ginger biscuit. What they have in common are the predominant flavors of ginger and a tendency to use honey or molasses rather than just sugar...
Village (actually on the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe reservation), Prescott Film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Festival, Folk Art
Folk art
Folk art encompasses art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring tradespeople. In contrast to fine art, folk art is primarily utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic....
s Fair, parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
s, the Acker Music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
Festival, The Cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
Poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
s Gathering, the Prescott Highland Games, Courthouse Lighting, Whiskey Off Road and Ragnar Relay Del Sol. Also located in Prescott is the Heritage Park Zoo
Heritage Park Zoo
Heritage Park Zoo, also known as Prescott Animal Park Association , is a non-profit rescue and rehabilitation facility in Prescott, Arizona, USA.- History :...
.
Geography
Prescott is located at 34°34′6"N 112°27′41"W (34.568210, -112.461482). Prescott is 55 mi (88.5 km) WNW of the State of Arizona's geographic center.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 41.5 square miles (107.5 km²), of which, 40.7 square miles (105.4 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it is water.
Prescott is considered part of North Central Arizona
North Central Arizona
North Central Arizona is a geographical region of Arizona. It is in the Transition Zone between the Basin and Range province and the Colorado Plateau, and has some of the most rugged and scenic landscapes in Arizona....
. It is located just south of the Granite Dells
Granite Dells
The Granite Dells is a geological feature north of Prescott, Arizona. The Dells consist of exposed bedrock and large boulders of granite that have eroded into an unusual lumpy, rippled appearance...
.
Climate
Prescott is located in the Bradshaw MountainsBradshaw Mountains
The Bradshaw Mountains are a mountain range in the Sonoran Desert of central Arizona, USA, named for brothers Isaac and William Bradshaw after their death, having been formerly known in English as the Silver Mountain Range.-History:...
of central Arizona, at an altitude of 5400 feet (1,645.9 m). The city has a four-season climate, with relatively mild winters and hot summers. Highs range from 50 °F (10 °C) in January to 89 °F (31.7 °C) in July, but nighttime temperatures are significantly lower due to the aridity.
Historical average annual precipitation is 19.2 inches (49 cm), with spring and early summer the driest times of the year. Snowfall is typically light and snow cover usually melts away quickly due to the high altitude; the average seasonal total is 22 inches (56 cm), but the median is less than half that. The largest portion of precipitation falls during the July–August monsoon season.
There has been a severe drought from 1999 to present (2009); precipitation has dropped dramatically. Some evidence of this is the lack of snowpack in the Bradshaw mountains. Local creeks do not contain water except immediately after the rare rains. Nevertheless, at the start of 2007 lakes were reported as full. The winter of 2005/2006 had less than 3 inches of snow, compared to an average snowfall of 22 inches.
Education
Prescott is the main site of Yavapai CollegeYavapai College
Yavapai College is a community college located in Yavapai County, Arizona. The main Campus is in Prescott, with locations in Clarkdale, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, and Sedona.-History:...
's campuses in the county. Yavapai College was established as a community college in 1965 and held its first classes in 1969. It offers more than 30 certificate, degree , and transfer options to students in more than 60 different programs of study.
Prescott College
Prescott College
Prescott College is a private liberal arts college in Prescott, Arizona, founded in 1966. It is a non-profit organization which has an undergraduate body of roughly 800 students, and an average student to faculty ratio of 7:1 in on-campus classrooms...
is "an independent liberal arts college offering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, as well as teacher certification. The College's educational programs reflect its commitment to the environment and social justice. Prescott College is also one of the few colleges in the United States that offers adventure education as a major."
The western campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is located here. ERAU teaches "the science, practice, and business of the world of aviation and aerospace." In recent years ERAU Prescott has also developed a research-oriented Space Physics Department. They also have one of the top Business departments in the southwest region dominating other schools at competitions whenever they go. They have also attained one of the highest ranked Global Studies programs in the world with the introduction of their Global Securities and Intelligences Studies program several years ago.
Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...
and Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
also have specialty campuses here as well as the online university, Northcentral University
Northcentral University
Northcentral University is a private, for-profit, accredited university based in Prescott Valley, Arizona, that offers distance education. It was established in 1996 and is currently owned by Rockbridge Growth Equity, LLC, Falcon Investments, LLC, and the school's founder, Donald Hecht...
.
There are 20 public schools in grades K-12, four private schools, and five charter schools. Prescott High School
Prescott High School (Arizona)
Prescott High School is a public high school located in Yavapai County, Arizona, serving the Prescott Unified School District. Historically, Prescott High School drew students from various adjacent School Districts, mostly in Prescott Valley , and Chino Valley, Arizona , via bussing...
, is home of the Prescott Badgers.
Tri-City College Prep High School, a charter school, is rated as "Excelling" by the Department of Education. Abia Judd Elementary, Granite Mountain Middle School, Prescott High School
Prescott High School (Arizona)
Prescott High School is a public high school located in Yavapai County, Arizona, serving the Prescott Unified School District. Historically, Prescott High School drew students from various adjacent School Districts, mostly in Prescott Valley , and Chino Valley, Arizona , via bussing...
, Taylor Hicks Elementary, and Washington Traditional School, all in the Prescott Unified School District, also rate "Excelling." Lincoln Elementary and Mile High Middle School are considered "Highly Performing."
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 33,938 people, 15,098 households, and 8,968 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 915.6 people per square mile (353.5/km²). There were 17,144 housing units at an average density of 462.5 per square mile (178.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.93% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.50% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.27% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.83% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.06% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 2.77% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.63% from two or more races. 8.17% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 15,098 households out of which 18.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.62.
In the city the population was spread out with 15.9% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 18.9% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 26.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,446, and the median income for a family was $46,481. Males had a median income of $31,834 versus $22,982 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $22,565. About 7.4% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
The city has a municipal airport, Ernest A. Love FieldErnest A. Love Field
Prescott Municipal Airport, Ernest A. Love Field is a city-owned public-use airport located seven nautical miles north of the central business district of the City of Prescott, in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States...
, located seven miles (11 km) north of the downtown courthouse.
Local public transit system information here. The two main thoroughfares in and around Prescott are Arizona State Route 69 and Arizona State Route 89. Route 69 connects Prescott with Prescott Valley to the east, eventually curving southeast before reaching Interstate 17
Interstate 17
Interstate 17 , also known as the Black Canyon Freeway, is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Arizona, United States. I-17's southern terminus lies within Phoenix, at Interstate 10, and its northern terminus is in Flagstaff, at Interstate 40...
at mile marker 262. Route 89 travels mostly north-south and connects Prescott with Chino Valley
Chino Valley (Arizona)
The Chino Valley of Arizona is a large, 70-mi long valley, centered on Seligman, Arizona in northwest Yavapai County and southwest Coconino County...
and Paulden
Paulden, Arizona
Paulden is a census-designated place in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. The population was 3,420 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Paulden is located at ....
to the north, continuing northward until it joins Interstate 40
Interstate 40 in Arizona
Interstate 40 is an east–west Interstate Highway that has a section in the U.S. state of Arizona connecting sections in California to New Mexico. It enters Arizona from the west at a crossing of the Colorado River southwest of Kingman...
at mile marker 146, Ash Fork
Ash Fork, Arizona
Ash Fork is a census-designated place in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. The population was 457 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ash Fork is located at ....
.
Notable residents
- Alan Dean FosterAlan Dean FosterAlan Dean Foster is an American author of fantasy and science fiction. He currently resides in Prescott, Arizona, with his wife, and is also known for his novelizations of film scripts...
, popular science fictionScience fictionScience fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
author - Sam SteigerSam SteigerSam Steiger is an American politician, journalist, political pundit, and rancher. He has served five terms as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, two terms in the Arizona State Senate, and one term as mayor of Prescott, Arizona. Steiger has also made an unsuccessful run for the U.S...
, former U.S. Congressman and former Mayor of Prescott, 1999–2001 - Ken BennettKen BennettKen Bennett is a Republican politician and businessman who served as president of the Arizona Senate, and is currently serving as the Secretary of State of Arizona.-Biography:...
, current Arizona Secretary of State - Michael BroggieMichael BroggieMichael Broggie is an historian and author who has researched the life and legacy of Walt Disney. As a public speaker, he toured the country lecturing on his first-person experiences with Walt Disney and many of the Disney Legends, including his father, the late Roger E...
, historian and author - Sheriff William "Billy" Mulvenon, broke up the Pleasant Valley War (aka Grahams-Tewksburys feud) between 1882 and 1892.
- Bishop Peter D. RobinsonPeter D. RobinsonPeter D. Robinson is the Presiding Bishop of the United Episcopal Church of North America and is rector of St. Paul's Anglican Church of Prescott, Arizona, which is part of the Continuing Anglican movement. He was born in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England.-Family:Robinson is the son of David...
- United Episcopal Church of North AmericaUnited Episcopal Church of North AmericaThe United Episcopal Church of North America is a traditional Anglican Christian church that is part of the Continuing Anglican movement...
, rector of St. Paul's Anglican Church - Daryl DragonDaryl DragonDaryl Frank Dragon is a keyboardist, known as Captain in the successful 1970s pop musical duo Captain & Tennille, with his wife, Toni Tennille....
and Toni TennilleToni TennilleCathryn Antoinette "Toni" Tennille is one-half of the 1970s Grammy Award-winning duo Captain & Tennille. Tennille has also done musical work independently of her husband Daryl Dragon. Tennille has a contralto vocal range.-Biography:...
, The Captain and Tennille duo, residents since 2007. - John Kinney (outlaw)John Kinney (outlaw)John Kinney was an outlaw of the Old West, who formed the John Kinney Gang.Kinney was born in Hampshire County, Massachusetts around 1847. His family later moved to Iowa, and in 1865, after the Civil War ended, Kinney enlisted in the US Army. At the rank of sergeant, Kinney was mustered out of the...
, was an outlaw of the Old West, who formed the John Kinney Gang. The gang was a rival to Billy the Kid's Lincoln County RegulatorsLincoln County RegulatorsThe Lincoln County Regulators was a deputized posse in Lincoln County, New Mexico during the Lincoln County War, consisting of a dozen or so members who wanted revenge for the killing of their boss, John Tunstall... - Cody LundinCody LundinCody Lundin is a minimalist and primitive skills survival expert and author of two books focusing primarily on survival topics. He is currently a co-star of the Discovery Channel series Dual Survival...
, survival expert, author, and co-star of the Discovery Channel series Dual SurvivalDual SurvivalDual Survival is a documentary television series on the Discovery Channel produced by Original Media. The program follows two survivalists showcasing contrasting wilderness survival skills: Cody Lundin, a minimalist and primitive skills expert, and Dave Canterbury, a military-style survival expert... - New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia spent part of his childhood in Prescott, where his father was stationed as an Army bandleader. A bridge on North Montezuma Avenue is named for him. - Dorothy Cora Moore, Author, 5-star epic novel, "The Atlanteans."
External links
- City of Prescott website
- Prescott Daily Courier
- Prescott Gov. News 15 Videos
- Local Attractions
- Prescott Arizona Chamber of Commerce
- Prescott eNews - Original Local News Website
- Prescott News and Culture Magazine
- About Prescott Arizona community site by locals
- Lonesome Valley Newspaper
- Prescott: Everybody's Hometown Song