About Prescott Arizona
Prescott is located in Arizona's central mountains;
four mild seasons offer just enough variation to make the weather both
moderate and interesting. Prescott is located 96 miles northwest of Phoenix
and 90 miles southwest of Flagstaff, Arizona. The city was established in
1864, incorporated in 1881 and is the seat of government for Yavapai County.
The city is named in honor of noted historian William Hickling Prescott
Mile-high Prescott has an
ideal four-season climate, with elevation and mountain breezes keeping
summer temperatures from reaching the high levels of the Phoenix desert.
Temperatures rarely exceed 90 degrees, and most days are filled with
sunshine. Humidity is a moderate 45% year-round. July marks Prescott's
monsoon season with cool afternoon thunderstorms.
The discovery of gold in 1861 brought national attention to
what later became the territory of Arizona. These discoveries drew the
attention of President Abraham Lincoln who was looking for possible
sources of funding for the North during the Civil War. Arizona became a
Territory February 24, 1863. John Goodwin, the first Territorial
Governor, established Prescott as the first Territorial Capital.
Prescott developed rapidly, and in 1865 it was described as being built
exclusively of wood and inhabited almost entirely by Americans. Both of
these facts made it unique among early communities. Prescott lost its
title as the Capital of Arizona to Tucson and finally to Phoenix in
1889. In 1900, a devastating fire burned a large portion of downtown
Prescott to the ground. Many of the buildings you see today were rebuilt
following the fire. Today, many of Prescott's residential streets are
lined with tall trees and pitched-roof frame houses, including turreted
Victorians. Prescott has over 700 homes and businesses listed in the
National Register of Historic Places. Its granite courthouse set among
green lawns and spreading trees reflects the Midwestern and New England
background of Prescott's early pioneers, thus coining the phrase,
"Everybody's Hometown."
Courtesy Prescott Chamber of Commerce
