The Birth of Watson Lake

Nestled along the Granite Dells, Watson Lake makes for one of the most picturesque scenes in Prescott.  Watson is a man-made lake created in April of 1915 with the completion of the Granite Creek dam by a company from Indiana.

Needless to say, water is extremely important in the desert, and the anticipation of a new lake close to the city brought the biggest celebration Prescott saw in many years.  

There were notable speakers, a free barbecue, Prescott's band, and a special train to get to the celebration, as the four-ton steel gates would be closed to store the waters of Granite Creek.  "Acting Mayor AJ Head...issued his proclamation declaring a general holiday from 1 o'clock until 5 on that auspicious day," the newspaper noted; even the courts were closed. 

There Were Cars in the Prescott National Forest Before There Were Whitetail Deer

  

Anyone who has spent any length of time in the Prescott National Forest is well aware of the large population of whitetail deer that call it home.  It seems they've been there forever.

But few locals and sportsmen are aware that the whitetail deer did not exist in the forest until the spring of 1915--a full half-century after the city was founded!  There were automobiles in the forest before the white-tail deer ever showed up! Their arrival came in large numbers and was a complete surprise.

Skull Valley Earned Its Gruesome Name Twice

It would be a strong statement to say that a piece of land is "cursed,"; something this author would rather avoid.  Yet it seems that some spots in the world are painfully familiar with the angel of death.

Skull Valley, AZ (a half hour west of Prescott) is one such place, having earned its gruesome name not once, but twice.  Both times involved a large loss of life to the Yavapai Prescott Indian Tribe.

It's been said that "Ploughing-time down [in Skull Valley] means, among other things, grave-exhuming time – the annual harvesting of dead men’s bones.  And the supply of these grisly evidences...of long ago appears to be inexhaustible."

1932: Prescott Police Chief Demands Gun Control (and the Shocking Reason Why)

Prescott Police Chief Worth Rybon just dug a .22 caliber bullet out of a living room chair.  It had passed through a pane of glass from outside the house.  The Chief had had enough.

Mrs. Emma Franks, owner of the house, was relieved that she was not at home at the time.  Two Prescott women had already been shot in the head from such gun-"play".

It seems that when adolescents and young boys are given guns, they eventually just HAVE to shoot them at something!  Within city limits, this became a dangerous problem.

The Death of Mangas Colorado: "The Greatest Wrong Ever Done to the Indians"

Mangas Colorado was an important Apache warrior/leader who fiercely fought to protect his people's land from encroaching Mexicans and Anglos.  His capture by the first whites to eventually settle in the Prescott area on January 17th, 1863, would start a series of events that would produce a bitterness that kept murderous hostilities brewing in Arizona for almost an additional quarter of a century.

Horses, Autos & Primitive Traffic Laws

The teen years of the 20th century brought an awkward adolescence when it came to street traffic.  Animals and autos didn't mix well on the same path.  Car clubs suggested rules that were eventually adopted nationwide.  Yet when it came to issues specific to individual towns, some of these primitive traffic laws are sure to bring a smile to today's reader.

In Prescott, the major issue was the interaction of mechanical automobiles and beasts of burden (mostly horses and mules).  Traffic was becoming crowded and dangerous for everyone.  And as far as Prescott was concerned, it was the animals that should take all priority.