1866: Mexican Volunteers Fight the Battle of Five Caves

Fort Whipple

The Buffalo Soldiers were not the only segregated minority group fighting in the Indian Wars.  Companies E and F of the Arizona Volunteers were made up of Mexicans.  Although they spent much of their time in the Verde Valley at Fort Lincoln (later Fort Verde), they were initially stationed at, and finally mustered out, at Prescott's Fort Whipple.

Many openly questioned the effectiveness of using Mexicans to protect area settlers.  However, once tested in battle, the office of the Governor of the Arizona territory stated: "Those who doubted the ability of our native troops to do good service are now convinced of their error." (*1)

It started on the evening of February 12th, 1867, and Company E was preparing for its most lauded victory in what would become known as "La Batalla de Cinco Cuevas" (The Battle of Five Caves).

The Christening of the U.S.S. Arizona had Prescott Ties

It was the afternoon of June 19th, 1915, in New York.  Battleship 39, one of the greatest super-dreadnaughts the United States had ever built, was to be named after its three-year-old state, Arizona.

"Amid the shrieks of 10,000 whistles and the cheers of 40,000 American citizens, the great battleship Arizona slid" into the East River, the Journal-Miner reported.

Prescott's tie to the interesting story of the christening of the USS Arizona involved the choosing of her sponsor, Prescott belle Esther Ross, to christen her.

Glassford Hill's History Included Many Names

Many Changes:

On this 1905 map, Glassford Hill is labeled as "Bald Mountain."  The east-west railroad tracks just north are the Iron King recreational trail today, while the north-south railroad is now the Pea Vine recreational trail.  "Point of Rocks" is better known to us as the Granite Dells.

**************************

It was a day 12 million years ago.  Antelope, camels, and early horses were peacefully grazing when lava and superheated ash started thundering toward the surface.  Suddenly, the earth shook violently, and a volcanic eruption blew through a hill. "Clouds of fiery ash buried [the animals] that roamed the flanks of the hill," according to Beverly Morgan, geologist for the Prescott National Forest. (*1)

Standing at an elevation of 6177 feet, what we now know as Glassford Hill was born.  However, over the years, this mountain in the middle of the valley has had several names.

An 1871 Journey to Prescott was Long, Difficult, Dangerous and Expensive

It was November of 1871.  For W.H. Meacham, "the destination was Prescott, Arizona," where he was "bent on the pursuit of health, wealth and happiness--to grasp a goodly portion of Arizona gold dust, which [he] had been led to believe could be scooped readily for the pains."

Meacham had high hopes, but he couldn't have foreseen going through truly hostile, lawless Indian country where killings were common; in a stagecoach that had sun shining through recent, deadly bullet-holes; and with no promised soldier escort!

Describing himself as a "tenderfoot,"  Meacham's knuckles must have grown white as he tightly clutched his borrowed Colt revolver during the harrowing trip.

Prescott was Hollywood for Silent Westerns

(Tom Mix with an unknown starlet in an unknown film.)

What do these movies: "Creepshow 2," "Universal Soldier," "Arizona Summer," "Transamerica," "Jolene," "How the West Was Won," and "Billy Jack" have in common?

They are part of 16 modern movies that were all filmed, at least in part, in Prescott, Arizona. (*1)

But when it came to silent western movies, Prescott was a real "Hollywood."  Incredibly, in the three years of 1913-15, over a hundred silent westerns were filmed in Prescott and the surrounding area.

The first movie ever made in Prescott was The Cringer.

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.