1915: 6 Ft. Snow Drove Lions Onto Ranches--Hardly a Colt Survived

The winter of 1915 in Yavapai County was one of the wettest in the area's history.  Wave after wave of heavy moisture came through the Prescott area, stretching all the way down into the Sonoran Desert. (Ultimately, this unusually wet winter would change the ecosystem of the Prescott National Forest forever, introducing the white-tail deer to the area.)

In the valleys, there were copious amounts of rain, with Williamson Valley flooding several times.  Initially, ranchers were excited that "the ground was soaked to the grassroots," and they anticipated "one of the very best ranching seasons ever." (*1) However, this wet abundance would prove to be a two-edged sword.

The "Secret Agent Man" Christmas of 1966

The Cold War had an effect on Christmas in 1966. With "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," James Bond, and even "Get Smart" invading pop culture, boys dreamed of being "secret agents" and Christmas toys reflected that.

In Prescott, the Senior High opened its home basketball season against McClintock in its brand new, saucer-shaped gymnasium. Prescott won. (*1)

1937: The Christmas Without Candy

Come 1937, the Great Depression was taking a serious human toll.

One small boy arrived at Jefferson School "wan and helpless." When the principal, Miss Anyta Buzran questioned why, she uncovered an appalling travail: For the last two days, that boy and his two sisters had nothing more a glass of milk apiece to eat for the last two days. (*1)

Buzran quickly investigated several other families with students in her school and found 8-10 more children in the same condition. (*1)

Without a social safety net, things had become extremely desperate for many Prescott families who couldn't find work. After five long years of depression, even the charities had difficulties procuring suitable donations.

1916: The Plaza's (& AZ's) First Christmas Tree

1916 was an auspicious year for Prescott's Courthouse Plaza. In October, the cornerstone was laid for the brand new (and current) Courthouse.

Later, as Christmas approached, citizens as well as the Chamber of Commerce thought it would be an excellent idea to erect a municipal Christmas tree in the plaza.

A meeting was held on December 18th with the chamber, local ministers, and city officials, where "the opinion was unanimous in favor of the big tree." (*1)

There were to be lights, decorations, candy, toys, and charity baskets for every worthy, poor family in the city.

The newspaper proudly crowed: "Prescott will be the first city in the entire State of Arizona to hold a big municipal tree." (*1)

...That is, if they could get all the plans completed in less than a week!

The Mysterious Ruins at Sullivan Lake *UPDATED*

Sullivan Lake Dam under construction

The mysterious ruins: What are those smaller stone structures?

A couple of miles south of Paulden, off Route 89, is a loop spur marked "Old Hwy. 89." This aptly named stretch of the former roadway eventually crosses a bridge where some old ruins can be seen.

The usual passer-by often wonders what these buildings were for and when they were constructed.

Story Behind the Name: "Wilhoit" "Woodchute" "Bumble Bee" "Big Bug"

Arizona has some interesting and colorful place names. Here are four from around the greater Prescott National Forest area:

Wilhoit, Arizona

Wilhoit:
First, the charming story of Wilhoit, Arizona.