When Prescott was established in the nineteenth century, Arizona was not yet a state. It was part of the Arizona Territory, a vast and sparsely settled region where mining, ranching, military activity and transportation shaped everyday life.
A Territorial Capital
Prescott was founded in 1864 after gold was discovered in the surrounding region. The town quickly became an important center for government and commerce and served as the capital of the Arizona Territory for several periods during the territorial era.
That role gave Prescott importance beyond its size. Government offices brought officials, clerks, lawyers and visitors to town, while merchants supplied the growing population and the mining camps around it.
Life in a Frontier Town
Territorial Prescott was a place of contrasts. Hotels, stores, saloons and offices stood alongside rougher frontier businesses. Horses and wagons were essential transportation, and the surrounding mountains and forests were part of daily life rather than scenery viewed from a highway.
Newspapers were another important part of the community. They recorded elections, business transactions, fires, social events and the constant arrival and departure of people.
From Territory to State
Arizona remained a territory until February 14, 1912, when it became the 48th state admitted to the Union. By then Prescott was no longer the territorial capital, but the town had already developed a strong civic and commercial identity.
From the Archives
Old maps, newspapers, photographs, census records and government documents provide a remarkably detailed picture of Prescott before statehood. They allow us to see the town not as a legend of the Old West, but as a real community of people making homes, businesses and institutions in a rapidly changing territory.