Prescott will observe the 150th anniversary of its founding, at the end of May.  This afternoon, about 1,000 people gathered on the east side of the Courthouse, to take part in a group photo.  Since I won’t be in town during the actual celebrations, I decided to be in the group photo.  It’ll be ready for distribution, on a poster, in a few weeks.  I will keep checking Prescott’s Facebook page for group photos, in the meantime. While contemplating the arrival of this anniversary, I realized that my photo shoots have been achieved far and wide, across the country, yet I had not recorded some of my adopted home town’s most salient features.  Downtown is therefore presented here. First, at City Hall, citizen and visitor alike are greeted by this imposing figure.

Two other statues occupy the edges of Courthouse Square.  The warp and weft of this fabulous little town is the ranching West, followed closely by a fierce defense of individual freedom.  There is, in this day’s economy, not that much left of the Cowboy Culture, but we have the Fourth of July Rodeo, the Cowboy Poets gathering, these statues, and what follows- Whiskey Row, Prescott’s legendary answer to Tombstone.

The northern cornerstone of Whiskey Row is the oldest of Prescott’s three iconic hotels:  The St. Michaels.

At this point, I rounded the corner of Courthouse Square, past the Gazebo, where Penny, Aram and I used to sit and listen to the Friday evening concerts, in the early 2000’s,

and found the Centennial Tree, offered by the people of Prescott to the State of Arizona, on February 14, 2012, our state’s Centenary.

Prescott was founded for the sake of the cattle industry, as well as for mining.  Yet, when the horse became a secondary means of transportation, Prescottonians took easily to the automobile.  Antique car shows are held here, once or twice each year.  

In front of this fine vintage vehicle,  I found a palatable and filling lunch at one of Prescott’s many dining establishments,

On the way home, I passed Prescott’s newer downtown Grand Hotel:  The Hassayampa. born of the Edwardian Era.

I can’t leave mention of hotels, though, without a glance at our lovely boutique establishment:  The Vendome.

Prescott still has plenty of serene, natural settings, including some not far from downtown.  Here is Miller Creek.

We are, after all,

Here is an example of why Prescott has survived three downtown fires, a few floods and the devastation of last year’s loss of one of our primary Fire Crews.  A real community is never totally rent asunder, and this town, like Tombstone, is too tough to die.

Long after the scrawler of the red graffiti has come to his senses, there will be love and life, and God will love us.

Happy Birthday, Prescott!