Prescott Valley, Arizona

Prescott Valley is a town located in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States, about 8 miles east of Prescott, which it has surpassed in growth. Prescott Valley was the seventh fastest-growing place among all cities and towns in Arizona between 1990 and 2000, with a current population in 2019 of about 46,515 residents.[4]

Not to be confused with Prescott, Arizona.
Prescott Valley, Arizona
Town
Barlow-Massicks Victorian British Manor "The Castle" built in 1891
Flag
Location of Prescott Valley in Yavapai County, Arizona
Prescott Valley
Location in Arizona
Prescott Valley
Prescott Valley (the United States)
Coordinates: 34°36′8″N 112°19′19″W
CountryUnited States
StateArizona
CountyYavapai
Incorporated (town)1978
Government
 • Town CouncilMayor Kell Palguta, Vice Mayor Lora Lee Nye; Council Members: Richard Anderson, Martin Grossman, Mary Mallory, Jodi Rooney, Michael Whiting.
Area
 • Town40.89 sq mi (105.91 km2)
 • Land40.89 sq mi (105.91 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
5,026 ft (1,532 m)
Population
 • Town38,822
 • Estimate 
(2019)[3]
46,515
 • Density1,137.45/sq mi (439.17/km2)
 • Metro
218,844 (US: 199th)
Time zoneUTC-7 (MST)
ZIP codes
86312, 86314, 86315
Area code(s)928
FIPS code04-57450
GNIS feature ID33193
Websitehttp://www.pvaz.net/

History

Prescott Valley's Fitzmaurice Ruins contain artifacts from the early Mountain Patayan people who inhabited the area some 1,400 years ago.[5] The Walker Party discovered gold along Lynx Creek[6] in 1863. The Lynx Creek placers went on to produce a recorded 29,000 troy ounces (900 kg) of gold. Estimates of actual production range up to 80,000 troy ounces (2,500 kg), which would be worth about $138 million at 2020 prices.[7]

Prescott Valley, formerly known as Lonesome Valley, was settled by ranchers in the 1880s, raising beef to supply the miners and new settlers. The Fain family, pioneer ranchers, still ranch in the valley.[8]

Thomas Gibson Barlow-Massicks arrived in the area in the early 1890s and built the historic "castle" that still stands in Fain Park. Massicks had a hydraulic gold mining operation in Lynx Creek Canyon and built the company mining camp of Massicks, Arizona just east of his Victorian home, the castle. The fireplace with chimney just inside the castle's fence is all that remains of the Massicks store. Massicks accidentally shot himself and died in April 1899 at the age of 37. In the 1930s, there was a gold dredging operation, the Doodle Bug Diggings, farther east in Lynx Creek Canyon.[9]

In the mid-1960s, Prescott Valley Incorporated, a real-estate company from Phoenix, purchased land in an area 10 miles east of Prescott known as Lonesome Valley. In 1966, representatives from Prescott Valley Inc. began traveling to the Midwest to sell home lots. By 1978, more than 1,500 residents were living in the unincorporated area now known as Prescott Valley. In 1978, 80 percent of the voters of Prescott Valley voted for incorporation as a town.[8] The Town celebrated its 40th anniversary during 2018.

In 1985, Prescott Valley got its first licensed radio station. The station was the first solar powered FM station in the United States. Today, Arizona's Hometown Radio Group has grown to seven stations throughout Arizona.[10]

Geography

Prescott Valley (locally, PV) is located in central Arizona approximately 85 miles (137 km) north of Phoenix at 5,100 feet (1,600 m). elevation. PV has good access to Arizona State Route 89, SR-89A and SR-69, connecting to Interstates 17 and 40. Air service is available at Ernest A. Love Field, about 8 miles (13 km) northwest.

One of PV's landmarks, Glassford Hill (elevation 6,177 feet (1,883 m)) was an active volcano between 10 and 14 million years ago.[11] Colonel William A. Glassford traveled the area in the 1880s and helped build a system of 27 heliograph stations to monitor the movements of Apache Indians, U.S. military troops and civilians. Glassford Hill was a part of that early communications system.[12]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1970244—
19802,284836.1%
19908,904289.8%
200023,535164.3%
201038,82265.0%
Est. 201946,515[3]19.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]

Prescott Valley is part of the West region of Arizona, including the Mohave, La Paz, and Yuma counties, which collectively increased their population by 25 percent between 2000 and 2010.[14]

According to 2017 census estimates,[15] there were 44,466 people and 16,705 households residing in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 76.8% non-Hispanic White, 0.7% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0% Pacific Islander and 2.1% from two or more races. 18.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

According to the census of 2000, there were 8,964 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the town the population was spread out, with 26.8% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $34,341, and the median income for a family was $37,257. Males had a median income of $30,097 versus $21,049 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,248. About 7.8% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Prescott Valley's economy consists of industrial, manufacturing, retail and service businesses. Many retirees live there due to relatively inexpensive housing and the mild climate.

Top employers

According to the Prescott Valley Economic Development Foundation,[16] the top employers in the town as of September 2019 are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Humboldt Unified School District 804
2 Yavapai Regional Medical Center East 733
3 MI Windows and Doors 350
4 Walmart 329
5 Town of Prescott Valley 318
6 Ace Hardware Retail Support Center 255
7 Fry's Food and Drug 230
8 Mountain Valley Regional Rehabilitation Hospital 225
9 Home Depot 138
10 PrintPak Inc. 128
11 Superior Industries 125
12 Yavapai College - Prescott Valley Campus 123
13 Safeway, Inc. 122
14 Leidos 115
15 Yampa Precision 95

Culture

Prescott was the location of Arizona's first Elks Lodge (BPOE). In December 1895 a group of enterprising businessmen in Prescott, sturdy products of the early west, chartered the original petition for a dispensation and later established the Prescott Elks Lodge #330. "Mother Lodge of Arizona" The Prescott Elks Opera House was built by the lodge in 1905. The Prescott Elks Lodge is now located in Prescott Valley and has served the community for more than 116 years.

Attractions

Prescott Valley is located within 10 minutes of the Prescott National Forest, with lakes, fishing, hiking and camping. The Entertainment District is located downtown and offers a variety of restaurants, a 6,000-seat events center,[17] a multi-screen movie theater, and retail shops. There are 27 parks. Fain Park preserves remnants of early 20th century gold mining along Lynx Creek.[18][19] The Northern Arizona Suns, a minor league basketball team in the NBA G League, plays out of the Findlay Toyota Center. In April 2016, the National Basketball Association's Phoenix Suns purchased their affiliated NBA D-League team, the Bakersfield Jam, and relocated the team to Prescott Valley beginning with the 2016–17 season.

The Arizona Sundogs minor professional ice hockey team called Prescott Valley its home from 2006 to 2014. The team won the Central Hockey League championship in 2008.

The Arizona Adrenaline indoor football team also played two seasons in the Tim's Toyota Center, now the Findlay Toyota Center.

Prescott Valley's Mountain Valley Splash is an outdoor community pool that seasonally offers children's swim lessons, water aerobics, school swim team practices, and recreational swim. The pool features a splash pad, fountains and a water slide.

Fain Park
Part of a series of the
Cities and towns in Arizona with lists and images of historic properties; cemeteries or historic districts
Flag of Arizona

The Fain family, who were one of the original pioneer families to settle in Prescott Valley, donated the land in which Fain Park is located to the citizens of Prescott Valley. The Fain Lake is located within the park. Also located in the park is the Victorian British Manor known as “The Castle”. The structure was built in 1891, by English entrepreneur Thomas Gibson Barlow-Massicks. Barlow-Massicks established a gold mining operation and some of the equipment which he used is on display there. The Chapel of the Valley opened in 2002. The Stain Glass windows of the Chapel were made in 1906 in Germany, once belonged to the Mercy Hospital which burned to the ground in 1940. Henry Lovell Brooks (1912-2006), an educator and organist for the First Congregational Church in Prescott, helped built the Chapel of the Valley and donated the windows and a 1877, Estey Reed Pipe Organ. Fain Park was listed in the National Register of Historic Places, as part of the Lynx Creek District, on August 31, 1978, reference # 78000571. Fain Park is located at south of Arizona State Route 69 and east of Stoneridge Drive.[20]

Pictured are the following:

  • The Lynx Creek District National Register of Historic Places marker.
  • The Fain Park waterfall
  • The Fain Park Bridge over Fain Lake.
  • The Lynx Creek Dam.
  • A 30” diameter pipe constructed from individual tubes, riveted together to control the flow of water during the hydraulic gold mining process.
  • A refurbished Gold Stamp Mill and other mining equipment.
  • The Barlow-Massicks Victorian British Manor "The Castle" and the manor's storage shack and tool shed.
  • The ruins of what was once the Massicks Stage Stop and Post Office and, plus that of a wagon.
  • A 1906 Stained Glass window and dedication in the Chapel of the Valley.
  • The 1877, Estey Reed Pipe Organ which Henry Lovell Brooks donated to the Chapel of the Valley.
  • Chapel of the Valley marker.
Fain Park
Lynx Creek District
National Register of Historic Places Marker
  • Fain Park-Lynx Creek District Marker
  • Fain Lake waterfall
  • People on the historic Fain Lake Bridge
  • The Lynx Creek Dam
  • 30” diameter pipe
  • Refurbished Gold Stamp Mill
  • Gold mining equipment
  • Barlow-Massicks Victorian British Manor "The Castle"
  • Barlow-Massicks Victorian British Manor storage shack
  • Barlow-Massicks Victorian British Manor tool shed
  • Ruins of the 1890 Massicks Stage Stop and Post Office
  • Close-up view of the Massicks Stage Stop and Post Office ruins
  • Abandoned wagon by the ruins of the Massicks Stage Stop and Post Office
  • Chapel of the Valley
  • 1906 Stain Glass window
  • Stained Glass Windows dedication
  • 1877 Estey Reed Pipe Organ
  • Chapel of the Valley Marker

Transportation

There are three main thoroughfares in and around Prescott Valley which include Arizona State Route 89A, Arizona State Route 69 and Fain Road. Arizona State Route 89A is a four lane divided highway that connects Prescott Valley to northern Prescott and Ernest A. Love Field Airport to the west and to the east Jerome, Cottonwood and Sedona. Arizona State Route 69 is a six lane roadway that connects Prescott Valley to downtown Prescott and Interstate 17. Fain Road is a four lane limited access freeway that links Arizona State Route 89A and Arizona State Route 69 in the east. In 2006 the town of Prescott Valley proposed the Great western Corridor from Arizona State Route 89A to Outer Loop road in Chino Valley, Arizona.[21]

Notable residents
  • Sharlot Hall's family had a ranch between present-day Prescott Valley and Dewey. She lived there from 1890 to about 1925. The site is now the Orchard Ranch trailer park.[22]
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gollark: please use nicer languages, PLEASE.
gollark: Go is generally just highly hostile to abstraction STOP SPREADING IT STOP SPREADING IT
gollark: Yes, but they don't exist yet.
gollark: You're forced to use a "waitgroup" and 198561281682 goroutines.

References
  1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2014-07-06.
  3. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  4. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  5. "Prescott History". townsquarepublications.com.
  6. Lynx Creek https://highlandscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Highlands-Trail-Geology-Map.pdf
  7. "USD Gold Price Charts & Historical Data". APMEX. Retrieved Aug 30, 2019.
  8. Jean Cross, 2009, Images of America: Prescott Valley, Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-7070-2
  9. "Sharlot Hall Museum". Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved Aug 30, 2019.
  10. "Arizona's Hometown Radio".
  11. "About Prescott Valley". Town of Prescott Valley. Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  12. "Prescott Valley Historical Society".
  13. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  14. Teixeira, Ruy (2012). America's New Swing Region: Changing Politics and Demographics in the Mountain West. Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 9780815722861.
  15. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Prescott Valley town, Arizona". www.census.gov. Retrieved Aug 30, 2019.
  16. "About Prescott Valley". Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  17. "Prescott Valley Event Center". Prescott Valley Event Center. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  18. "Prescott". nationalforests.org.
  19. "Great Reasons to Move to Prescott, AZ". prescottenews. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  20. "Fain Park". Retrieved Aug 30, 2019.
  21. http://www.pvaz.net/DocumentCenter/Home/View/656
  22. "Orchard Ranch history". Archived from the original on May 23, 2010. Retrieved Aug 30, 2019.
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