Prescott Valley, Arizona
Prescott Valley, Arizona | |
|---|---|
 Historic Prescott Valley Motel, built about 1966 | |
 Location in Yavapai County the state of Arizona | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Yavapai |
| Incorporated (town) | 1978 |
| Government | |
| • Town Council | Mayor Harvey C. Skoog. Councilmembers Stephen Marshall, Mary Mallory, Lora Lee Nye, Michael Whiting, Martin Grossman, Richard Anderson |
| Area | |
• Town | 38.7 sq mi (100.1 km2) |
| • Land | 38.7 sq mi (100.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,026 ft (1,532 m) |
| Population | |
• Town | 38,822 |
• Estimate (2014)[2] | 41,075 |
| • Density | 1,004.4/sq mi (387.8/km2) |
| • Metro | 218,844 (US: 199th) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| ZIP codes | 86312, 86314 |
| Area code | 928 |
| FIPS code | 04-57450 |
| Website | http://www.pvaz.net/ |
Prescott Valley is a thriving town of about 42,000 population in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States, just east of Prescott. Prescott Valley was the seventh fastest-growing place among all cities and towns in Arizona between 1990 and 2000. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the town is 38,822.[3]
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) west.
One of PV’s landmarks, Glassford Hill (elevation 6,177 feet (1,883 m)) was once an active volcano between 10 and 14 million years ago[citation needed]. 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. Today, it stands as an dormant volcano.
History
Prescott Valley’s Fitzmaurice Ruins contain artifacts from the early Mountain Patayan people who inhabited the area some 1,400 years ago.
The Walker party discovered gold along Lynx Creek 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 $85 million at 2011 prices.[4]
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.[5]
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.[6]
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% of the voters of Prescott Valley voted for incorporation as a town.[5]
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 244 | — | |
| 1980 | 2,284 | 836.1% | |
| 1990 | 8,904 | 289.8% | |
| 2000 | 23,535 | 164.3% | |
| 2010 | 38,822 | 65.0% | |
| 2014 (est.) | 41,075 | [7] | 5.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 2014 Estimate[2] | |||
Economy
Prescott Valley's economy consists of industrial, manufacturing, retail and service businesses. Many retirees live here due to relatively inexpensive housing and the mild climate. Recent major community additions include a $61M regional medical center and a $15M regional rehabilitation hospital, and $22M Public Library.[9] Northcentral University is based in Prescott Valley.
Top employers
According to Prescott Valley's 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[10] the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Humboldt Unified School District | 687 |
| 2 | Yavapai Regional Medical Center | 472 |
| 3 | Ace Hardware | 211 |
| 4 | Town of Prescott Valley | 203 |
| 5 | Lockheed Martin | 195 |
| 6 | MI Windows and Doors | 184 |
| 7 | Mountain Valley Regional Rehabilitation Hospital | 183 |
| 8 | Fry's Food and Drug | 181 |
| 9 | Safeway | 135 |
| 10 | Yavapai College | 125 |
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, charted 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 now located in Prescott Valley and has served the community for over 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, a multi-screen movie theater, and retail shops. Fain Park preserves remnants of early 20th century gold mining along Lynx Creek.
The Northern Arizona Suns, a minor league basketball team in the NBA Development League, plays out of the Prescott Valley Event 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 played two seasons in the Tim's Toyota Center.
Notable residents
- Sharlot Hall's family had a ranch between present-day PV and Dewey. She lived there from 1890 to about 1925. The site is now the Orchard Ranch trailer park.[11]
See also
References
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2014-07-06.
- ^ a b "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Population for All Incorporated Places in Arizona" (CSV). 2010 Census Summary file 1. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division.
- ^ Prescott Area Geological Field Guide, 1999, prepared for Earth Science Week. Copy available at Yavapai College library.
- ^ a b Jean Cross, 2009, Images of America: Prescott Valley, Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-7070-2
- ^ Sharlot Hall Museum
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved July 6, 2014.
- ^ Prescott Valley profile at Arizona Department of Commerce
- ^ City of Prescott Valley CAFR
- ^ Orchard Ranch history
External links
- Town of Prescott Valley
- Prescott Daily Courier – Newspaper
- Lonesome Valley Newspaper - Newspaper
- Prescott Elks Lodge # 330
Municipalities and communities of Yavapai County, Arizona, United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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| Populated places |
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| Indian reservations | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |