Whiskey Row, Prescott, Az

This was the visit I was looking forward to for a long time. I had told a few friends that I was going to go around the country to photograph my favorite bars and taverns in the process of writing a book on the subject. Dallas Horn immediately brought up Whiskey Row. He told me a little about the Palace Restaurant and Saloon. He said “You have to go there guy! The history of the Row is amazing!” Boy was he right! I absolutely enjoyed my one day trip to Prescott and I wish I could have stayed longer.
Looking south on Whiskey Row (Montezuma Street) from Gurley Street.

I had only been to Prescott once before and never visited Whiskey Row. That’s a shame! I am kicking myself for not doing this sooner. See, I lived in the greater Phoenix area from 1979-1983 and then again from 1986-1998. Both of my sons, Nicholas and Anthony were born there. Prescott is just a little less than 2 hours north of Phoenix. I love Arizona. It is one of the most diverse of the states in every way, especially the landscape and scenery. You can go from desert to high country pines in just a couple hours drive. It is spectacular! My friend Bryan Dunn went with me on this trip and I don’t know who was looking forward to this more. Before we left Phoenix, Bryan explained to me that he wanted me to enjoy myself and totally experience Whiskey Row. He was my designated driver and carried all of my equipment. He lugged my camera and equipment around all day and I really appreciate that because it’s not easy drinking and working at the same time. We had a blast!

Bryan Dunn, or the Hippie as he is affectionately known walking in the courtyard across the street from Whiskey Row.

Prescott Arizona was founded in 1864 and incorporated into Arizona in 1881. The 100 block of South Montezuma Street is a one block strip known as Whiskey Row because of the enormous amount of saloons that were once there. There are lots of stories that make up the rich history of this town. Ranches, saloons, gambling, the brothels and opium dens were the norm. Legend has it that Whiskey Row used to be situated some blocks west of where it is today. It is on South Montezuma Street now because people who had been drinking and gambling all night on “The Row”, had to walk across a foot bridge that crossed Granite Creek to get home. People who had a little too much to drink were falling into the creek and drowning. If you read the historical markers that line Whiskey Row and some of the markers on the buildings and establishments themselves, you can learn some real fun facts including one that some of the bars back then brewed their own beer and drinks were only 12 ½ ¢. In the late 1800’s, Whiskey Row held over 40 bars and saloons and it was rumored that there was an underground tunnel from the courthouse to the saloons so lawmakers wouldn’t be seen going into these establishments during the day. The Palace is one of the oldest of the saloons on Whiskey Row and Arizona which opened in September 1877. During that time, The Row was frequented by cowboys, farmers, ranchers and gamblers. It was definitely not a “family friendly” place. Most of the saloons were street level, the brothels were upstairs and the opium dens were in the back. These places were wild with gambling and saloon girls all around. Some of Whiskey Rows storied clientele include Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday. In most recent history Bruce Springsteen, Buck Owens and Waylon Jennings have enjoyed the “Row”. A fire on July 14, 1900 destroyed Whiskey Row along with the historical bars. Amazingly, it was rebuilt from the fall of 1900 and finished in 1905. The integrity of the buildings on the “Row” were built to match the look and style of the early 20th century. There are two back bars and front bars that survived and I will discuss that within the stories of the saloons themselves. There is a great story of how the bar in the Palace survived the fire. These bars were manufactured by the Brunswick Company in either Chicago or Boston and the how they ended up in Arizona was not easy. After they were built and hand-carved, the bars were put on a ship either on the Atlantic Ocean or down the Mississippi River. They sailed around the horn, up the coast of Mexico and were either dropped off in San Francisco or continued to sail up the Colorado River. From there, the bars were put on a mule train and stage-coached across the desert and assembled in the saloons. Can you imagine the enormity of all this? Back bar located in The Bird Cage Saloon. Notice the beautiful handcarvings This back bar dates back to the 1870's

Prescott is only 96 miles northwest of Phoenix and 90 miles southwest of Flagstaff. If you wanted to visit the Grand Canyon, it’s only 95 miles away. Prescott sits at an elevation of 5300ft. It boasts a mild 4 season climate. When we were there, it was 86 degrees and dry while Phoenix was near 112 degrees. The average winter temperature is 50 degrees while summer is 85 degrees. There is plenty to do also as Prescott is known as “Arizona’s Christmas City” and has the worlds oldest, continuously running rodeo. When Arizona became a territory in 1864, Prescott was the capital city until 1889 when Tucson was named capital. As of today, Phoenix is the capital city of Arizona.

Today, Whiskey Row is a great place to visit for both locals and tourists. While in the saloons, you can feel the history. Most of the ceilings are made of decorative pressed tin and even though the bars are newer, you can really sit at the bars and imagine what it may have been like back in the late 1800’s on Whiskey Row. I hope that everyone who reads this book has an opportunity to visit Prescott and spend some time on Whiskey Row. Trust me; you will be glad that you did. I have great memories of that one day I sat at all the bars that you are about to read about and I am looking forward to going back. Hope to see you there!