THE TOWN OF PRESCOTT
Our friends abroad will be glad to know all the facts touching our new and hopeful town. Let us begin by saying that the name was preferred to Audubon and Granite City, which had been proposed, because of the Aztec memorials everywhere existing in this region, and confirming the conclusions of the great American historian, Prescott, as to its former occupation. An esteemed correspondent of the Miner from whom we have several valuable historical communications in reserve had suggested that the capital of the Territory should be Aztlan. Without expressing an opinion as to whether Prescott is or is not to be the capital, we think the name preferable, though Aztlan would have been very proper designation for the territory, far more easy to interpret and more appropriate than Arizona.
Moreover the compliment to the memory of the illustrious Prescott is well deserved. To rare ability as a writer and historian, he added all the qualities which ennobles man. He was a good citizen, a true patriot, and an honor to a most reputable ancestry. His biography lately published in Boston and a copy of which we hope to receive at an early day abounds in interesting incidents illustrative of his genius, his industry, his perseverance under difficulties, including the blindness of his later years, his purity and amiability of character, and his love of country, which should make us as proud to have his name associated with the settlement for which we have faith to believe there is to be a prosperous future.
The town - may we soon say the city - of Prescott, is located at a point near the intersection of the 34th degree of latitude with the 112th degree of longitude. So lately has this region been opened that the existing maps of the territory have it only in blank.
The spot chosen and surveyed for the town embraces a beautiful mesa of two quarter sections of land upon Granite Creek, running with the same for a mile. The streets all run with the cardinal points of the compass and are 100 feet wide. The squares are each 325 feet by 600 feet including an alley of 25 feet running lengthwise. The lots, saving those facing the plaza, are 50 feet by 150 feet. Those upon the plaza which is composed of an entire square are 25 by 125 feet on the North and South and 25 by 150 feet on the east and West sides. The land reserved for the public buildings, should be the legislature be convened here, is an entire square situated on the highest point from which a grand view of the surrounding country can be had. This square is directly connected with the plaza by a street called Union Street, which is 100 feet wide and runs through the center of the only intervening square. From the public park a street called Liberty St. same width, runs through the first square in the opposite direction thus opening the public grounds to access and view from every quarter.
The other streets of the town are named either after persons identified with the former or present history of this part of the Territory - thus those running North and South after Granite St. which is upon the east bank of Granite Creek are called Montezuma, Cortez, Marina, Alarcon, Coronado, and Whipple, while those running east and West are known as Sheldon, Willis, Gurley, Goodwin, Carlton, Aubrey, Leroux, Walker and Lount streets. Much of the site is covered with fine Pines, Cedars and live oaks, which will, in all cases where they do not interfere with the building, will be left undisturbed. The plaza and public square could not be so well shaded in 20 years by planting. Although the bed of Granite Creek is dry at many points there is at all seasons more or less of running water and by digging from one to three feet, water is everywhere to be had and a superior quality. The recent success in well digging at Fort Whipple leads to the belief that water can be had anywhere upon the town site, though the mesa is quite high. It is proposed to have a well in each corner of the plaza. The huge flagstaff in the centre a description of which has been given, is one of the finest sticks of the kind, we have ever seen. The law under which the town site was selected and the lots have been disposed of is as follows:

Approved March 3rd 1864,
As indicated by the resolutions of the meeting of citizens held on the 30th of May published in Miner No.7 it was deemed proper in the lack of time to communicate with the President and Secretary of the Interior, and in the absence of a Register and Receiver of the Land-office, to designate 3 commissioners to act both for the government and the people, Van C. Smith, Hezekiah Brooks, and Robert W Groom, who were chosen, have performed their duties faithfully and well. After Mr. Groom had completed the survey of the site, they called in three disinterested persons, Mr. James A. Halstead of Fort Yuma, William F. Scott of Tucson, and Charles M Dorman, who dividing lots the lots into three grades, valued them respectively at $15, $10, and $7.50 each, and the four chief corner lots on the plaza at $20 each.
Already, notwithstanding the scarcity of tools and of hardware, and the want of a saw-mill, a dozen stores and houses are in course of erection. The Miner office, the offices of doctor Seeley and Garvin, the billiard saloon of Mr. John Dickson and the store of Mr. a Wertheimer, the hotel of Mr. Jackson, the restaurant (or Jupiter House) of Mr. Barnard, and the houses of Mr. Mahon and Mr. White are all well advanced. Others are contracted for and will be built without delay. At the two sales, June 4th, and July 5th and 6th, upwards of $12,000 worth of lots were disposed of. the prices, names of purchasers, etc, will make an article for our next.