The Town on the Hassayampa: A History of Wickenburg, Arizona [Paperback]

Mark Pry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1997

First settled in 1863, the same year the Territory of Arizona was established, Wickenburg is one of the oldest towns in Arizona north of the Gila River. Established following the discovery of the nearby Vulture Mine, it began as a small but thriving Anglo-Hispanic community of farmers, miners, and business owners living on the banks of the Hassayampa River. By the mid-1870's, less than a decade after the Vulture's discovery, the mine was closed and the town nearly abandoned. Wickenburg could have joined the ever-growing ranks of western mining ghost towns, but its residents cultivated new industries—first ranching, then tourism—that allowed the community to prosper and find new life as a guest-ranching center the "Dude Ranch Capital of the World." Now it is one of the Southwest's more exclusive retirement and tourist destinations. The Town on the Hassayampa surveys the entire sweep of Wickenburg's history in a compact and readable narrative, tracing the rise and fall of the Vulture Mine, conflict between the Yavapai Indians and Anglo and Mexican newcomers, and the growth of the town's history and of the shifting relationships between Wickenburg's Anglo and Mexican American residents. "A fascinating study of small-town Arizona. This is a book readers will enjoy."—Robert A. Trennert, Arizona State University

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mark Pry is a historian living in Tempe, Arizona. He does consulting work in historic societies, and other institutions. He holds a doctorate in history from Arizona State University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 157 pages
• Publisher: Desert Caballeros Western Museum; 1St Edition edition (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965737705
• ISBN-13: 978-0965737708
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,936,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Town On The Hassayampa, October 31, 2000

By 

Eric U (Mesa, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Town on the Hassayampa: A History of Wickenburg, Arizona (Paperback)

I enjoyed this book mostly for how easy it was to read. It flowed very well, and wasn't difficult to understand. It was not only educational, but also interesting. There were some dry spots, but that's history for you. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the topic.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Town on the Hassayampa:A History of Wickenburg, Arizona, October 30, 2000

By 

A student from MCC (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Town on the Hassayampa: A History of Wickenburg, Arizona (Paperback)

This book is designed to be a textbook as well as a general information book. Each chapter addresses a different issue that is important to Arizona such as water, mining, railroads, ranching and others. I like the way the book is laid out for that purpose. It covers the growth and development for Wickenburg, but will mirror many other towns in Arizona. I especially like the way Mark Pry personalizes the town. He has a good way of presenting history not only as fact, but as living history. A good example is the way he writes of the town's spirit after it had been devastated by the Walnut Grove Dam flood. I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in the history of Arizona.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wickenburg typifies Arizona history, October 31, 2000

By 

Jerry Ferguson (Mesa, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Town on the Hassayampa: A History of Wickenburg, Arizona (Paperback)

This book did a good job of describing the typical Arizona town. I found particularly interesting the way that the book showed an informative amount of backgroung on the progression of this small town without boring the reader. The pictures were a particularly nice touch, especially for me, and other visually-oriented readers like me. This is a must-read for anyone interested in Wickenburg's history, and even for those interested in Arizona history, or the history of the West in general for that matter.