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Old 06-29-2011, 12:46 PM
 
203 posts, read 751,158 times
Reputation: 111

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This is just a few musings on my part...

We're a few days away from the 40th anniversary of the filming of this fine film - shot during the Prescott 4th of July rodeo days of 1971. If you have not seen this film, try to, as it is excellent.

Sadly, today's Prescott is almost nothing like the Prescott of 1971. The Palace Bar (featured in the film,) is now just another expensive restaurant; and during the 4th weekend plays rock music instead of country - and a cowboy hat is rarely seen.

If anyone knows where the rodeo cowboys now go to drink and party when in town, I would appreciate knowing, as they don't go to the Palace anymore (from what I've seen the past two years, anyway.)

I'll be going to the rodeo Friday night, which will be the only thing remotely similar to the Prescott of 40 years ago - sadly.

 
Old 06-29-2011, 01:28 PM
 
Location: Prescott Valley, AZ
3,062 posts, read 6,709,252 times
Reputation: 2444
Things change, that's for sure.
My home town and hangouts are nothing like they were, if they even exist.
Life goes on. You cannot stop change nor can you stop from getting older.
I know, then there is that paying taxes stuff too.
It is true, you can't go "home" again. It just does not exist the way we remember, not much does.

Last edited by keninaz; 06-29-2011 at 01:56 PM..
 
Old 06-29-2011, 01:28 PM
 
Location: Southern Yavapai County
1,329 posts, read 3,544,761 times
Reputation: 707
Quote:
Originally Posted by Low Roller View Post


Sadly, today's Prescott is almost nothing like the Prescott of 1971.
Sadly, that applies to a lot of places.
 
Old 06-29-2011, 02:29 PM
 
1,229 posts, read 3,875,307 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Low Roller View Post
I'll be going to the rodeo Friday night, which will be the only thing remotely similar to the Prescott of 40 years ago - sadly.
Yep, things have changed. Prescott was still pretty decent up until around 1990. It was after that when it started going downhill. What really started it was the flight from SoCal into Prescott and the RE boom. It came in 2 waves, first in 1990 - 1997 and then it slowed down until the 2nd wave hit from 2003 - 2008.

When the Lee developers destroyed the mountain on Highway 69 and Prescott Lakes Parkway in order to build Wal-Mart, it was quite the travesty. They literally took out half the mountain to build a pad for Wal-Mart.

Remember the water balloon fights? The entire town would have an annual water fight until some newbie complained about it and the water fights ceased.

Also, the town literally rolled up the carpet at 5PM. The word "traffic" was never uttered. There was only the Frontier Village movie theater, no Harkins. Back then you could literally leave your door unlocked. It might sound cliche but it was very Mayberry like. Everyone knew everyone and it was truly AZ's small town and it had charm.

It pains me to read that phrase when they tote it today, "Everyone's home town". I'm sorry but the small town charm is dead and gone.
 
Old 06-29-2011, 05:32 PM
 
72 posts, read 150,673 times
Reputation: 58
You could always move to Detroit if you long for the action of the Wild West!
 
Old 06-29-2011, 06:19 PM
 
Location: Prescott Valley, AZ
3,062 posts, read 6,709,252 times
Reputation: 2444
Mayberry never was, much like the memories of some.
 
Old 06-29-2011, 07:16 PM
 
1,627 posts, read 3,222,749 times
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I really like living here for the same reasons you don't. There is Costco, Sam's Club, Soon a Trader Joe's. Two Home Depots, Lowes, mall, Target, Ross, Mostly all the conveniences of a big city. I live out in the country..so I have the best of both worlds. I can sit on my patio and watch the cows feed or antelope and in 30 mins be at Costco.

Sorry that us Californians ruined for the rest.
 
Old 06-29-2011, 09:56 PM
 
1,229 posts, read 3,875,307 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smilinpretty View Post
I really like living here for the same reasons you don't. There is Costco, Sam's Club, Soon a Trader Joe's. Two Home Depots, Lowes, mall, Target, Ross, Mostly all the conveniences of a big city. I live out in the country..so I have the best of both worlds. I can sit on my patio and watch the cows feed or antelope and in 30 mins be at Costco.

Sorry that us Californians ruined for the rest.
I enjoy those things also but they came with a price/compromise. That price is increased crime, drugs, traffic, cost of living, city lights, noise, pollution, etc.

There is NO reason to have 2 HD's in the area. Complete overkill. Not to mention 2 and maybe now 3 Wal-Marts. I could do without the Gateway Mall, it is a pink elephant anyways. It is failing and failing hard. Mega malls never impressed me.

Sure it's nice to have those conveniences but people did without them for years and survived. What got ruined is that people moved here wanting the same things that destroyed the area they were moving away from.

Last edited by DellNec; 06-29-2011 at 10:11 PM..
 
Old 06-29-2011, 10:58 PM
 
203 posts, read 751,158 times
Reputation: 111
Quote:
Originally Posted by DellNec View Post
Prescott was still pretty decent up until around 1990. It was after that when it started going downhill. What really started it was the flight from SoCal into Prescott and the RE boom.
Yes, that's what I've been told by others - hence the rock music and disappearance of country music and cowboy hats.

Quote:
It pains me to read that phrase when they tote it today, "Everyone's home town". I'm sorry but the small town charm is dead and gone.
Yes. I don't mind having a Costco and WM (one would be enough,) but what I think is sad is that Prescott is no longer a "western" town, but a California clone pretending to be a western town.

I will attend the rodeo, but even that has changed with some kind of screwed up scoring so you don't know who wins or loses (as I found out last year.)

So Prescott Frontier Days is little more now than a less entertaining rodeo and a three-day arts and crafts flea market.

Quote:
You could always move to Detroit if you long for the action of the Wild West!
I didn't say I was suicidal!!! (Anyway, I'm sure that city only allows criminals to have guns.)

If anyone does happen to know where the rodeo cowboys hang out while in town, I'd really appreciate knowing. I'd like to see some cowboy hats and listen to some country music for a change on the 4th. Let the rock music go back to Cali.
 
Old 06-30-2011, 03:10 AM
 
203 posts, read 751,158 times
Reputation: 111
Quote:
Originally Posted by wretched wrench View Post
C'mon, now. You can't blame California for everything.
.
Why not? (BTW: I was born and raised in South Gate, a suburb of El-Lay.)

It just galls me that now Prescott is just pretending to be a western town - and doing that very badly.

I'm not a big C&W fan, actually, but when I'm in a town that has a rodeo and a festival called, "Frontier Days," I don't want to be entertained by some old hippies playing rock music. I can't even think of a club or venue that plays country music up here - and certainly not on Whiskey Row.

Quote:
Rapid population growth changes a lot of towns, regardless of the source.
Yes, but in Prescott's case the source is universally accepted to be Cali.

Quote:
Out of curiosity, does anyone think Californians ruined Prescott Valley? It sure grew a lot faster than Prescott in the last 20 years
PV doesn't pawn itself off as a western town with "The World's Oldest Rodeo," etc. No, PV is as western as Cucamonga.

I don't mean to be a crab here, it's just that the 4th here is now SO disappointing compared to those of yesteryear.

I know "Junior" is a stylized depiction of it, but I'll bet Whiskey Row back then was a sea of cowboy hats, and the music in the Palace bar was country.

I just think it's sad that Prescott doesn't even try to bring that back - even a little bit.
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