The History
Prescott was a mining town before it was anything else. The Yavapai County Courthouse anchored a territory that was violent, politically charged, and growing fast. Between 1875 and 1925, at least 11 legal hangings took place here.
The most notorious: Fleming Parker, convicted of stagecoach robbery and murder, who attempted an escape from the courthouse that ended in gunfire on the plaza steps.
The courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been the center of Prescott civic life for over a century, and locals say it holds more than records.
The Haunting
Electricity anomalies are common around the plaza after dark. Visitors and guides have reported apparitions on the courthouse steps, particularly near the south entrance.
People have described being touched, pulled, or grabbed by unseen hands while standing near the building. The Rough Rider statue at the meeting point is where every tour begins, and where the first story sets the tone for the next 90 minutes.
This is stop 01 of 14 on the Downtown Prescott Haunted History Tour.