Barbarians at the Quartz Rock

A crowd celebrated the first shot poured on Prescott's Whiskey Row.

- MARK BOARDMAN

Then and now, Prescott, Arizona’s, great calling card has been Whiskey Row. For nearly 160 years, it has been a center for entertainment, libation and even a bit of history. And it all started in 1864.

Entrepreneur William Hardy was the man with a vision. He saw a town that was recently named the territorial capital; it also had an Army post, Fort Whipple, nearby. A lot of people with a lot of thirst would be coming to Prescott, and Hardy wanted to profit in that.

And so he opened the Quartz Rock on November 14, 1864. The event drew a large crowd—in part because the saloon was offering a sampling of liquors on the house. It also featured the best billiard table in town. The opening was a huge success.

There to enjoy the festivities was a group self-proclaimed as “The Barbarians.” Contrary to their name, the members were some of the leading lights in Arizona Territory: Judge William Berry, Governor John Goodwin, Secretary of the Territory Richard McCormick and several officers from Fort Whipple.