Cottonwood, AZ

Cottonwood, AZ is a city in Yavapai County in the high desert.  The city is where the old meets the new with Old Town Cottonwood on one side and the new town of Cottonwood on the opposite end.  The new town has all of the stores and restaurants and old town has the unique shops and restaurants.  The population of Cottonwood is 11,171 with a median income of $27,400 and a median age of 41.  It sits at 3314 above sea level.  In 1874  soldiers from Camp Verde were stationed in an adobe home (still exists today) where present day Cottonwood is.  As settlers moved into the area a community began to form.  In 1879 Cottonwood was founded.  It became a farming community where the crops and livestock raised were sold to Camp Verde and later Jerome.  The name for the town, Cottonwood, was derived from a circle of sixteen large cottonwood trees growing about a 1/4 of a mile from the Verde River.  The area around Cottonwood was also an excellent place for hunting Rabbit and Quail.  By 1917 Cottonwood was a booming town and seemed to especially draw venturesome people who wanted to own their own home and buisness. It had a reputation for lawlessness and it accepted those who may have been run out of other towns.  Heavy bootlegging was big business and Cottonwood became known for the best bootlegging booze.  In late 1918-1919 Cottonwood had over 64 businesses with less than 600 in population.  In the 1920's it was called the "Biggest little town in Arizona".  It even attracted out of state businesses.  Cottonwood through out the years has continue to grow into a nice community to live and vacation in.  With it's central location it is a perfect place to stay while visiting all of the attractions in the area.  It is a nice town with beautiful views.  Looking north you see the Red Rocks of Sedona and to the south Mingus mountain.  I posted a couple of pictures from around our campsite.  Today we are going to check out some of the local historic sites and visit Jerome.  We may also drive into Sedona just because it is there!  Check back tomorrow and find out what we actually did!