Yavapai County is one of the four original Arizona counties formed in September of 1864, one year after the Arizona Territory was established. The County was named after the Yavapai Tribe, whose name means the 'people of the sun.'

The County was originally 65,000 square miles and was called the 'Mother of Counties'  because Apache, Coconino, Gila, Maricopa and Navajo Counties were later formed from it. The territorial government was also born in Yavapai County, the capital being originally located in the County in the City of Prescott.

As with much of the Southwest, the history of the area predates the formation of the Arizona Territory and of the County. Pre-historic Indian artifacts can be found in ancient Indian Pueblos and mounds throughout the County. The greatest concentration of artifacts are found in the Verde Valley where the Sinagua Indians arrived around 500 A.D. and created dwellings at Tuzigoot and Montezuma's Castle.

Spanish explorers also traveled through Yavapai County. Antonio de Espejo visited the Jerome area in 1581, Juan de Onate explored the area in 1604 and Friar Francis Garces visited in 1776.

The California '49ers' crossed the northern part of the County in 1849 on their way to the California gold-rush and after the Civil War there was a marked influx of Southerners into the territory.

With an area of 8,125 square miles the County is larger than Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island and New Jersey. Yavapai County is approximately the same size as Massachusetts.

In Addition...

 I am Colleen, your coordinator for Yavapai County. If you have anything to contribute, any suggestions for inclusion on the site, or simply want to send a friendly greeting, just email me! I'd love to her from you.

NOTE: I do not live in Arizona but will try to help out the best I can by providing information and adding new information as it becomes available. For your assistance there is a search engine in the research room.

If you would like to adopt a county, have a look at the AZGenWeb counties page. Should your county of choice already be adopted, you can be added to a waiting list by contacting one of the names below:

Yavapai County Coordinator - Colleen Pustola
AZGenWeb State Coordinator -
AZGenWeb Assistant State Coordinator - Colleen Pustola