Prescott is the county seat of Yavapai County, it was named in honor of historian William Hickling Prescott.
Richard McCormick was secretary of the territory at the time (and second governor), possessed an extremely popular history book, “The History of the Conquest of Mexico,” published in 1843. The author’s name was William Hickling Prescott (May 4, 1796, to January 29, 1859).
It was McCormick who suggested the name Prescott for the new town and territorial capital. The new name was agreed because Harvard-educated Prescott was known as one of the first great American historians and a true patriot with unquestioned character. His father was a lawyer, and his grandfather fought for America, as a colonel, during the Revolutionary War.
Arizona was officially declared a US territory in February 1863. Just one year later, Fort Whipple was moved from Chino Valley to a new, more mountainous locale that was declared "Prescott" on May 30, 1864, at the behest of Congress and President Abraham Lincoln in an effort to secure the area's mineral riches for the Union forces during the Civil War
Fort Whipple was originally a tactical base for the cavalry and later the headquarters for the Arizona Volunteers (Rough Riders).
Fort Whipple was converted to a tuberculosis sanatorium during WW I and was transferred to the Public Health Service in 1920 for continued use as a hospital for disabled Veterans. In the early 1930s, the facility was transferred to the newly created Veterans Administration as a general medical / surgical hospital.
William H. Prescott is considered one of the most distinguished historians of the 19th century, being instrumental in the development of history as an academic subject.
He was left partially blind following a food fight during his freshman year at Harvard when he was struck in the eye with a slice of bread
He has a statue and an entire building named after him in Boston, plus a street is named in his honor near Harvard, his bread-tossing alma mater across the river in Cambridge.
https://www.prescott.com/history
Movies were filmed at the Palace in Prescott, Arizona: The bar has been featured in several films, including Junior Bonner, starring Steve McQueen;
Billy Jack, starring Tom Laughlin;
and Wanda Nevada, starring Peter Fonda and Brooke Shields.
Street Names Inspired by Prescott's Book: Cortez, Montezuma, and Marina Streets: These streets were named after characters in Prescott's book, particularly Cortez, the Spanish conquistador, and Montezuma, the Aztec emperor.
Alarcon: Another street named after a character in Prescott's book.
Aztec Street: This street, located west of downtown, reflects a continued interest in Prescott's book and its focus on the pre-conquest people of Mexico.
Coronado (now Pleasant): A street name also inspired by Prescott's book
