The Charlotte Hall Museum in Prescott takes you back to 1870 Prescott, with rough roads and robberies as part of an Arizona stagecoach adventure. Hear from James O. Grant, owner of the Arizona Stage Line, at the Charlotte Hall Museum on July 15 at 2:00 PM.

Travel may not be for the faint of heart. Time delays, bad weather, bumpy roads, equipment failures, and unruly passengers (or drivers) are all terrible trademarks of an unfortunate road trip. Step back and step back in time to 1870 Prescott. Home to more than 650 inhabitants, Prescott welcomed settlers, prospectors and thrill-seekers from all over the country. Some of these people traveled and arrived by stagecoach.

Arizona Stage Line owner James O. Grant started a new chapter in public transit in Yavapai County when he set up his business in Prescott the year before. An entrepreneur, his stage route traversed all over Yavapai County, also stopping at American Ranch, Skull Valley, Date Creek, Wickenburg and La Paz. As the territory expanded and more people arrived in Arizona, his service also added a base in Phoenix.

Stage services like Grant’s were essential on the frontier. They carried not only passengers and belongings, but also mail bags and express boxes. These express boxes may contain money, gold and other valuables.

Those who stepped onto the stage embraced adventure as well as some risk. They walked bumpy, rocky roads, experienced potentially dangerous weather, and at times even endured robberies and thefts. From William Bucky O’Neill and Price Beehan, who stood in for reckless chauffeurs, to Sheriff Wickenburg, who was robbed on the westbound stage in May 1877, there are many stories to tell. In his 38 years from 1875 to 1903 he had 34 burglaries in Yavapai County. For the most part there were no injuries or fatalities, but it certainly made for an exciting story to share with loved ones.

Join us as we share Grant’s story in rugged Yavapai County and the stories of others on the road.

The Yavapai County Stagecoach Adventure will take place on Saturday, July 15, 2023 at 2:00 pm at the Charlotte Hall Museum Campus in the Education Center Auditorium. General admission is $15, but members of the Charlotte Hall Museum are free. To sign up, call the Charlotte Hall Museum Admissions Office at (928) 277-2000 or email us. Admission @sharlothallmuseum.org.