Yarnell is a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
(CDP) in
Yavapai County
Yavapai County is near the center of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, its population was 236,209, making it the fourth-most populous county in Arizona. The county seat is Prescott.
Yavapai County comprises the Prescott, AZ M ...
,
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, AlÄ á¹£onak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, United States. The population of Yarnell was 649 at the
2010 census. Yarnell's economy is based on ranching, mining and services to travelers and retirees.
Peeples Valley
Peeples Valley (Yavapai: Wachinivo) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. The population was 374 at the 2000 census.
Peeples Valley is named for prospector A. H. Peeples, who was the leader of the group th ...
, three miles north, is closely linked to Yarnell.
History
Gold was discovered in Yarnell in about 1865 by Charles Genung (1839–1916), a well-known area pioneer. The community is named for Harrison Yarnell, a later prospector, who discovered the Yarnell mine in 1873. Old
U.S. Route 89
U.S. Route 89 (US 89) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway with two sections, and one former section. The southern section runs for from Flagstaff, Arizona, to the southern entrance of Yellowstone National Park. The northern sectio ...
(now
State Route 89), which goes through Yarnell, was paved in 1933, and for many years was the main highway from
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
to
Wickenburg
Wickenburg is a town in Maricopa and Yavapai counties, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the town was 7,474, up from 6,363 in 2010.
History
The Wickenburg area, along with much of the Southwest, became part of ...
,
Prescott and northern Arizona.
On June 30, 2013, the
Yarnell Hill Fire
The Yarnell Hill Fire was a wildfire near Yarnell, Arizona, ignited by dry lightning on June 28, 2013. On June 30, it overran and killed 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. Just one of the hotshots on the crew survived—he was pos ...
destroyed half of the town and killed 19 firefighters.
Geography
Yarnell is located at (34.222569, -112.749608).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the CDP has a total area of , all land.
Attractions
![Top of Yarnell Hill](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Top_of_Yarnell_Hill.jpg)
Yarnell Hill, which Highway 89 descends 1,300 feet in four miles, is a popular scenic drive. There is a developed lookout point at the top – only accessible from the downhill road.
The newest Arizona State Park, Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park, is just 3 miles south of Yarnell on State Highway 89. It was dedicated in 2016 as a place to remember the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshot Firefighters who were lost on June 30, 2013, while fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire. The hike is approximately 3.5 miles long from the trailhead to the Fatality Site, for a full length of about 7 miles. It is a somewhat difficult hike, with several up and down grades.
Yarnell Hill Fire Memorial Park is located in downtown Yarnell across from the Yarnell Fire Department’s administration building. Several etched metal signs give information about the Fire and about how it affected the citizens of Yarnell and Peeples Valley.
The Shrine of St. Joseph of the Mountains is a Catholic religious monument which features statuary hidden in the boulders. A short trail leads visitors through the stations of the cross.
The
ghost towns
Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to:
* Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned
Film and television
* ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser
* ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by Alle ...
of
Stanton,
Octave
In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...
and
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
are nearby, as well as Harper's Flat, the first place on the right (east side of highway) at the top of Yarnell Hill. Harper's Flat also contains the old rest area for the highway that was built in 1925 and old mining buildings. The original stage road to the town of Stanton is on this property as well and still visible. A very interesting place to visit, although it is private property, the owners do allow people to drive through and take photos. This property is just south of the Ranch House Restaurant. Rich Hill in
Weaver was the richest
placer gold discovery in Arizona, discovered in 1863 by a party led by the
mountain man
A mountain man is an explorer who lives in the wilderness. Mountain men were most common in the North American Rocky Mountains from about 1810 through to the 1880s (with a peak population in the early 1840s). They were instrumental in opening up ...
Pauline Weaver
Pauline Weaver (1797 – June 21, 1867), born Powell Weaver, was an American mountain man, trapper, military scout, prospector, and explorer who was active in the early Southwestern United States. A number of geographic features in Arizona are n ...
and the prospector A. H. Peeples. All are popular with amateur
prospectors
Prospecting is the first stage of the geological analysis (followed by Mining engineering#Pre-mining, exploration) of a territory. It is the search for minerals, fossils, precious metals, or mineral specimens. It is also known as fossicking.
...
and ghost town buffs.
Other attractions include hiking, UTV riding, gold prospecting, shopping, and restaurants.
Yarnell also includes a small community known as Glen Ilah.
Demographics
At the 2000
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
,
there were 645 people, 359 households and 188 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 516 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.9%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.2%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
or
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.2%
Native American, 0.2%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 1.1% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.6% from two or more races. 1.9% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race.
There were 359 households, of which 10.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.6% were non-families. 40.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.80 and the average family size was 2.35.
11.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 1.7% from 18 to 24, 16.4% from 25 to 44, 37.7% from 45 to 64, and 33.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 113.0 males.
The
median household income
The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...
was $24,792 and the median family income was $35,417. Males had a median income of $33,333 compared with $23,750 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the CDP was $18,837. About 11.5% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The
Yarnell Elementary School District 52 serves students in grades Pre-K to 8 for most of the CDP, while a section of the CDP lies in the
Congress Elementary School District
Congress Elementary School District is a K-8 school district headquartered in Congress, Arizona. It operates Congress Elementary School.
The district includes the Congress census-designated place and a portion of the Yarnell CDP.
The district s ...
. The former district operates Model Creek School.
After the 8th grade, Model Creek students move on to
Prescott High School of the
Prescott Unified School District
The Prescott Unified School District (PUSD) is a school district serving Prescott, Arizona. It operates four elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. The superintendent is Joe Howard.
Service area
In addition to almost all o ...
. Previously Model Creek students could choose between that school and
Wickenburg High School
Wickenburg High School is a high school in Wickenburg, Arizona under the jurisdiction of the Wickenburg Unified School District. It is double-listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Arizona. The original Colonial Revival high schoo ...
of the
Wickenburg Unified School District
Wickenburg Unified School District #9 (WUSD) is a school district headquartered in Wickenburg, Arizona.
History
In 1997 the question of whether the Wickenburg district and the Congress Elementary School District should merge was put on the ball ...
, but in order to reduce taxes, the Yarnell Elementary District board removed the Wickenburg option in November 2018. The Congress district sends high school students to Wickenburg High.
Congress district students attended Wickenburg USD for all grade levels prior to 2001, when the Congress K-8 facility opened.
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Clipping of first
of second page
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of third page
at Newspapers.com
Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites.
In November 2018, ...
.
References
External links
Gilligans Pizza Restaurant and Barstarted in 2018
A tribute to the Granite Mountain Hotshotswritten by local Yarnell resident Denise Roggio
Yarnell & Peeples Valley Chamber of Commerce by a local resident
Yarnell-Peeples Valley community profile by Arizona Department of Commerce
information and references}
– ghosttowns.com
{{authority control
Census-designated places in Yavapai County, Arizona