Historic Old Town Cottonwood is a town within a town, with its own quaint character and colorful 20th century Old West past. (It was a bootlegging center and a popular movie location!) Its well-preserved architectural heritage has won it a place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Located on the northern edge of the city of Cottonwood, Old Town is central to many popular Verde Valley attractions. It is 2 miles from the city of Clarkdale, the Verde Canyon Railroad and Tuzigoot National Monument with its Sinagua Indian pueblo; 6 miles from the old mining town of Jerome, and within walking distance of Dead Horse State Park with its beautiful Verde River.
Old Town Cottonwood is a picturesque, year-round destination, where one can step back in time, enjoy a meal at one of several excellent cafes and restaurants or walk away with a treasure from the area’s one-of-a-kind shops. One day it could be an antique glass vase or a brilliant red hat. Another day perhaps a silver ring, a landscape painting or a mask from New Guinea.
There are nearly three dozen stores and galleries in the Prohibition-era buildings along Old Town’s Main Street, featuring art, antiques, books, clocks, women’s and children’s clothing (new and used), gift items, homemade furniture, jewelry, Native American crafts, rocks, yarn and beads—even Christmas ornaments. There are also services, including a key shop, a dance studio, and an athletic club.
Visitors may want to notice the high sidewalks and period architecture and to look up when they are in the stores and eateries. Many of the ceilings are beautiful examples of elaborately hammered tin.
For those wanting to sleep with history, there is the Cottonwood Hotel (circa 1925) on 930 N. Main. It is the oldest hotel in Cottonwood and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The five-unit hotel, with its apartment-style lodging, is proud of its famous guests, including Mae West, John Wayne, Gail Russell and Elvis Presley, who shot films in the area. Three of the movies—“Angel and the Bad Man,” “Desert Fury,” and “Stay Way, Joe”—are available to guests for viewing.
Like the hotel, many of the buildings have stories to tell. 1060 Main Street (today a tattoo parlor) used to have underground cellars for storing moonshine. The Cottonwood Civic Center (805 N. Main) was built by the WPA in 1939 but not before the women of Cottonwood raised funds for the materials.
The Old Town Association’s Visitor Center at 1101 Main, was once the county jail. Its two metal-enclosed cells were built in 1929 to contain bootleggers and sometimes held up to a dozen people “sardine style.” The jail continued to be used until the 1970s, when it was converted to other uses, including a court room and a boys’ and girls’ club.
Curious visitors can view the cells, pick up a handy map or refresh themselves at the public restroom. Jim Jackson is there to greet visitors six days a week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and share some of the stories about Old Town’s early settlers.
Just off to the right of the visitor center is the Jail Trail, a lush one-mile riparian area with many rare plants and nearly 20 threatened or endangered animals, including the river otter and southern bald eagle. The road connects with the Verde River Greenway, a six-mile reach of the Verde River, which adjoins many of the area’s sites, including Dead Horse Ranch State Park.
Every Thursday evening from July through the first week in October, Old Town Cottonwood hosts a Farmer’s Market in the ball field behind City Hall from 5 p.m. until the sun goes down. The event features produce, hand-crafted items and a live band. During the first week in December, there is the annual chocolate walk. From time to time, Old Town merchants hold other festivals, including salsa tastings and art walks.
For those wanting to explore more of Verde Valley’s past and to see the largest model train exhibit in Arizona, the historic Clemenceau Museum is less than a half mile away from Old Town Cottonwood at One North Willard. It is open Wednesday morning 9 a.m. to noon; and Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information about Historic Old Town Cottonwood, call the Old Town Association Visitor Center at 928-634-9468.
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