Prior to commercial development, Bullwhacker Hill was mainly an undeveloped large land mass with an old abandoned mine. Partly on the Yavapai Reservation, the hill (really a series of hills) afforded expansive views as you approached Prescott. It also created a protective mass on the east side of the bowl of mountains and hills that encircles Prescott on 3 sides (W, N and E).

Before development, vegetation consisted of upland grassland, as well as some pinyon and juniper. Highway 69 ran over the hill and this was the main access road from Interstate 17. The hill was generally smooth, rolling and a very soft counterpoint to the rough rockiness of Granite Mountain and Thumb Butte.

Now, the land has been carved and reshaped with many straight lines of roads, parking lots and road cuts bordered with riprap to control erosion started due to these invasions to the land. The development is called Gateway Mall as highway 69 was cut deeply into the hill creating a kind of “gate” to Prescott. However, the development is really focused on commercial interests and does not honor very well the natural beauty of Prescott. The emphasis is on “buying” whether it be at the mall, Trader Joe’s, CostCo, Walmart, or a number of other businesses.

We gather at this Earth Exchange to be with the land, honoring its history, and feeling a sense of place that is often lost in the concrete and consumerism. We will share a brief history of the place, spend a few minutes in silence, and will give a ceremonial offering. 

After the Earth Exchange:

There 3 of us: two 2-legged, one 4-legged. We communed with a beautiful old alligator juniper that was surrounded on 3 sides with bulldozer tracks (the other side has wildflowers standing in solitude against a blue backdrop sky). Poems read, silent thoughts, a prayer flag recognizing the 4 directions, this tree, this place, all these people…

http://www.sharlot.org/archives/history/dayspast/before-a-mall-there-was-a-mine-on-bullwhacker-hill/