From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia Dewey-Humboldt is the union of two towns: Dewey and Humboldt, Arizona that are located adjacent one another in the Agua Fria River Valley, 15 miles east of Prescott. The two towns incoporated into one, Dewey-Humboldt, on Dec. 20, 2004. Dewey was settled in the early 1860's by King Woolsey who named the Agua Fria River and founded the Agua Fria ranch. By the early 1870's water diversions were being used to irrigate an exstensive area of corn and other crops. The ruins of Woolsey's ranch house can still be seen between the old Black Canyon Highway and the Agua Fria River about one mile north of Humboldt. Farming continued in a small portion of the area until 2006 when the last working farm was sold to developers. Today the Dewey area is a low-density residential area. Humboldt was also settled in the early 1860's. The town was originally named Val Verde after the company that owned the local smelting operation. The town was renamed Humboldt in 1905, and by 1907 the population reached 1,000. With two daily trains, business in the town boomed and the city decided to showcase their development hosting a Labor Day celebration that year. Annual celebrations with a parade on Main Street are still being held, and in 2006 the event, organized by the Agua Fria Chamber of Commerce, is scheduled for September 30. The panic of 1907 caused the nearby Iron King Mine to close temporarily. After World War I, the smelter and mine closed again, and by 1930 the population of Humboldt had dwindled to 300. Humboldt had a second but smaller boom in 1934 when the mine reopened and produced $100 million in lead and zinc before its closure in 1968. The old railroad track was removed in 1971. Today in Humboldt one smokestack remains overlooking the old historic buildings on Main Street. Hundreds of people still call Humboldt home.
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