Ash Fork is a census-designated place in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. Its population was 396 at the 2010 U.S. census, down from 457 in 2000.

History

Ash Fork has proclaimed itself "The Flagstone Capital of the World", due to the large number of stone quarries and stone yards in and around the town.

The community was established as a siding of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, later known as the Santa Fe Railroad, in October 1882. It was purportedly named in 1883 by F.W. Smith, general superintendent of the railroad, in reference to a thicket of ash trees at the site. The first official post office was established on April 12, 1883, with one Henry W. Kline serving as the first Postmaster. Following an uncontrollable fire in 1885, the entire town of Ash Fork burned in 1893, and was rebuilt on the opposite side of the railroad tracks from its original location, where it remains today.

In later years, Ash Fork was the location of the Escalante, a large hotel and "Harvey House" built in 1907 and closed in 1948, operated by the Fred Harvey Company. Ash Fork's convenient location along the railway and later famous U.S. Route 66 made it recognizable to many cross-country travelers, as evidenced by its fleeting mention in several films from the era of classical Hollywood cinema such as 1947's Dark Passage, starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.

U.S. Route 66 provided a slight boost to the town's economy in the 1950s, but construction of the divided highway through the town resulted in the destruction of many of the storefronts, sidewalks, and residential streets, forever altering the aesthetic qualities of the downtown area. In 2023 the postal service announced that it was relocating because the current facility is too small for its operations. Ground was broken for the new location in February of 2024.

Certain areas of the town were selected to be used as sets in the filming of 1992's Universal Soldier, supposedly due to the extremely low purchase price and poor condition of several buildings, including an old motel, which were blown up for cinematic effect.

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 89 °F. According to the Köppen climate classification, Ash Fork has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, Csb on climate maps.

Demographics

Ash Fork (or Ashfork) first appeared on the 1910 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village with 517 residents, the fourth-largest community in Yavapai County (behind Prescott, Jerome, and Humboldt). Although it did not report a separate population for the village, it did report as the Ash Fork precinct in 1920 and 1930 (reporting a majority White population in the latter). The population of Ash Fork was 681 in the 1960 census. In 2000, it was made a census-designated place (CDP).

As of the census of 2000, 457 people, 149 households, and 109 families were residing in the CDP. The population density was 199.1 people.sq mi (76.7/km<sup>2</sup>). The 189 housing units had an average density of 82.3/sq mi (31.7/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.3% White, 1.3% Native American, 1.5% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 51.4% of the population.

Of the 149 households, 35.6% had children under 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were not families. About 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.07, and the average family size was 3.45.

In the CDP, the age distribution was 28.7% under 18, 13.6% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 161.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 143.3 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $30,893, and for a family was $36,875. Males had a median income of $23,854 versus $21,094 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $11,802. About 16.5% of families and 20.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.1% of those under age 18 and 18.4% of those age 65 or over.

The numerous flagstone quarries and companies are often cited as the largest employers in the area, as is the local school district, to which most teachers commute from nearby cities.

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Racial Composition

|-

! Race (NH = Non-Hispanic) !! % 2020 !! % 2010 !! % 2000 !! Pop. 2020 !! Pop. 2010 !! Pop. 2000

|-

| White Alone (NH) || 46.8% || 54.5% || 46.8% || 169 || 216 || 214

|-

| Black or African American Alone (NH) || 0% || 0.8% || 0% || 0 || 3 || 0

|-

| Native American Alone (NH) || 0.6% || 1.5% || 0.9% || 2 || 6 || 4

|-

| Asian Alone (NH) || 0% || 0% || 0% || 0 || 0 || 0

|-

| Pacific Islander Alone (NH) || 0% || 0% || 0% || 0 || 0 || 0

|-

| Some Other Race Alone (NH) || 0% || 0% || 0% || 0 || 0 || 0

|-

| Multiracial (NH) || 7.5% || 1% || 0.9% || 27 || 4 || 4

|-

| Hispanic (Any race) || 45.2% || 42.2% || 51.4% || 163 || 167 || 235

|}

Education

It is in the Ash Fork School District.

Notable people

  • Lee Patton, former coach at Ash Fork High School, legendary basketball coach at West Virginia University.
  • Marshall Trimble, Arizona's official historian

See also

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Yavapai County, Arizona

References

  • Ash Fork Community Profile (Arizona Dept. of Commerce)