Back in 1969, the Santa Fe Railroad stopped running to Wickenburg, AZ.  It was the end of an era, and could have meant the end for the historic 1895 depot.  But the locals said, “Not in this town.”

That’s why Wickenburg is #8 among True West Magazine’s 2009 Top Ten True Western Towns.  Wickenburg has received recognition as a Top 10 True West Town for three years in a row.  Cheyenne, Wyoming won the top award.

The Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce, Town of Wickenburg, and late citizens Vi and George Wellik helped secure the depot and refurbished it to its yellow and red glory.  Today, the depot still stands in its original design, no modifications, and houses the Chamber of Commerce.  And the Wellik Foundation—which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2008—continues to be a key contributor to the town’s preservation efforts.

Others do their part. M3 Companies own Heritage Square and the building which houses the Gold Nugget Art Gallery which is the Town’s oldest building.  Jim Corbet owns the 2-story brick Hassayampa building, formerly the Vernetta Hotel on Frontier Street.  And the downtown is into the final year of a three-year revitalization plan, putting utilities underground and pedestrian pathways in the alleys.  Recently a donation of life-size sculptures by the DeVore Foundation added to the ambiance of the historic downtown, and provides information about early Wickenburg history through the sculptures and vocal information.

Wickenburg celebrates its history in other ways.  The Gold Rush Days & Rodeo celebrated its 60th year in 2008; Fiesta de Septiembre and the Cowboy Christmas Poetry Gathering both marked their 20th anniversaries last year.

“Wickenburg is a wondrous place, where folks take their history seriously,” says True West Executive Editor Bob Boze Bell.  “When you’re talking about Western preservation, Wickenburg has to be a big part of the conversation.”

Past top town recipients are St. Joseph, Missouri (2008), Helper, Utah (2007) and Sheridan, Wyoming (2006). 

True West editors determine winners for this annual award based on criteria demonstrating how each town has preserved its history through old buildings, museums and other institutions, events, and promotion of historic resources.

The feature includes Towns to Watch for their good works in historic preservation and several legendary locales that folks should know.

True West magazine is in its 56th year of leading the way in presenting the true stories of Old West adventure, history, culture and preservation. For subscriptions and more information, visit http://www.twmag.com or call 888-687-1881.