Meet Bradley Courtney of Whiskey Row History in Prescott

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bradley Courtney.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Bradley. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
During the evening of August 22nd, my whole world changed. Literally, it turned upside down. I was driving my CJ-5 Jeep back home after playing tennis in the home town I grew up in nearby in Michigan. I had just moved to a new house on a farm on a dirt country road. In my head, I was writing a song and was distracted and drove right by the road I was supposed to turn on. I was going 65 miles per hour when suddenly, I found myself going straight into a sharp turn to the right. I jerked the steering wheel which caused me to head straight toward a telephone pole. I jerked the steering wheel again but this time the Jeep tilted to the left and fell completely on its side. My head hit hard against the road causing a concussion and a fracture of the skull. My left shoulder was grinding into the asphalt. So, I pushed as hard as I could toward the back of the Jeep. Now, the Jeep flipped over on its roll bar and trapped my right hand beneath it. I screamed as my hand was being dragged down the road under 3300+ pounds. Finally, after 175 ft., the Jeep came to a stop. I was trapped underneath it. My hand was under the rollbar and I could not see my fingers, only the back of my hand. I was not sure if I had any fingers left as waited there on my knees. I prayed hard to my Lord to help me because I feared the Jeep would explode in flames as I’d seen in so many movies. When the jeep was spinning around, I and my hand was grinding against the road I truly thought that my life was over and I was about to go to heaven. Now, there I was deep in the farm country of Michigan pinned underneath a Jeep. Eventually, the jeep was lifted off my hand and I stood up and everyone could see that my hand was mutilated. Surely, I would lose it we all thought. 20 + operations later, I gained partial use of my hand again, my right hand. And I’m right-handed. At one point, I thought my writing career had ended unless I could learn to write left-handed, which I did for a while. Although crippled, I’ve been able to write songs, books, theses, and dissertations.

Bradley G. Courtney is a freelance writer and independent historian who lived and taught in Phoenix, Arizona, for nineteen years. Prior to this, he lived and taught on the Navajo Indian Reservation in northern Arizona for twelve years. For six of those years, he was also a riverboat pilot and guide who gave tours down the incomparable canyons of the Colorado River—Glen Canyon, Marble Canyon, and the Grand Canyon. Two years of that stint found him in charge of Wilderness Rivers Adventures in Page, Arizona. Bradley now lives near Prescott, Arizona, in the Prescott National Forest.

Bradley holds a bachelor’s degree in religion from Excelsior College and a master’s degree in history from California State University. In 2004, the Military History of the West, based out of the University of North Texas, published a condensed version of his master’s thesis, a twenty-eight page essay entitled “‘One of the Most Remarkable Marches Ever Made’: The Lawton Expedition and the American Military Pursuit of Geronimo’s Band of Chiricahua Apaches.” This was followed by the 2009 version of that same publication with more recognized scholarship, “The Tenth Cavalry’s Company K Pursues Geronimo: 27 April—3 May 1886.” He has also written two book reviews for MHOW, six more for the Journal of Arizona History with another being scheduled to be published in 2014. Bradley has had two articles published in a remarkable publication headquartered in Landis, Pennsylvania, called Old News that treats history as journalism (over 35,000 subscribers): “Army Pursues Geronimo,” and “General Tries to Meet Enemy Leader” which details the surrender of the great Apache chief, Cochise, to General Oliver Howard. He also wrote “Dad’s Legacy” and “Lindsay’s Bow” for Raising Arizona Kids, has been published several times in the Arizona Republic, in Paste (a music and entertainment magazine), and in The Upper Room, a Christian publication. Bradley was proud to present “The Tenth Cavalry’s Company K Pursues and Battles Geronimo” during the Arizona History Convention of 2008. He has been editor/coordinator of and a regular contributor to “Days Past,” a local weekly column highlighting local history published in Prescott’s Daily Courier and on the Sharlot Hall Museum website. Bradley is also currently the sheriff of the Prescott Corral of Westerners.

Bradley has also recorded three albums of original music (with some co-writes as well), selling over 5000 copies in a short amount of time. His music has been played on several radio and TV stations across the country and has appeared on CNN and The Travel Channel. As a teacher, he was awarded the “Nozhoni” before leaving the Navajo Indian reservation, a rare award given to teachers who become “nozhoni”: in translation, “beautiful” to the Navajo children.

Courtney’s Prescott’s Original Whiskey Row, the only history written about this famous landmark, has been a best seller and has brought a new appreciation to Whiskey Row and its unique history. He has begun work on a follow-up book with the working title The Birth, Death, and Resurrection of Prescott’s Whiskey Row. Brad also gives walking history tours along Whiskey Row, which are well-attended and received from people from several states. He is currently working on the history of Prescott’s Great Fire of 1900.

On January 31st, 2018, Bradley lost the great love of his life, Holly Joy Courtney. He has often said that the Journey of grief would be fascinating if it wasn’t so painful. That journey continues but he firmly believes it will end up in victory and a new life featuring a joy that Holly would have wanted him to have.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course, having a crippled right hand is not ideal for a writer. Or for someone who gave River trips down the Colorado River or who has a master’s thesis and a doctorate. In this world of typing on Microsoft, well it’s been a challenge but I hope someone sees that if one makes up their mind they can achieve great things. Writing this next book while going through grief over losing the love of my life has been a tremendous challenge. And I’m under contract to write another and plan of 4th book as well.

What are your plans for the future?
I have already mentioned the books I am planning to write. Well, one of them at least. I’m under contract with my publishing to write a book about murder and Mayhem Prescott. And then, I hope to make a book out of my Master’s thesis which was in the last months of the Geronimo campaign. I also still run an hour a day and hope to continue that as late into my life as possible. After losing my wife, I hope to travel to see my children. I have found someone special in my life. And we’ll see where that goes. I have the most incredible friends anyone could ask for. They know who they are.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 9285821618
• Email: whiskeyrowbooks@gmail.com
• Facebook: Whiskey Row History

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