Welcome to My Research Site
My name is Mark Reha, and I am the CEO of On The Edge Software Consulting, a firm specializing in technical consulting, education, and professional training.
This website presents my historical research on communities in Central Arizona, including Prescott, Cottonwood, Jerome, Humboldt, Mayer, and several surrounding ghost towns. The research documents each town’s development through an examination of its general history, business districts, railroads, and mining activity, with the goal of preserving and sharing the region’s historical record for educational and interpretive use.
News and Information
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How My Research Began
This research project began about four years ago, when my wife Mary and I decided to purchase a summer home near Prescott, Arizona. During the weekend of our home search, we stayed at the historic Hassayampa Inn—unaware at the time that our room was the well-known haunted Room 426, also called the Grand Balcony Suite. While the hotel’s lore made for an interesting stay, it was Prescott itself that left a lasting impression.
We ultimately purchased a home in Prescott Valley, approximately ten miles from Prescott. From that point forward, I became deeply interested in the history of Prescott and the surrounding communities. I was struck by how Prescott rebuilt after the devastating 1900 fire and by how many of those early buildings remain standing today. Just as impressive has been Prescott’s long-standing commitment to preserving its historic character. Shortly after our move, I picked up a book on Prescott’s history, which sparked a deeper curiosity and set me on a path to explore the region’s past in detail. Since then, I have personally visited every town that is part of my research project.
For those especially interested in Central Arizona’s railroad history, as part of my research project I have created a detailed Google Earth Web project that documents the region’s rail networks. This includes the Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix Railway, and numerous branch lines such as the Prescott and Eastern Railroad and the Bradshaw Mountain Railroad, along with additional railways that supported mining operations and passenger travel near Jerome, Clarkdale, Cottonwood, Mayer, and surrounding areas. I have also overlaid historic rail yard layouts for Prescott, Jerome Junction, Mayer, and several ghost towns directly onto Google Earth, offering a rare and revealing view of the region’s railroad infrastructure within its historical landscape. This work represents one of the most complete railroad visualizations of Central Arizona ever assembled in Google Earth.
As a closing personal note, nearly all of my research was conducted using an Apple iPad Pro and Apple Pencil.
So now, let's begin exploring, taking a virtual tour, or downloading my historical research papers on Central Arizona.