Originally Published in the Summer 2000 . . .

Fixed into the lower steppes of Mingus Mountain midway between Prescott and Sedona rests the old mining village of Jerome. It clings tenaciously, somewhat laboriously, to a slope known locally as Cleopatra Hill. The whole town seems at any time ready to slide into the gulches below. Driving the winding route 89A takes through the town grants no sense of solidity, either. You feel that this mystical place has achieved the ability to defy gravity, floating over Verde Valley below. This first impression is no fluke, for the history of Jerome is loaded. Since archaic times its character has revolved around the precious metals held within the abrupt landscape. And like many western boomtowns it has seen boom and bust, creating legend along the way.

Ancient times saw great civilizations in the southwest. The first known inhabitants of this valley were the Sinagua, pueblo-builders believed to have lived in the region until the fifteenth century. The Sinagua thrived, as the nearby Tuzigoot ruins reveal. They were traders, trading material and ideals with their Anasazi neighbors. Also, they and descendents the Yavapai set a legacy in motion, mining the area for jewel stones, ore, salt deposits and mineral pigments. When conquistador Antonio de Espejo, the first European contact, arrived in 1583, evidence of mining was everywhere. Yet lacking large gold deposits, the Spanish moved on. The area was mostly left to the natives for the next three hundred years until westward expansion methodically reduced them and brought on their removal.

With the Apache surrender to General George Crook in 1873, the Arizona territory was clear for mineral exploitation. Al Sieber staked the first claim in the vicinity of Jerome. Yet it was the Ruffner and McKinnon brothers claims which first generated major interest. Two shafts, the "Eureka" and the "Wade Hampton" (named for famed Confederate cavalry officer) were sunk. Yet initial promise proved premature. The nearest railhead was sixty miles away and was reached only by titanic effort. Shipping proved financially impossible. Both Ruffner and the McKinnons sold.

Despite this early bust, eastern financiers sent experts to the region. Many were impressed but advised against investing due to the transportation dilemma. Many believed this. Many ignored it. Charles Lennig, James MacDonald, Frederick Tritle (the territorial governor), and partners William Murray and Frederick Thomas were names gathering claims and big funding. Murray's aunt (last name Jerome) raised $200,000. Thomas named the camps outside their mines "Jerome" in honor. In 1883, Frederick Tritle, formed the United Verde Copper Co. The following year, copper prices plummeted. The company shut down the mines. Again, they were put on the market.

Enter into Jerome's history the name of William A. Clark. Ambitious and self-made, Clark was a senator from Montana who owned several mining operations. He soon moved on Jerome, slowly acquiring control of United Verde and pouring finances into mining its copper ore. His backing created this town. By the turn-of-the-century, United Verde was the top copper producing company in Arizona. It would gain international prominence for the same. Jerome's big boom had begun.

Hard-rock miners descended on the town, uncovering an endless vein of ore. The word was out, and a cosmopolitan air swept through. An elite class sprung from this wealth, it complete with social and hunting clubs. The wealth also fostered services for the rowdy miners - saloons, gambling houses and the customary brothels. Jerome's downtown filled up with shops and cafes, grocery stores, a meat market and three volunteer fire companies. Residents took days hikes, fished, played baseball, and attended dances - the annual Fire Deptartment's Ball being an especially big draw. There were many active churches. There was an opera company. Minorities held gatherings such as the Cinco de Mayo parade. And despite three large-scale fires at the end of the century, Jerome was poised and confident for 1900. In 1899, Jerome was incorporated as the fifth largest city in Arizona.

As the new century began, Clark's staggering wealth put him in the class of the industrial barons of the day. Yet his legacy shows compassion for his workers. In 1900, he built the Montana Hotel to comfortably house workers. In 1910, out of necessity, he began a more ambitious project. Clark was informed that they would need to create an open-air mine, thereby requiring the company to move its smelters. Around the new plant, Clark planned and built a working class town. Clarkdale, was born, a fine family community located on a freshwater spring. It was finished in 1915. But its completion was eclipsed by another character who would rival Clark in Jerome's annals.

James Douglas came to Jerome in 1912, having taken a look at the United Verde Extension Co.'s "Little Daisy" mine. He liked what he saw. Like Clark, Douglas was bold and ambitious. His father had, ironically, been one of the experts in the 1880s who'd advised against investing in Jerome. But his son, thirty years later, snapped up the UVX Co. and its mine and commenced to make a fortune. Within a few years, his miners had uncovered a vein composed of 45% copper. WWI had made the demand for copper invaluable. Prices soared, and the vein brought in $125 million. Jerome itself prospered immensely. Elaborate parties and dances were often held. The Zaragosa and Liberty Theatres were opened to showcase moving picture films, and the town recruited educated young ladies to come teach their children. But with war's end came an economic slump. And like that, copper prices declined. Both Clark and Douglas were forced to shut down the mines in 1921.

Slowly, in step with the nation, Jerome recovered. The 1920s saw the advent of many technological advances. Automobiles finally began to outnumber burros, and networks of even-grade roads were beginning to appear. Electric shovels and side-dumping, four-wheel drive trucks were devised to complement a dumping shaft and an underground railroad for the transfer of ore to the smelters. Socially, Jerome was impressive. The Elks, Rotary Club, American Legion, and Kiwanis clubs were all founded in the 1920s. Jerome saw creation of a golf course, numerous public pools, a Mexican Boy Scout troop, and a public library. By 1929, Jerome's population reached fifteen thousand.

Then came the Great Depression. In 1932 everything hit rock-bottom. Copper prices slid, and though many miners kept to part-time work, the outlook seemed grim. Clark's United Verde Co. (Clark had died in 1925) went virtually silent, and Douglas finally shut down the "Little Daisy" for good in 1938. Businesses closed. And worse, many sections of town began to physically shift. Underground explosions had caused settling, and some buildings were in danger of sliding. Demolition seemed to underline many of the Jerome's ills during this era.

Jerome's mining community never recovered from the Great Depression, the 1940s being as hard on the town as were the 30s. The population dwindled with constant rumors that United Verde, the only remaining, active mining company, would soon close down its operations. The social activities and clubs began to disappear as did what little of the business that had survived twenty years of economic hardship. The rumors were finally confirmed true in 1953. At 5:30 on May 13, the final car of ore was hauled to the surface and mining operations ceased for good. Seeking any kind of good from this, the final bust, stalwart locals began to promote Jerome as America's Largest Ghost City. But by the 1960s, Jerome could count only a few hundred residents.

In 1966, Jerome, in its entirety, was designated a National Historic Landmark. Yet the 60s also brought the same generational rift, which had enveloped the nation, to tiny Jerome. Many young people had begun to arrive as well as outside artists and writers, much to the chagrin of the few matriarchs and patriarchs left. But as each grew used to each other, the community began to settle into its modern-day appearance. Galleries and shops began to open along with the services such tourist attractions spawn. Old, deteriorating buildings and residences were renovated, and the town was given an infrastructure facelift. We should be glad that this is so. The power of preservation exudes a sweet aroma in Jerome, Arizona. Its layout and general attitude are magnetic and entirely unique in our travels. Stop on in. You'll be convinced of the same.

Jerome at the turn of the 20th century ~

Research Sources:

Adapted from two equally informative short sources, Jeanette Rodda and Nancy Smith's, Experience Jerome, Kate and Keith Thorn Enterprises of Sedona, AZ, and the Southwest Parks & Monuments Association's pamphlet, Jerome - Story of Mines, Men, and Money. Also, the National Parks of the Southwest (now off-line) and the Desert USA 2000 site at http://www.desertusa.com.

Photography Credits:

Mining Crew, Hose-Company Racing Team, Main Street Jerome, Drilling, 4-Wheel Drive Side-Dumping Truck, Jerome at the turn of the Century ~ the collections of Jerome State Historic Park, KTVK-TV and the Jerome Historical Society. All other photography ~ InHeritage

Further Info:

Jerome Chamber of Commerce - (520) 634-2900

Jerome Historical Society & Mine Museum - http://www.jeromehistoricalsociety.org