Last week our travels took us back to a favourite place we’ve visited several times before. Jerome promotes itself as “America’s Most Vertical City” and “Largest Ghost Town in America”.
Located high on top of Cleopatra Hill (5,200 feet) between Prescott and Flagstaff is the historic copper mining town of Jerome, Arizona. Once known as the wickedest town in the west, Jerome was a copper mining camp, growing from a settlement of tents to a roaring mining community. Four disastrous fires destroyed large sections of the town during its early history, resulting in the incorporation of the City of Jerome in 1899.
Founded in 1876, Jerome was once the fourth largest city in the Arizona Territory. The population peaked at 15,000 in the 1920’s. The Depression of the 1930’s slowed the mining operation and the claim went to Phelps Dodge, who holds the claim today. World War II brought increased demand for copper, but after the war, demand slowed. Dependant on the copper market, Phelps Dodge Mine closed in 1953. The remaining 50 to 100 hardy souls promoted the town as a historic ghost town. In 1967 Jerome was designated a National Historic District by the federal government. Today Jerome is a thriving tourist and artist community with a population of about 450.¹
I’ve chosen two feature pictures for today, followed by a slideshow of a variety of street scenes in Jerome. The pictures show the signs of a town still emerging from a difficult time in its history.
Above, a scene showing a typical scene in Jerome, not noticeably different from other small communities in Arizona.
It’s difficult to know the original use of the structure pictured above. Today it serves as an artist’s studio. This close-up does not show that all but this front wall and the building’s floor are gone. It’s open to the elements! It sits a little apart from the centre of town, perched on the edge of Cleopatra Hill.
Here’s the slideshow with the rest of my street scenes from Jerome. Simply click on the right side of a picture to advance. Click left in you wish to scroll back.
Note 1: Italicized information courtesy of http://www.azjerome.com/