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Jerome

This is a really fun town to visit that is in the middle of the Mingus Mountains on top of Cleopatra Hill between Cottonwood and Prescott Valley. The historic copper mining town was once known as the wickedest town in the west. Jerome was a copper mining camp that sprang up from a settlement of tents from the booming mining community.

Founded in 1876, Jerome was once the fourth largest city in the Arizona Territory. The population grew to about 15,000 in the 1920’s and the Great Depression of the 30’s slowing mining. It picked up again during WWII but then after the war demand for copper slowed and the Phelps Dodge Mine closed in 1953. The population decreased to about 50-100 people and these hardy individuals promoted the town as a historic ghost town and artist community. Today there are about 450 full time residents including the lead singer of the rock band Tool; Maynard James Keenan.


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