Jerome
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Perched high on the side of Mingus Mountain, Jerome is one of Arizona’s strangest survivors. We spent the afternoon digging into the story of this former mining town that looks like it might slide off the mountain at any moment. We started at Jerome State Historic Park, which offers a solid overview of Jerome’s mining roots and its not-so-tame past.
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In the early 1900s, Jerome was booming. Copper, along with smaller amounts of gold and silver, was pulled from the ground to the tune of over a billion dollars. At its peak, the town earned the nickname “the wickedest town in the West,” fueled by saloons, gambling halls, brothels, and frequent brawls. The man at the center of it all was William A. Clark, who essentially owned the mine, the businesses, and much of the town itself. Wealthy and powerful, he was also deeply unpopular with the miners.
When workers eventually went on strike, demanding better pay and safer conditions, Clark didn’t negotiate. Instead, they were rounded up, beaten, and forced onto trains out of town. Even the concessions he later offered funneled money straight back to him, since he owned nearly everything, including businesses rumored to include brothels.
Eventually, the mines dried up and the boom went bust. Jerome’s population collapsed from around 15,000 to barely 100 people. Those who stayed adapted and leaned into the town’s strange history. Today, Jerome has a population of about 458 and fully embraces its reputation. If you’re thinking about buying a house here, bring cash. Banks won’t issue mortgages, since many homes are literally at risk of sliding down the hill, and some already have.
When workers eventually went on strike, demanding better pay and safer conditions, Clark didn’t negotiate. Instead, they were rounded up, beaten, and forced onto trains out of town. Even the concessions he later offered funneled money straight back to him, since he owned nearly everything, including businesses rumored to include brothels.
Eventually, the mines dried up and the boom went bust. Jerome’s population collapsed from around 15,000 to barely 100 people. Those who stayed adapted and leaned into the town’s strange history. Today, Jerome has a population of about 458 and fully embraces its reputation. If you’re thinking about buying a house here, bring cash. Banks won’t issue mortgages, since many homes are literally at risk of sliding down the hill, and some already have.