Editing Jerome, Arizona (section)

===Early===
The [[Hohokam]] were the first people known to have lived and farmed near Jerome from 700 to 1125 [[Common Era|CE]].<ref name="town history">{{cite web|title=Town History|url=http://www.jerome.az.gov/Town_History.html|publisher=Town of Jerome|year=2017|access-date=May 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180410135127/http://www.jerome.az.gov/Town_History.html|archive-date=April 10, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> Later, long before the arrival of Europeans, it is likely that other native peoples mined the United Verde ore body for the colorful copper-bearing minerals [[malachite]] and [[azurite]]. The top of the ore body was accessible because it was visible on the surface.{{sfn|Abbott|Cook|2007|pp=233–247}}

The first Europeans to arrive in the area were the Spanish [[conquistador]]s. At the time the area was part of "New Mexico", and the Spaniards often organized silver and gold prospecting expeditions in the area. In 1585, Spanish explorers made note of the ore{{sfn|Abbott|Cook|2007|pp=233–247}} but did not mine it because their government had sent them to find gold and silver, not copper.<ref name="town history" />
[[File:Jerome SW01.jpg|thumb|upright|Old horizontal mine shaft]]