Editing Jerome, Arizona

{{short description|Town in Yavapai County, Arizona, US}}
{{distinguish|Jerome Junction, Arizona}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Jerome, Arizona
| settlement_type          = Town
| image_skyline            = File:Civic Building (Jerome, Arizona).jpg
| imagesize                =
| image_caption            = Civic Building in 2013
| image_alt                = A large three-story building with many windows and an orange tile roof is perched on a hillside overlooking a wide valley far below.
| image_flag               = Flag of Jerome, Arizona.gif
| image_seal               =
| image_map                = File:Yavapai County Arizona Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Jerome Highlighted 0436290.svg
| mapsize                  =
| map_caption              = Location of Jerome in Yavapai County, Arizona
| pushpin_map              = Arizona#USA
| pushpin_label            = Jerome
| pushpin_map_caption      = Location in Arizona
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Arizona|County]]
| subdivision_name         = {{USA}}
| subdivision_name1        = {{flag|Arizona}}
| subdivision_name2        = [[Yavapai County, Arizona|Yavapai]]
<!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          =
| leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name              = 
| established_title        = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date         = 1899
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_total_sq_mi         = 0.79
| area_land_sq_mi          = 0.79
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.00
| area_total_km2           = 2.04
| area_land_km2            = 2.04
| area_water_km2           = 0.00
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_04.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 29, 2021}}</ref>
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     =
| population_total         = 464
| population_density_sq_mi = 590.33
| population_density_km2   = 227.90
<!-- General information -->
| timezone                 = [[Mountain Standard Time Zone|MST]]
| utc_offset               = −7
| elevation_ft             = 4600
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| coordinates              = {{coord|34|44|56|N|112|06|30|W|region:US-AZ|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes    = <ref name=gnis/>
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Jerome, AZ|publisher=United States Post Office|url=https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupResultsAction!input.action?resultMode=1&companyName=&address1=&address2=&city=Jerome&state=AZ&urbanCode=&postalCode=&zip=|work=Look Up a Zipcode|year=2017|access-date=May 4, 2017}}</ref>
| postal_code              = 86331
| area_code                = [[Area code 928|928]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]<ref name="geographies">{{cite web|title=Geographies: Jerome Town, Arizona|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/affhelp/jsf/pages/geography.xhtml?lang=en&code=160&name=Jerome%20town,%20Arizona&src=geoAssist&log=t|publisher=United States Census Bureau|year=2016|access-date=May 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822050028/https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/affhelp/jsf/pages/geography.xhtml?lang=en&code=160&name=Jerome%20town,%20Arizona&src=geoAssist&log=t|archive-date=August 22, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| blank_info               = 04-36290
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 2412804<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2412804}}</ref>
| website                  = [http://www.jerome.az.gov/ Town of Jerome]
| footnotes                = 
}}

'''Jerome''' is a town in the [[Black Hills (Yavapai County)|Black Hills]] of [[Yavapai County, Arizona|Yavapai County]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Arizona]]. Founded in the late 19th century on Cleopatra Hill overlooking the [[Verde Valley]], Jerome is approximately {{convert|100|mi|km}} north of [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] along [[Arizona State Route 89A|State Route 89A]] between [[Sedona, Arizona|Sedona]] and [[Prescott, Arizona|Prescott]]. Supported in its heyday by rich [[copper mine]]s, it was home to more than 10,000 people in the 1920s. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], its population was 464.

The town owes its existence mainly to two [[ore]] bodies that formed about 1.75&nbsp;billion years ago along a [[Fault (geology)#Ring fault|ring fault]] in the [[caldera]] of an undersea volcano. [[Tectonic plate]] movements, plate collisions, [[Tectonic uplift|uplift]], deposition, erosion, and other geologic processes eventually exposed the tip of one of the ore bodies and pushed the other close to the surface, both near Jerome. In the late 19th century, the [[United Verde Mine]], developed by [[William A. Clark]], extracted ore bearing copper, gold, silver, and other metals from the larger of the two. The United Verde Extension [[UVX Mining Co.|UVX]] Mine, owned by [[James Douglas Jr.]], depended on the other huge deposit. In total, the copper deposits discovered in Jerome's vicinity were among the richest ever found.

Jerome made news in 1917 when labor unrest involving the [[Industrial Workers of the World]] (IWW) led to the expulsion at gunpoint of about 60 IWW members, who were loaded on a cattle car and shipped west. Production at the mines, always subject to fluctuations, boomed during [[World War&nbsp;I]], fell thereafter, rose again, then fell again during and after the [[Great Depression]]. As the ore deposits ran out, the mines closed for good in 1953, and the population dwindled to fewer than 100. Efforts to save the town from oblivion succeeded when residents turned to tourism and retail sales. Jerome became a [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1967. By the early 21st century, it had art galleries, coffeehouses, restaurants, a state park, and a local museum devoted to mining history.

==Geography==
Jerome is about {{convert|100|mi|km}} north of [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] and {{convert|45|mi|km}} southwest of [[Flagstaff, Arizona|Flagstaff]] along [[Arizona State Route 89A]] between [[Sedona, Arizona|Sedona]] to the east and [[Prescott, Arizona|Prescott]] to the west.<ref name = "Rand">{{cite map |publisher = Rand McNally & Company |location=Chicago |title = The 2013 Road Atlas |section = 8–9 |isbn =978-0528006227}}</ref> The town is in Arizona's [[Black Hills (Yavapai County)|Black Hills]], which trend north–south. The town lies within the [[Prescott National Forest]]<ref name="DeLorme">{{cite map|title=Arizona Atlas & Gazetteer|publisher=DeLorme|location=Yarmouth, ME|year=2008|page=33|isbn=978-0899333250}}</ref> at an elevation of more than {{convert|5000|ft|m}}.<ref name="gnis"/> [[Woodchute Wilderness]] is about {{convert|3|mi|km|0}} west of Jerome,<ref name="DeLorme"/> and [[Mingus Mountain]], at {{convert|7726|ft|m}} above sea level,<ref name="gnis Mingus">{{cite web|url ={{Gnis3|31919}}|title=Mingus Mountain|work=Geographic Names Information System|publisher=United States Geological Survey|date=February 8, 1980|access-date=October 23, 2012}}</ref> is about {{convert|4|mi|km|0}} south of town.<ref name="DeLorme"/> [[Jerome State Historic Park]] is in the town itself. Bitter Creek, a tributary of the [[Verde River]], flows intermittently through Jerome.<ref>{{cite web|author=United States Geological Survey|title=United States Topographic Map|url=http://www.topoquest.com/map.php?lat=34.74693&lon=-112.11060&datum=nad83&zoom=2&map=auto&coord=d&mode=zoomin&size=m|publisher=TopoQuest|access-date=October 7, 2012}}</ref> East of Jerome at the base of the hills are the [[Verde Valley]] and the communities of [[Clarkdale, Arizona|Clarkdale]] and [[Cottonwood, Arizona|Cottonwood]],<ref name="DeLorme"/> site of the nearest airport.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jerome|publisher=Arizona Department of Commerce|url=http://cottonwoodaz.gov/DocumentCenter/View/688|year=2007|access-date=June 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180516004441/http://cottonwoodaz.gov/DocumentCenter/View/688/Jerome-Community-Profile-PDF|archive-date=May 16, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Geology==
[[File:Azurite-40299.jpg|thumb|left|upright 0.5|[[Azurite]], a copper-bearing mineral, from the United Verde Mine|alt=A vertical cluster of four deep blue azurite rosettes mounted on small white base]]
Most of Cleopatra Hill, the rock formation upon which Jerome was built, is 1.75&nbsp;billion years old.{{sfn|Abbott|Cook|2007|pp=233–247}} Created by a massive [[caldera]] eruption in [[Precambrian]]{{sfn|Abbott|Cook|2007|pp=233–247}}—elsewhere more narrowly identified as [[Proterozoic]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Hofstra University Field Trip Guidebook: Geology 143A—Field Geology of Northern Arizona|url=http://www.dukelabs.com/Publications/PubsPdf/HU1003_Geol143AArizonaGuide.pdf|page=6|year=2010|publisher=Duke Geological Laboratory|access-date=May 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203230757/http://www.dukelabs.com/Publications/PubsPdf/HU1003_Geol143AArizonaGuide.pdf|archive-date=February 3, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>—seas south of what later became northern Arizona, the Cleopatra [[tuff]] was then part of a small [[tectonic]] plate that was moving toward the proto-North American continent.{{sfn|Abbott|Cook|2007|pp=233–247}} After the eruption, cold sea water entered Earth's crust through cracks caused by the eruption. Heated by rising [[magma]] to {{convert|660|F|C|-1}} or more, the water was forced upward again, chemically altering the rocks it encountered and becoming rich in dissolved minerals. When the hot solution emerged from a [[hydrothermal vent]] at the bottom of the ocean, its dissolved minerals solidified and fell to the sea floor. The accumulating [[Volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposit|sulfide deposits]] from two such vents formed the [[ore]] bodies, the United Verde and the UVX, most important to Jerome 1.75{{spaces}}billion years later.{{sfn|Abbott|Cook|2007|pp=233–247}}

These ore bodies formed in different places along a [[Fault (geology)#Ring fault|ring fault]] in the caldera. About 50{{spaces}}million years after they were deposited, the tectonic plate of which they were a part collided with another small plate and then with the proto-North American continent. The collisions, which welded the plates to the continent, folded the Cleopatra tuff in such a way that the two ore bodies ended up on opposite sides of a fold called the Jerome [[anticline]].{{sfn|Abbott|Cook|2007|pp=233–247}}

No record exists for the next 1.2{{spaces}}billion years of Jerome's geologic history.{{sfn|Abbott|Cook|2007|pp=233–247}} Evidence from the [[Grand Canyon]], further north in Arizona, suggests that thick layers of sediment may have been laid down atop the ore bodies and later eroded away.{{sfn|Ranney|2010|p=29}} The gap in the rock record has been called the [[Great Unconformity]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Tapeats Sandstone|url=https://3dparks.wr.usgs.gov/coloradoplateau/lexicon/tapeats.htm|publisher=United States Geological Survey|date=May 3, 2017|access-date=May 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212041815/https://3dparks.wr.usgs.gov/coloradoplateau/lexicon/tapeats.htm|archive-date=February 12, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

About 525&nbsp;million years ago, when northern Arizona was at the bottom of a shallow sea, a thin layer of sediment called the [[Tapeats Sandstone]] was deposited over the Cleopatra tuff. Limestones and other sediments accumulated above the sandstone until about 70{{spaces}}million years ago when the [[Laramide Orogeny]] created new mountains and new faults in the region. One of these faults, the Verde Fault, runs directly under Jerome along the Jerome anticline. Crustal stretching beginning about 15{{spaces}}million years ago created [[Basin and Range Province|Basin and Range]] topography in central and southern Arizona, caused volcanic activity near Jerome, and induced movement along the Verde Fault. This movement exposed the tip of the United Verde ore body at one place on Cleopatra Hill and moved the UVX ore body to {{convert|1000|ft|m}} below the surface. [[Basalt]], laid down between 15 and 10{{spaces}}million years ago, covers the surface beneath the UVX [[headframe]]s and Jerome State Historic Park. The basalt, the top layer of the [[Hickey Formation]],{{sfn|Abbott|Cook|2007|pp=233–247}} caps layers of [[sedimentary rock]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Brand|first1=P.K.|last2=Stump|first2=E.|title=Hickey Formation|url=http://repository.azgs.az.gov/category/thematic-keywords/hickey-formation|publisher=Arizona Geological Survey|year=2005|access-date=May 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420095610/http://repository.azgs.az.gov/category/thematic-keywords/hickey-formation|archive-date=April 20, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

The natural rock features in and around Jerome were greatly altered by mining. The town is underlain by {{convert|88|mi|km}} of mine shafts. These may have contributed to the [[subsidence]] that destroyed some of Jerome's buildings, which slid slowly downhill during the first half of the 20th century. The United Verde open pit, about {{convert|300|ft|m}} deep, is on the edge of town next to Cleopatra Hill. The side of the pit consists of [[Precambrian]] [[gabbro]]. Mine shafts beneath the pit extend to {{convert|4200|ft|m}} below the surface.{{sfn|Abbott|Cook|2007|pp=233–247}}

Attempts to control erosion on Jerome's steep hillsides by planting [[Ailanthus altissima]] has caused new problems. This invasive species, commonly known as "tree of heaven" or "paradise tree", has roots that emit poisons that kill native trees and shrubs. The roots can damage sewer lines and septic tanks, and the tree can sprout through asphalt, sidewalks and into structures. In 2015, the Jerome Fire Department hosted workshops on how to control the trees, which are difficult to eradicate.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ailanthus (Paradise) Tree Problems and Control Methods Workshop|url=https://jeromefd.org/wp-current/jfd-event/ailanthus-paradise-tree-problems-and-control-methods-workshop/|publisher=Jerome Volunteer Fire Department|access-date=September 29, 2022|year=2017}}</ref>

{{wide image|United Verde open pit (Jerome, Arizona) pano.jpg|700px|Site of the United Verde open pit in 2013. The rock walls of the pit are 1.75{{spaces}}billion years old. Mining at this location ceased in 1953.|alt=Panorama of fenced-off pit surrounded on three sides by rock walls. Three headframes and two buildings are within the enclosed area near the pit.}}

==History==

===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]]

===19th century===
The area became part of [[Mexico]] when Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821,<ref>{{cite news|title=Diez y Seis Salutes Mexican Heritage|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/13270699/?terms=mexico%2Bindependence|newspaper=The Seguin Gazette-Enterprise|date=September 8, 1994|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=subscription|access-date=May 15, 2018}}</ref> and part of the United States by terms of the [[1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo]], which concluded the [[Mexican–American War]]. The war's major consequence was the [[Mexican Cession]] of the northern territories of [[Alta California]] and [[Santa Fe de Nuevo México]] to the United States.<ref>{{cite web|title=Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo; February 2, 1848|url=http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/guadhida.asp|work=The Avalon Project|publisher=Lillian Goldman Law Library, Yale University|date=2008|access-date=May 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171120101721/http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/guadhida.asp|archive-date=November 20, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Waclark.jpg|thumb|upright 0.75|William A. Clark, {{Circa|1899}}. In 1888, he bought the United Verde properties, which remained with the Clark family until 1935.|alt=Left-looking half-length portrait of a bearded man of about 60]]
Angus McKinnon and Morris A. Ruffner filed the first copper mining claims at this location in 1876.{{sfn|Steuber|2008|p=10}} In 1880, [[Frederick Augustus Tritle|Frederick A. Tritle]], the governor of the [[Arizona Territory]], and Frederick F. Thomas, a mining engineer from [[San Francisco]], bought these claims from the original owners. In 1883, with the aid of eastern financiers including James A. MacDonald and Eugene Jerome of [[New York City]], they created the [[United Verde mine|United Verde Copper Company]]. The small adjacent mining camp on Cleopatra Hill was named ''Jerome'' in honor of Eugene Jerome, who became the company secretary.{{efn|Jerome was a cousin of [[Winston Churchill]]'s mother, [[Jennie Jerome]].{{sfn|Steuber|2008|p=10}}}} United Verde built a small [[smelter]] at Jerome and constructed wagon roads from it to Prescott, the Verde Valley, and the [[Atlantic and Pacific Railroad]] depot at [[Ash Fork, Arizona|Ash Fork]]. However, transport by wagon was expensive, and in late 1884 after the price of copper had fallen by 50{{spaces}}percent, the company ceased all operations at the site.{{sfn|Clements|2003|pp=45–47}}

Four years later, [[William A. Clark]], who had made a fortune in mining and commercial ventures in [[Montana]], bought the United Verde properties and, among other improvements, enlarged the smelter.{{sfn|Clements|2003|pp=45–47}} He ordered construction of a [[narrow-gauge railway]], the [[United Verde & Pacific Railway|United Verde & Pacific]], to [[Jerome Junction, Arizona|Jerome Junction]], a railway transfer point {{convert|27|mi|km}} to the west.{{sfn|Steuber|2008|p=48}} As mining of the ore expanded, Jerome's population grew from 250 in 1890 to more than 2,500 by 1900. By then the United Verde Mine had become the leading copper producer in the Arizona Territory, employing about 800 men,{{sfn|Clements|2003|pp=45–47}} and was one of the largest mines in the world.<ref>{{cite web|last=Alenius |first=E.M.J. |title=A Brief History of the United Verde Open Pit: Bulletin 178 |publisher=The Arizona Bureau of Mines |url=http://repository.azgs.az.gov/sites/default/files/dlio/files/nid1194/bull_178_united_verde_open_pit_ocr.pdf |year=1968 |page=iii |access-date=April 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170209181625/http://repository.azgs.az.gov/sites/default/files/dlio/files/nid1194/bull_178_united_verde_open_pit_ocr.pdf |archive-date=February 9, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> Over its 77-year life (1876 to 1953), this mine produced nearly 33{{spaces}}million tons of copper, gold, silver, lead and zinc ore.{{sfn|Abbott|Cook|2007|pp=233–247}} The metals produced by United Verde and UVX, the other big mine in Jerome, were said to be worth more than $1{{spaces}}billion.{{sfn|Steuber|2008|p=7}}{{efn|Historian Eric Clements suggests that the billion-dollar claim stemmed partly from [[boosterism]] and that "actual production never justified such a boast."{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=2}} Geologists Lon Abbott and Terri Cook reckon the value of the metals from United Verde and UVX would have risen to $4{{spaces}}billion in "today's market" (2007), $3{{spaces}}billion from copper alone and $1{{spaces}}billion total from the other four metals.{{sfn|Abbott|Cook|2007|p=235}}}} According to geologists Lon Abbott and Terri Cook, the combined copper deposits of Jerome were among the richest ever found.{{sfn|Abbott|Cook|2007|p=235}}

Jerome had a post office by 1883. It added a schoolhouse in 1884 and a public library in 1889. After four major fires between 1894 and 1898 destroyed much of the business district and half of the community's homes, Jerome was [[Municipal corporation|incorporated]] as a town in 1899.{{sfn|Steuber|2008|p=82}} Incorporation made it possible to collect taxes to build a formal fire-fighting system and to establish building codes that prohibited tents and other fire hazards within the town limits.{{sfn|Steuber|2008|p=101}} Local merchant and rancher William Munds was the first mayor.{{sfn|Steuber|2008|p=17}}

By 1900, Jerome had churches, fraternal organizations, and a downtown with brick buildings, telephone service, and electric lights.{{sfn|Clements|2003|pp=45–47}} Among the thriving businesses were those associated with alcohol, gambling, and [[prostitution]] serving a population that was 78{{spaces}}percent male.{{sfn|Steuber|2008|p=63}} In 1903, New York's ''[[The Sun (New York City)|The Sun]]'' proclaimed Jerome "the wickedest town in the West".<ref>{{cite web|last=Price|first=Michael|title=Jerome: A Ghost Town That Never Gave Up the Ghost|url=http://www.geotimes.org/jan07/Travels0107.html|work=Geotimes|publisher=American Geological Institute|date=January 17, 2007|access-date=October 8, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412144103/http://www.geotimes.org/jan07/Travels0107.html|archive-date=April 12, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Mexican-American community===  
During Jerome’s copper boom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the town attracted a large number of Mexican and Mexican American workers who were recruited by the United Verde Copper Company (UVCC) to fill dangerous and physically demanding positions in the mines and smelters. These workers were often assigned the most hazardous jobs, such as ore hauling and smelting, for significantly lower wages than their white counterparts.<ref name="Gonzalez1980">Gonzalez, Mario R. ''Mexican Workers in the Arizona Copper Industry, 1900-1940.'' University of Arizona Press, 1980.</ref>  

Due to segregation policies enforced by the mining companies and local authorities, Mexican workers and their families were forced to live in Mexican Town, a segregated neighborhood located on the lower slopes of Cleopatra Hill, near the smelters and away from the more affluent areas where white miners and company officials resided.<ref name="Ortiz2004">Ortiz, Leonard. ''Jerome and the Copper Camps of Arizona: A Cultural History.'' Arcadia Publishing, 2004.</ref> Mexican Town was characterized by small, poorly constructed homes, inadequate sanitation, and a lack of access to basic amenities.  

Mexican children were also subjected to segregation in Jerome’s education system. They attended separate, inferior schools that were poorly funded and lacked resources. Teachers often had minimal training, and the curriculum was designed to provide only basic education, preparing Mexican children for low-skilled labor rather than higher education or professional careers.<ref name="Monroy1990">Monroy, Douglas. ''Rebirth: Mexican Los Angeles from the Great Migration to the Great Depression.'' University of California Press, 1990.</ref> In many cases, Mexican students were discouraged from speaking Spanish, and corporal punishment was sometimes used to enforce compliance with English-only policies.<ref name="Ruiz1998">Ruiz, Vicki L. ''From Out of the Shadows: Mexican Women in Twentieth-Century America.'' Oxford University Press, 1998.</ref> Despite these challenges, Mexican families emphasized the importance of education and community cohesion. Parents encouraged their children to attend school and maintain a connection to their heritage and language, ensuring that cultural traditions were preserved within the community.<ref name="Acuña1988">Acuña, Rodolfo. ''Occupied America: A History of Chicanos.'' HarperCollins, 1988.</ref>

Mexican workers endured harsh treatment both in and out of the workplace. They were given the most dangerous and least desirable jobs in the mines, such as smelting and ore hauling, and were paid significantly lower wages than their white counterparts.<ref name="Gonzalez1980" /> They worked long hours in hazardous conditions with little regard for their safety. Housing in Mexican Town reflected the discriminatory policies of the time, as families lived in overcrowded, poorly maintained structures that lacked running water and adequate sanitation.<ref name="Ortiz2004" />

Despite the discrimination they faced, Mexican Town developed into a vibrant cultural hub where residents preserved their customs, language, and traditions. Families established small stores, built schools, and created churches that served as the heart of the community. Religious and cultural celebrations, including '''fiestas''' and '''festivals''', brought the community together and reinforced a sense of identity and resilience.<ref name="Ruiz1998" />

The Mexican Pool, a public swimming pool built for the community, provided a rare recreational outlet for Mexican families during a time when public facilities were segregated.<ref name="JHS2023">''Jerome Historical Society Archives.'' "Mexican Pool and Social Life in Jerome." Available at: [https://www.jeromehistoricalsociety.com](https://www.jeromehistoricalsociety.com)</ref>

As copper production in Jerome declined in the 1930s and the population dwindled, Mexican Town gradually faded away. Many families left to seek better opportunities elsewhere, while others were displaced as Jerome’s fortunes waned. Today, little remains of Mexican Town, but its history highlights the significant contributions of Mexican and Mexican American workers to Jerome’s economy and culture.<ref name="Lopez1995">López, Phillip. ''Mexican Communities in Arizona Mining Towns.'' Arizona Historical Review, Vol. 12, 1995.</ref>

==Early 20th century==
Jerome, which was legally separate from United Verde and supported many independent businesses, did not meet the definition of a [[company town]]{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=294}} even though it depended for decades largely on a single company. In 1914, a separate company, the United Verde Extension Mining Company (UVX), led by [[James S. Douglas, Jr.]] (nicknamed Rawhide Jimmy), discovered a second ore body near Jerome that produced a [[:wikt:bonanza|bonanza]].{{sfn|Clements|2003|pp=47–49}} The UVX Mine, also known as the ''Little Daisy Mine'',{{sfn|Steuber|2008|p=123}} became spectacularly profitable: during 1916 alone, it produced $10{{spaces}}million worth of copper, silver and gold, of which $7.4{{spaces}}million was profit.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Arizona Bureau of Mines|author2=U.S. Geological Survey|title=Mineral and Water Resources of Arizona: Bulletin 180, Part 2: Mineral Fuels and Associated Resources|url=http://repository.azgs.az.gov/sites/default/files/dlio/files/nid1005/bulletin-180_part2.pdf|year=1969|publisher=Arizona Geological Survey|pages=127–128|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180410135940/http://repository.azgs.az.gov/sites/default/files/dlio/files/nid1005/bulletin-180_part2.pdf|archive-date=April 10, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> This mine eventually produced more than $125{{spaces}}million worth of ore and paid more than $50{{spaces}}million in dividends.{{sfn|Clements|2003|pp=47–49}} Total production amounted to four million tons, much less than the United Verde total but from uncommonly rich ore averaging more than 10{{spaces}}percent copper and in places rising to 45{{spaces}}percent.{{sfn|Abbott|Cook|2007|pp=233–247}}

[[File:United Verde Smelter (Jerome, Arizona).png|thumb|left|upright 1.6|Panorama of the United Verde Smelter as it appeared around 1909, before the mine became an open-pit operation|alt=Panorama of the United Verde Smelter as it appeared in about 1909, replete with smoking smokestacks, many small buildings, and a curved section of railroad track]]
Starting in 1914, [[World War&nbsp;I]] greatly increased demand for copper, and by 1916 the number of companies involved in mining near Jerome reached 22.{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=48}} These companies employed about 3,000 miners in the district.{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=48}} Meanwhile, United Verde was building a large smelter complex and company town, Clarkdale, and a [[standard gauge]] railway, the Verde Tunnel and Smelter Railroad, to haul ore from its mine to the new smelter.{{sfn|Wahmann|1999|p=15}} After the new railway opened in 1915, the company dismantled the Jerome smelter and converted the mine to an open-pit operation by 1919.{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=49}}{{efn|The decision to turn the United Verde Mine into an open-pit operation led to abandonment of the narrow-gauge United Verde & Pacific Railway between Jerome and Jerome Junction.{{sfn|Wahmann|1999|p=15}} Instead, the {{convert|11|mi|km|adj=on}} Verde Tunnel & Smelter Railroad (VT&S) and a companion electric line, the Hopewell Haulage Railroad, transported ore to Clark's new smelter from two different levels of the mine. The electric train, the lower of the two, ran through the {{convert|7200|ft|m|adj=on}} Hopewell Tunnel to a station called Hopewell, where ore was transferred to the VT&S.{{sfn|Wahmann|1999|pp=27, 29, 41}} In 1922, UVX owner Douglas built his own [[shortline railroad]], the {{convert|8|mi|km|adj=on}} Arizona-Extension Railway. It began at the east entrance to the {{convert|2.5|mi|km|adj=on}} Josephine Tunnel, through which electric trains transported ore from the UVX Mine for transfer to the shortline and thence to the UVX smelter at Clemenceau.{{sfn|Wahmann|1999|p=61}}}} The switch from underground to open-pit mining stemmed from a series of fires, some burning for decades, in the mine's high-sulfur ores. Removing the [[overburden]] and pouring a mixture of water, waste ore, and sand into rock fissures helped control the fires.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Work Mine in Spite of Old Fire|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YCgDAAAAMBAJ|date=January 1931|journal=Popular Science|volume=118|number=1|pages=26, 142|issn=0161-7370|access-date=October 17, 2012|via=Google Books|last1=Corporation|first1=Bonnier}}</ref> By 1918, UVX also had its own smelter in its own company town near Cottonwood; the company town was named Clemenceau in 1920.{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=49}} In 1929, a company named Verde Central opened what at first appeared to be another "great mine"{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=44}} about a mile southwest of Jerome.<ref>{{cite web|title=Verde Central Mine|publisher=United States Geological Survey|url=https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/show-mrds.php?dep_id=10027268|access-date=May 29, 2017}}</ref>

The labor situation in Jerome was complicated. Three separate labor unions—the [[Western Federation of Miners|International Union of Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers]] (MMSW), the [[Industrial Workers of the World]] or IWW, and the Liga Protectora Latina, which represented about 500 Mexican miners—had members in Jerome. In 1917, two miners' [[strike action|strikes]] involving the IWW, which had been organizing strikes elsewhere in Arizona and other states, took place in Jerome. Seen as a threat by business interests as well as other labor unions, the Wobblies, as they were called, were subject nationally to sometimes violent harassment. The MMSW, which in May called a strike against United Verde, regarded the rival IWW with animosity and would not recognize it as legitimate. In response, the IWW members threatened to break the strike. Under pressure, the MMSW voted 467 to 431 to settle for less than they wanted.<ref name="Lindquist">{{cite journal | last =Lindquist | first =John H. |date=Autumn 1969 | title =The Jerome Deportation of 1917 | journal =Arizona and the West | volume =11 | issue =3 | pages =233–246 | publisher =Journal of the Southwest | issn=0004-1408|jstor=40167537}}</ref>

In July, the IWW called for a strike against all the mines in the district. In this case, the MMSW voted 470 to 194 ''against'' striking. Three days later, about 250 armed [[vigilante]]s rounded up at least 60 suspected IWW members, loaded them onto a railroad [[Stock car (rail)|cattle car]], and shipped them out of town in what has been called the Jerome Deportation. Nine IWW members, thought by the Prescott sheriff's department to be leaders, were arrested and jailed temporarily in Prescott though never charged with a crime; others were taken to [[Needles, California]], then to [[Kingman, Arizona]], where they were released after promising to desist from "further agitation".<ref name="Lindquist"/>

===After 1920===
[[File:High street Jerome, Arizona.jpg|thumb|Corner of Main Street and Jerome Avenue in Jerome. Connor Hotel, left. Mine Museum, right.|alt=Old masonry buildings of one, two, and three stories near an intersection with car and pedestrian traffic.]]
Following a brief post-war downturn, boom times returned to Jerome in the 1920s. Copper prices rose to 24 cents a pound in 1929,{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=51}} and United Verde and UVX operated at near capacity.{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=53}} Wages rose, consumers spent, and the town's businesses—including five automobile dealerships—prospered.{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=45}} United Verde, seeking stable labor relations, added disability and life insurance benefits for its workers and built a baseball field, tennis courts, swimming pools, and a public park in Jerome. Both companies donated to the Jerome Public Library and helped finance projects for the town's schools, churches, and hospitals.{{sfn|Clements|2003|pp=54–55}}

In 1930, after the start of the [[Great Depression]], the price of copper fell to 14{{spaces}}cents a pound.{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=84}} In response, United Verde began reducing its work force; UVX operated at a loss, and the third big mine, Verde Central, closed completely.{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=85}} The price of copper fell further in 1932 to 5{{spaces}}cents a pound, leading to layoffs, temporary shutdowns, and wage reductions in the Verde District.{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=88}} In 1935, the Clark family sold United Verde to [[Phelps Dodge]],{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=90}} and in 1938 UVX went out of business.{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=92}}

[[File:Douglas Mansion.jpg|thumb|left|Douglas Mansion at the [[Jerome State Historic Park]]|alt=A large white two-story adobe structure with brown trim is fronted by a lawn with stone and metal exhibits, a flagpole, and walkways.]]

Meanwhile, a subsidence problem that had irreparably damaged at least 10 downtown buildings by 1928 worsened through the 1930s. Dozens of buildings, including the post office and jail, were lost as the earth beneath them sank away.{{efn|Jerome's housing stock and other buildings met a wide variety of fates over the years. Some burned or collapsed. Some were moved intact or in pieces to places as far away as [[Flagstaff, Arizona|Flagstaff]]. After 1953, through the efforts of the Jerome Historical Society and others, some like the Boyd Hotel, the Powder Box Church, and the Fourth Hospital (now the [[Jerome Grand Hotel|Grand Hotel]] and Asylum Restaurant) were restored. Not every standing building has been completely restored, and ruins are still visible in "Mexican Town", downhill from the main business district.{{sfn|Steuber|2008|pp=103–122}}}} Contributing causes were geologic [[Fault (geology)|faulting]] in the area, blast vibrations from the mines, and erosion that may have been exacerbated by vegetation-killing smelter smoke.{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=197}}{{efn|Pine, oak, and [[manzanita]] trees covered Jerome until the late 19th century but were cut down for mine timbers and other lumber.{{sfn|Steuber|2008|p=81}} In 1964, Cleopatra Hill was seeded with [[ailanthus]] trees to limit severe erosion from the denuded slopes.{{sfn|Steuber|2008|p=115}}}}

Mining continued at a reduced level in the Verde District until 1953, when Phelps Dodge shut down the United Verde Mine and related operations. Jerome's population subsequently fell below 100.{{sfn|Steuber|2008|p=10}} To prevent the town from disappearing completely, its remaining residents turned to tourism and retail sales. They organized the Jerome Historical Society in 1953 and opened a museum and gift shop.{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=251}}

To encourage tourism, the town's leaders sought [[National Historic Landmark]] status for Jerome; it was granted by the federal government in 1967.{{sfn|Steuber|2008|p=8}} In 1962, James Douglas's heirs donated the Douglas mansion, above the UVX mine site, to the State of Arizona, which used it to create [[Jerome State Historic Park]].{{sfn|Steuber|2008|p=123}} By sponsoring music festivals, historic-homes tours, celebrations, and races, the community attracted visitors and new businesses, which in the 21st century include art galleries, craft stores, wineries, coffeehouses, and restaurants.{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=251}}

==Climate==
July is typically the warmest month in Jerome, when highs average {{convert|90|°F|0}} and lows average {{convert|67|°F|0}}. January is coldest, when the high temperatures average {{convert|50|°F|0}} and the lows average {{convert|33|°F|0}}. The highest recorded temperature through 2005 was {{convert|108|°F|0}} in 2003, and the lowest was {{convert|5|°F|0}} in 1963. August, averaging about {{convert|3|in|mm}} of rain, is the wettest month, while the spring months of April to June generally do not have significant rainfall.<ref name="Western Regional">{{cite web|title=Jerome, Arizona (024453)|url=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?azjero|publisher=Western Regional Climate Center|access-date=April 20, 2017}} Maximum highs and lows are included in the table labeled "Temperature" under the heading "General Climate Summary Tables" in the left-hand column.</ref>

Although most precipitation arrives in the town as rain, snow and fog sometimes occur.<ref name="state park weather">{{cite web |title=Jerome State Historic Park: Weather |url=https://azstateparks.com/jerome/explore/annual-weather |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319155647/http://azstateparks.com/Parks/JERO/weather.html |archive-date=March 19, 2015 |access-date=January 15, 2013 |publisher=Arizona State Parks}}</ref> On average, about {{convert|5|in|cm}} of snow falls in January and lesser amounts in February, March, April, November, and December.<ref name="Western Regional"/> Even so, the ''average'' depth of snow on the ground between 1897 and 2005 was so close to zero that it is reported as zero.<ref name="Western Regional"/> Jerome is often windy, especially in spring and fall.<ref name="state park weather"/> Summer thunderstorms can be violent.<ref name="state park weather"/>

According to the [[Köppen climate classification]], Jerome has a [[Mediterranean climate]] (''Csa'').

{{Weather box
|location = Jerome, Arizona (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1897–present)
|single line = Yes
|collapsed = Y
|Jan record high F = 75
|Feb record high F = 82
|Mar record high F = 85
|Apr record high F = 92
|May record high F = 99
|Jun record high F = 108
|Jul record high F = 108
|Aug record high F = 105
|Sep record high F = 102
|Oct record high F = 94
|Nov record high F = 85
|Dec record high F = 75
|year record high F =
| Jan avg record high F = 60.6
| Feb avg record high F = 65.2
| Mar avg record high F = 72.9
| Apr avg record high F = 81.9
| May avg record high F = 90.1
| Jun avg record high F = 98.9
| Jul avg record high F = 100.4
| Aug avg record high F = 97.1
| Sep avg record high F = 91.4
| Oct avg record high F = 83.1
| Nov avg record high F = 71.0
| Dec avg record high F = 61.6
|year avg record high F = 101.6
|Jan high F = 49.5
|Feb high F = 53.3
|Mar high F = 60.6
|Apr high F = 68.2
|May high F = 77.5
|Jun high F = 89.0
|Jul high F = 91.3
|Aug high F = 88.0
|Sep high F = 82.3
|Oct high F = 71.2
|Nov high F = 58.5
|Dec high F = 48.7
|year high F = 69.8

|Jan mean F = 42.0
|Feb mean F = 44.8
|Mar mean F = 50.7
|Apr mean F = 57.3
|May mean F = 66.2
|Jun mean F = 77.2
|Jul mean F = 79.9
|Aug mean F = 77.4
|Sep mean F = 72.2
|Oct mean F = 62.0
|Nov mean F = 50.2
|Dec mean F = 41.5
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 34.6
|Feb low F = 36.2
|Mar low F = 40.9
|Apr low F = 46.4
|May low F = 54.9
|Jun low F = 65.5
|Jul low F = 68.5
|Aug low F = 66.8
|Sep low F = 62.1
|Oct low F = 52.7
|Nov low F = 42.0
|Dec low F = 34.2
|year low F = 50.4
| Jan avg record low F = 23.5
| Feb avg record low F = 25.8
| Mar avg record low F = 28.8
| Apr avg record low F = 34.0
| May avg record low F = 42.0
| Jun avg record low F = 54.8
| Jul avg record low F = 60.3
| Aug avg record low F = 58.9
| Sep avg record low F = 52.6
| Oct avg record low F = 39.3
| Nov avg record low F = 29.5
| Dec avg record low F = 23.6
|year avg record low F = 20.6
|Jan record low F = 5
|Feb record low F = 8
|Mar record low F = 17
|Apr record low F = 23
|May record low F = 26
|Jun record low F = 39
|Jul record low F = 44
|Aug record low F = 39
|Sep record low F = 40
|Oct record low F = 21
|Nov record low F = 16
|Dec record low F = 8
|year record low F =
|Jan precipitation inch = 1.77
|Feb precipitation inch = 1.82
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.66
|Apr precipitation inch = 0.72
|May precipitation inch = 0.51
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.32
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.37
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.04
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.64
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.30
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.87
|Dec precipitation inch = 1.69
|year precipitation inch = 17.71
|precipitation colour = green
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.0
|Nov snow inch = 0.1
|Dec snow inch = 0.7
|Jan snow inch = 1.7
|Feb snow inch = 1.0
|Mar snow inch = 1.4
|Apr snow inch = 1.4
|May snow inch = 0.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|year snow inch= 6.3
|Jan precipitation days = 5.6
|Feb precipitation days = 6.1
|Mar precipitation days = 5.7
|Apr precipitation days = 3.5
|May precipitation days = 3.4
|Jun precipitation days = 1.8
|Jul precipitation days = 9.0
|Aug precipitation days = 10.9
|Sep precipitation days = 5.6
|Oct precipitation days = 3.8
|Nov precipitation days = 3.6
|Dec precipitation days = 4.8
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 inch
| Jul snow days = 0.0
| Aug snow days = 0.0
| Sep snow days = 0.0
| Oct snow days = 0.0
| Nov snow days = 0.1
| Dec snow days = 0.6
| Jan snow days = 0.8
| Feb snow days = 0.7
| Mar snow days = 0.6
| Apr snow days = 0.3
| May snow days = 0.0
| Jun snow days = 0.0
|unit snow days = 0.1 inch
|source 1 = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]<ref name=NOAA>{{cite web |url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=fgz |title = NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date = August 15, 2022}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00024453&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Jerome, AZ
|access-date = December 30, 2022
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = Western Regional Climate Center<ref name="Western Regional"/>}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1890= 250
|1900= 2861
|1910= 2393
|1920= 4030
|1930= 4932
|1940= 2295
|1950= 1233
|1960= 243
|1970= 290
|1980= 420
|1990= 403
|2000= 329
|2010= 444
|2020= 464
|align-fn=center
|footnote=Census sources 1890–1990,{{sfn|Moffat|1996|p=12}} 2000 and 2010<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 19, 2017}}</ref>
}}

The makeup of early Jerome differed greatly from the 21st-century version of the town. The original mining claims were filed by North American ranchers and prospectors, but as the mines were developed, workers of varied ethnic groups and nationalities arrived. Among them were people of Irish, Chinese, Italian, and Slavic origin who came to Jerome in the late 19th century. By the time of World War{{spaces}}I, Mexican nationals were arriving in large numbers, and census figures suggest that in 1930 about 60{{spaces}}percent of the town's residents were [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]].{{sfn|Clements|2003|pp=59–60}} This statistic is supported by mining company records showing that about 57 percent of the UVX workers were Mexican nationals in 1931 and that foreign-born and Spanish-surnamed workers accounted for about 77{{spaces}}percent of the UVX work force.{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=149}}

The ratio of females to males also varied greatly over time in Jerome. Census data from 1900 through 1950 show a gradual rise in the percentage of female residents, who accounted for only 22{{spaces}}percent of the population at the turn of the century but about 50{{spaces}}percent by mid-century.{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=153}}

As of the [[census]] of 2010, Jerome was home to 444 people comprising 253 households, 93 of which were families made up of a householder and one or more people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. The other 160 were non-family. The residents had a racial makeup that was nearly 94{{spaces}}percent White, and the remainder were listed in the census as Black or African American, Native American, Asian, other, or combinations thereof. About 6{{spaces}}percent of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The population, nearly evenly split along gender lines, consisted of 226 women with a median age of 54 and 218 men with a median age of 55.<ref name ="wwwcensusgov"/>

As of the census of 2020, the population had grown to 464, and the median income for a household in the town was about $35,000. About 19&nbsp;percent of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jerome Town, Arizona|publisher=United States Census Bureau|url=https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?searchType=web&cssp=SERP&q=Jerome%20town,%20Arizona|access-date=March 10, 2024}}</ref>

{{wide image|Jerome, Arizona, wider panorama.jpg|700px|Panorama of Jerome as seen from Jerome Cemetery in 2013. Cleopatra Hill is marked with a [[Hillside letters|mountain monogram]] "J", maintained by a local service organization called the J Club.{{sfn|Steuber|2008|p=95}} Remnants of the United Verde open-pit copper mine are to the far right, on the edge of town. The Douglas Mansion (building with flagpole) and remains of the UVX mine are also to the right, downhill from the United Verde mine. The [[Jerome Grand Hotel]] is the large building high on the hill to the left. A dusting of snow is visible at higher elevations in the [[Black Hills (Yavapai County)|Black Hills]].|alt=Panorama of Jerome's houses, commercial buildings, and mine sites spread along the flanks of a mountain marked with a large J}}

==Government==
Jerome has a [[mayor–council]] government. The five seats on the council are filled by public election every two years, and the council member receiving the most votes in that election becomes the mayor.<ref>{{cite news|last=Tracey|first=Tom|title=Will Jerome See 'Out with the Old, in with the Old?'|work=Verde Independent|url=https://www.verdenews.com/news/2016/sep/01/will-jerome-see-out-with-the-old-in-with-the-old/|publisher=Western News&Info|date=September 1, 2016|access-date=April 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170505015928/https://www.verdenews.com/news/2016/sep/01/will-jerome-see-out-with-the-old-in-with-the-old/|archive-date=May 5, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Christina "Alex" Barber  is the mayor in 2024, and Jane Moore is the vice mayor.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mayor and Council|publisher=Town of Jerome|url=https://jerome.az.gov/mayor-and-council|year=2022|access-date=March 3, 2024}}</ref>

Yavapai County typically elects [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] to state and federal offices.<ref name="NPR elections">{{cite news|last=Joffe-Block|first=Jude|title=Is Arizona a Swing State This Year|url=https://www.npr.org/2016/09/13/493635736/is-arizona-a-swing-state-this-year|publisher=National Public Radio|date=September 13, 2016|access-date=May 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224072710/http://www.npr.org/2016/09/13/493635736/is-arizona-a-swing-state-this-year|archive-date=December 24, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> About 64{{spaces}}percent of its participating voters chose Republican [[Mitt Romney]] for president in 2012,<ref name="NPR elections"/> and about 63{{spaces}}percent chose Republican [[Donald Trump]] in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|title=Election Results: Yavapai County|url=https://www.dcourier.com/news/2016/nov/08/election-results-yavapai-county-arizona/|work=The Daily Courier|date=November 9, 2016|publisher=The Daily Courier and Western News&Info|access-date=May 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110194856/https://www.dcourier.com/news/2016/nov/08/election-results-yavapai-county-arizona/|archive-date=November 10, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> At the state level, [[Walter Blackman]] and [[Bob Thorpe (politician)|Bob Thorpe]], both Republicans, represent Jerome as part of the Sixth Legislative District of the [[Arizona Legislature]]. Republican [[Sylvia Allen]] represents the Sixth District in the [[Arizona Senate]].<ref>{{cite web|title=District Locator|url=http://azredistricting.org/districtlocator/|publisher=Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission|access-date=May 9, 2017|archive-date=April 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170430201041/http://azredistricting.org/districtlocator/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Member Roster|publisher=Arizona State Legislature|url=http://www.azleg.gov/memberroster/|access-date=May 9, 2017}}</ref> At the federal level, Republican [[Paul Gosar]] represents Jerome and the rest of Arizona's Fourth Congressional District in the [[United States House of Representatives]]. Democrats [[Mark Kelly]] and [[Ruben Gallego]] represent Arizona in the [[United States Senate]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Arizona's 4th Congressional District|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/AZ/4#q=jerome%2C%20arizona&marker_lng=-112.11306&marker_lat=34.74889|work=GovTrack|publisher=Civic Impulse|access-date=December 19, 2020}}</ref>

The town is patrolled by its own police department<ref>{{cite web|title=Police Department|url=http://www.jerome.az.gov/Police_Department.html|publisher=Town of Jerome|year=2017|access-date=May 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118164255/http://www.jerome.az.gov/Police_Department.html|archive-date=November 18, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> and is also served by the Eastern Area Command of the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office.<ref>{{cite web|title=Yavapai County Sheriff's Office: Area Command Map|url=http://www.ycsoaz.gov/about-ycso|publisher=Yavapai County|year=2017|access-date=May 6, 2017}}</ref> About two dozen men and women comprise Jerome's volunteer fire department, which serves an area of more than {{convert|500|mi2|km2}} including nearby rural and mountainous terrain as well as the town itself. Firefighting, emergency medical service, and wilderness rescues are its specialties.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fire Department|url=http://www.jerome.az.gov/Fire_Department.html|publisher=Town of Jerome|year=2017|access-date=May 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118164309/http://www.jerome.az.gov/Fire_Department.html|archive-date=November 18, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Jerome is in the Verde Valley Precinct of the Yavapai County Justice Court system.<ref>{{cite web|title=Yavapai County Justice Court Precincts|url=http://courts.yavapai.us/yavapai-county-justice-court-precincts|publisher=Yavapai County Government|access-date=October 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150322211639/http://courts.yavapai.us/yavapai-county-justice-court-precincts/|archive-date=March 22, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2013, Jerome was the third municipality in Arizona to recognize [[civil union]]s between same-sex partners, after [[Bisbee, Arizona|Bisbee]] and [[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Lineberger|first=Mark|url=https://journalaz.com/news/36-top-news/2066-jerome-oks-civil-unions.html|title=Jerome OKs Civil Unions|publisher=journalaz.com|date=September 16, 2013|access-date=July 27, 2018|archive-date=July 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728041757/https://journalaz.com/news/36-top-news/2066-jerome-oks-civil-unions.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Economy and culture==
Jerome's economy centers mainly on recreation and tourism. Figures published in 2015 showed that over half the labor force worked in arts, entertainment, retail, food and recreation services, while manufacturing and construction employed just over 10{{spaces}}percent.<ref name=commerce>{{cite web |url=http://www.azcommerce.com/a/profiles/ViewProfile/74/Jerome/ |title=Community Profile for Jerome |publisher=Arizona Commerce Authority |access-date=June 6, 2017}}</ref> Between 1990 and 2006 the value of taxable sales increased from $4.8{{spaces}}million to $15.5{{spaces}}million,<ref name=cottonwood>{{cite web |url=http://cottonwoodaz.gov/DocumentCenter/View/688 |title=Jerome |publisher=Arizona Department of Commerce |access-date=June 6, 2017}}</ref> and between 1990 and 2014 the [[Unemployment in the United States|unemployment rate]] fell from 4.2{{spaces}}to 1.4{{spaces}}percent.<ref name=commerce/> Formerly vacant buildings house boutiques, gift shops, antique and craft shops;<ref name=cottonwood/> the town also has five art galleries, a library, three parks and two museums, including the Mine Museum run by the Jerome Historical Society,<ref name=commerce/> and a former church building that houses the society's offices and archives.<ref>{{cite web|title=Offices and Archives|url=https://jeromehistoricalsociety.com/museums-buildings/offices-archives/|year=2016|publisher=Jerome Historical Society|access-date=June 6, 2017}}</ref> Annual events include a home tour ("Paso de Casas") in May, a reunion for former mining families in October, and a Festival of Lights in December.<ref name=cottonwood/> Gulch Radio KZRJ broadcasts from Jerome at 100.5 FM and streams online.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gulch Radio: Jerome, Arizona|url=http://www.gulchradio.com/|publisher=Gulch Radio Playlist|access-date=June 6, 2017}}</ref> The Town of Jerome publishes a bimonthly newsletter, ''Point of View''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Town Newsletter|url=http://www.jerome.az.gov/Town_Newsletter_2.html|publisher=Town of Jerome|year=2017|access-date=June 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129080751/http://www.jerome.az.gov/Town_Newsletter_2.html|archive-date=November 29, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Infrastructure==
[[File:Former high school complex (Jerome, Arizona).jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|Former high school complex downhill from the center of Jerome|alt=A cluster of buildings with orange slate roofs, seen from a hill above]]
===School buildings===
Children from Jerome in kindergarten through eighth grade attend the Clarkdale–Jerome School in Clarkdale.<ref>{{cite web|title=Clarkdale Jerome School Page|url=http://www.cjsd.k12.az.us/|publisher=Clarkdale–Jerome School|access-date=October 25, 2012}}</ref> Older students attend [[Mingus Union High School]] in Cottonwood.<ref name="school history">{{cite news|last=Wright|first=Philip|title=Historical Societies Receive High School Annuals |url=https://www.verdenews.com/news/2011/jun/24/historical-societies-receive-high-school-annuals/|work=Verde Independent|publisher=Western News&Info |date= June 24, 2011 |access-date=October 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170505015347/https://www.verdenews.com/news/2011/jun/24/historical-societies-receive-high-school-annuals/|archive-date=May 5, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Each of these communities had its own schools during the first half of the 20th century,<ref name="school history"/> but declining populations and shrinking tax revenues led to consolidation.{{sfn|Clements|2003|p=220}} The former Jerome High School complex is home in the 21st century to many artists' galleries.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sedona Verde Valley: Old Jerome High School|work=National Geographic Travel Guide|publisher=Old Town Creative and Interactive|url=https://sedonaverdevalley.natgeotourism.com/content/old-jerome-high-school/svvdde13662ef47d37bb|access-date=May 6, 2017}}</ref>

===Sliding Jail===
[[File:Jerome Sliding Jail Plaque.jpg|thumb|upright|Plaque located at the sliding jail site]]
In March 2017, the Jerome Historical Society acquired the former jail, now known as the [[Sliding Jail]], from the Town of Jerome. Rendered unusable but not completely destroyed by earth movements since the 1930s, the structure is about {{convert|200|ft|m|-1}} downhill from where it was originally built. It has become a popular tourist attraction.<ref>{{cite news|last=Starinskas|first=Vito|title=Jerome's Sliding Jail: Town Turns Landmark Over to Jerome Historical Society|url=https://www.verdenews.com/news/2017/mar/04/jeromes-sliding-jail-town-turns-landmark-over-jero/|work=Verde Independent|publisher=Western News&Info|date=March 4, 2017|access-date=June 6, 2017}}</ref>

===Utilities===
Jerome manages its own water system,<ref name="Utilities">{{cite web|title=Utilities|url=http://www.jerome.az.gov/Utilities.html|publisher=Town of Jerome|year=2017|access-date=May 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118164248/http://www.jerome.az.gov/Utilities.html|archive-date=November 18, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> sourced by ten mountain [[spring (hydrology)|springs]].<ref name="home page">{{cite web|title=Home Page|url=http://www.jerome.az.gov/Home_Page.php|publisher=Town of Jerome|year=2017|access-date=May 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118013207/http://www.jerome.az.gov/Home_Page.php|archive-date=November 18, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The town's annual water report for 2016 assured residents that Jerome's water met all state and federal requirements and was safe to drink.<ref name="home page"/> Jerome administers its own sewer system, trash collection, and recycling services.<ref name="public works">{{cite web|title=Public Works|url=http://www.jerome.az.gov/Public_Works.html|publisher=Town of Jerome|year=2017|access-date=May 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118164313/http://www.jerome.az.gov/Public_Works.html|archive-date=November 18, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Its public works department maintains the equipment and infrastructure associated with these systems as well the water system, streets, parks, and other city property.<ref name="public works"/>

[[Arizona Public Service]] provides electricity to Jerome, and [[UniSource Energy Services]] is the supplier of natural gas.<ref name="welcome">{{cite web|title=Welcome to Sedona and Verde Valley: Cottonwood/Clarkdale/Jerome/Cornville Utilities|url=http://www.welcometoverde.net/cottonwood-area-utilities.html|publisher=Verde Valley Newspapers and Western News&Info|year=2017|access-date=May 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323164406/http://www.welcometoverde.net/cottonwood-area-utilities.html|archive-date=March 23, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Century Link]] ([[DSL]]), [[HughesNet]] (satellite), Speed Connect (fixed wireless), and [[mobile Web]] providers offer Internet access.<ref name=DecisionData>{{cite web|title=Internet Providers in 86331 (Jerome, AZ) & Cable/TV Companies|url=http://decisiondata.org/tv-internet-by-zip/86331-internet/|publisher=DecisionData|access-date=May 8, 2017}}</ref> [[Satellite television]] is available via [[DirecTV]] and the [[Dish Network]].<ref name=DecisionData/> [[Mobile phone]] companies and Century Link offer telephone services.<ref name="welcome"/>

==In popular culture==
* ''[[Brothel (film)|Brothel]]'' is a [[haunted house]] movie filmed in Jerome and nearby.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vanguardcinema.com/brothel/brothel.htm |title= Brothel |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720001724/http://www.vanguardcinema.com/brothel/brothel.htm |archivedate=July 20, 2011|access-date=March 13, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Reid|first=Jack|title='The Brothel' comes to the Verde Valley|url=http://www.brothelthemovie.com/Press/article3.htm|newspaper=Sedona Red Rock News|access-date=March 14, 2024}}</ref>
* The [[Barenaked Ladies]] song "Jerome" focuses on the town's reputation for being haunted, and also refers to the Sliding Jail and other points of interest in local geography, culture, and history.<ref>Kevin Hearn, Barenaked Ladies, "Jerome", [[All in Good Time (Barenaked Ladies album)]], Raisin' Records, 2010</ref>
* ''Muckers'' (2013) by Sandra Neil Wallace, a former sportscaster for [[ESPN]], is a historical novel for young adults that is based on the Jerome High School football team of 1950. The team went undefeated that year, shortly before the copper mine closed and Jerome's population dwindled.<ref>{{cite web|title=''Muckers''|publisher=Goodreads|url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17237224-muckers|access-date=July 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150423033358/https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17237224-muckers|archive-date=April 23, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=''Muckers'' Tells Jerome-Inspired Story of Arizona Football Triumph|url=https://www.verdenews.com/news/2013/oct/07/muckers-tells-jerome-inspired-story-of-arizona-fo/ |work=Verde Independent|publisher=Western News&Info|date=October 7, 2013|access-date=May 28, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Dare |first=Kim|title=Pick of the Day: ''Muckers''|url=http://www.slj.com/2013/12/reviews/pick-of-the-day-muckers/#_|journal=School Library Journal|date=December 4, 2013|access-date=May 28, 2017}}</ref>
* Singer-songwriter [[Kate Wolf]] wrote the song "Old Jerome" about the town.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kate Wolf Songbooks|url=https://www.katewolf.com/songbooks|publisher=Owl Productions|date=September 6, 2020}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Maynard James Keenan]] (born 1964), singer for [[rock music]] bands<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.revolvermag.com/premium-video/culture/how-maynard-james-keenan-building-community-through-art-and-work|title=How Maynard James Keenan Is Building a Community Through Art and Work|date=September 21, 2017|website=Revolver|language=en|access-date=September 5, 2019}}</ref>
* [[Katie Lee (singer)|Katie Lee]] (1919−2017), [[folk music|folk singer]]<ref>{{cite news|last=Wright|first=Philip|title= An Arizona Legend: Jerome's Katie Lee to Be Inducted into Arizona Music Hall of Fame |url=https://www.verdenews.com/news/2011/oct/06/jeromes-katie-lee-inducted-into-arizona-music-hal/|work=Verde Independent|date=September 20, 2011|publisher=Western News&Info|access-date=October 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170505015633/https://www.verdenews.com/news/2011/oct/06/jeromes-katie-lee-inducted-into-arizona-music-hal/|archive-date=May 5, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> and environmental activist.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ferris|first=Gillian|title=Katie Lee, 'Goddess of Glen Canyon,' Dies at Age 98|url=http://knau.org/post/katie-lee-goddess-glen-canyon-dies-age-98|website=KNAU Arizona Public Radio|date=November 2017 |access-date=March 15, 2024|archive-date=November 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122052326/http://knau.org/post/katie-lee-goddess-glen-canyon-dies-age-98|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref>
* [[Fred Rico]] (born 1944), [[Major League Baseball]] player,<ref name="The Baseball Encyclopedia">{{cite book|editor= Reichler, Joseph L.|title= The Baseball Encyclopedia|orig-year= 1969|edition= 4th|page= [https://archive.org/details/baseballencyclop00reic/page/1325 1325]|year= 1979|publisher= Macmillan Publishing|location= New York|isbn= 978-0025789708|url-access= registration|url= https://archive.org/details/baseballencyclop00reic/page/1325}}</ref> born in Jerome.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kowalick|first=Vince|title=Where Are They Now?|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-08-08-sp-4527-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=August 8, 1991|access-date=March 14, 2024}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Jerome Historic District]]
* [[List of historic properties in Jerome, Arizona]]

==References==
'''Informational notes'''
{{notelist}}

'''Citations'''
{{reflist}}

'''Bibliography'''
* {{cite book|last1=Abbott|first1=Lon|last2=Cook|first2=Terri|year=2007|title=Geology Underfoot in Northern Arizona|location=Missoula, MT|publisher=Mountain Press Publishing|isbn=978-0878425280}}
* {{cite book|last=Clements|first=Eric L.|year=2003|title=After the Boom in Tombstone and Jerome, Arizona: Decline in Western Resource Towns|location=Reno|publisher=University of Nevada Press|isbn=978-0874175714}}
* {{cite book|last=Moffat|first=Riley Moore|title=Population History of Western U.S. Cities and Towns, 1850–1990|location=Lanham, MD|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=1996|isbn=978-0810830332}}
* {{cite book|last=Ranney|first=Wayne|year=2010|title=Sedona Through Time: A Guide to Sedona's Geology|edition=3rd|location=Flagstaff|publisher=American Traveler Press|isbn=978-0970120380}}
* {{cite book|last=Steuber|first=Midge|year=2008|title=Images of America: Jerome|location=Charleston, SC|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=978-0738558820}}
* {{cite book|last=Wahmann|first=Russell|year=1999|title=Verde Valley Railroads: Trestles, Tunnels & Tracks|location=Jerome|publisher=Jerome Historical Society|isbn=978-0962100048}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Jerome, Arizona}}
{{wikivoyage|Jerome (Arizona)}}
* [http://www.jeromechamber.com/ Jerome Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://jeromehistoricalsociety.com/ Jerome Historical Society]
* [http://www.jeromehumane.com/ Jerome Humane Society]
* [http://www.jerometimes.com/ ''Jerome Times'']
* [https://sedonaverdevalley.org/where-to-go/jerome// Verde Valley Tourism Council]

{{Yavapai County, Arizona}}
{{Portal bar|Arizona|Geography|National Register of Historic Places|United States}}
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{{featured article}}

[[Category:Artist colonies]]
[[Category:Company towns in Arizona]]
[[Category:Ghost towns in Arizona]]
[[Category:Industrial Workers of the World in Arizona]]
[[Category:Mining communities in Arizona]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 19th century]]
[[Category:Towns in Yavapai County, Arizona]]