ABOUT JEROME, AZ

Jerome, Arizona was founded in 1876 by early prospectors who filed the first mining claims on a rocky outcrop called “Cleopatra Hill”. These claims were in the rough back country referred to as the Black Hills of  Central Arizona.  A prominent New York lawyer, named Eugene Jerome, started what was to become one of the largest copper mines in the west. Mr. Jerome, however, never set foot in our town. His wife, Paulina Von Schneidau Jerome of Chicago, bankrolled his dream of being a mine owner, and thus named the town for her husband in 1882 and the The United Verde Copper Company was born.

Just a few years later, in 1888, one of the richest men in the world, William A. Clark from Montana , bought the United Verde Copper Company and started to build.  He built railroads, telegraph lines, smelters, roads, hospitals and schools. As the town of Jerome grew, even churches sprung up in the rough and tumble mining town!

Now, In the new millennium, Jerome still clings precariously to the steep slopes below Cleopatra Hill, 5000 feet above sea level. Its resurgent population has brought the town back to life, which features artists, musicians, interesting shops, wonderful bistros, sophisticated art galleries, hotels, B and B’s, fresh air and one of the best views in Arizona! In 2012, Jerome was nationally voted one of the “Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America”.  There’s no place quite like Jerome, Arizona.

Join one of our tours and hear the many fascinating tales of “The Wickedest Town in the West!”