VERDE HERITAGE: 1917 Mining brought prosperity and growth to the district

The workings of the United Verde Extension Mining Company mine and the Douglas home overlook the valley with Clarkdale and the United Verde Copper Company smelter. The single 400-foot smokestack began flooding the area with sulfur-laden fumes during May of 1915.

The workings of the United Verde Extension Mining Company mine and the Douglas home overlook the valley with Clarkdale and the United Verde Copper Company smelter. The single 400-foot smokestack began flooding the area with sulfur-laden fumes during May of 1915.

“The magic of mining has been well exemplified in the Jerome district during the last 2 years.”

“When Senator Clark decided to build a new smelter for his United Verde Copper Company mine output, he determined at the same time upon the founding of a model town. Practically with the ways of the magic wand of money, Clarksdale [sic] sprang into existence.  Today [in 1918] Clarksdale is a thriving city, but unlike camps of mushroom growth, it is built to stay as long as the big smelter is supplied with ore from the mine which has made William A. Clark many times a millionaire. Clarksdale will grow and prosper.”

“Many predicted the death of Jerome when the new town was projected, but it, too, has prospered beyond the wildest dreams of its most ardent boosters, its only handicap now being lack of space in which to expand. With the copper boom, following the graduation over night of the United Verde Extension Mining Company from the prospect class into one of the richest red metal mines in the world, Jerome found itself, despite a frenzied building program, unable to accommodate the strangers within its gates. The hotel and housing problem became acute, but despite all private enterprise could or would do, the ‘standing room only’ sign was out day and night.”

“Before the completion of the United Verde Extension’s smelter, in the early part of next year, the town of Verde [Clemenceau], near the plant in the valley, will be under construction. Verde is not to be a moving picture city, built for a day and a night, but will be constructed of brick. A plant with a capacity of 20,000 brick a day is practically completed and the actual burning of brick will soon be under way. An architect is now engaged drawing plans for the town and one of the features of community life will be the recreational facilities, including tennis courts and a baseball diamond. Work will not begin on the company’s second proposed town, Walnut Park, on the property located on the hogback, at the east edge of Jerome, before summer, and possibly not then.”

Boomtown: “And in the meantime the town of Cottonwood, which had been slumbering placidly for many years, awoke with a start [April 1, 1917] when the work commenced on the United Verde Extension smelter, rubbed its eyes and began to take notice. People began to flock in and before some of the village inhabitants were aware of the fact, they were part and parcel of a thriving little city.”

“This in part is what mining has done for the Jerome section in but a brief period, not to mention the great power plant of the Arizona Power Company, and the town of TAPCO in its wake, made necessary by the demand for electrical current from numerous properties of the prospect class which are favorably pushing work in the hope of bringing in the fourth great producer in the district.”

Located next to the United Verde Extension Mining Company, the Jerome Verde had already shipped out 16 carloads of ore on the train. The other 2 promising prospects were the Calumet and Jerome and the Verde Combination.

(Bisbee Daily Review; November 18, 1917.)

Unfortunately, the brick plant was on a deposit of clay that was not suitable for making brick. Only a few houses were constructed in the “permanent town site” near what is now the Cottonwood Airport.


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