A Look Into the Past - Jerome, Arizona

Last Labor Day we spent a beautiful weekend in the Verde Valley in central Arizona.  Tonight I found these pictures and realized I never wrote about lovely Jerome, Arizona.  Jerome is built on the side of a mountain; in fact, it's gradually sliding down the mountain.

Why would anyone build a town on the side of a mountain?  

Copper of course.  Jerome has been basically mined out for some time, but the town remains and is so fun to see.  One of our stops was a "ghost mine" that could be better described as a mining junkyard.

 
It's a glimpse into another time.  Back in the late 1800's to early 1900's, mining towns in Arizona would spring up, flash like a flame and then be abandoned like a spent match left to stand exactly where it was left.

We literally saw a timeline of the town in junk cars, which is probably much more interesting than any words I can write:

It makes you wonder who drove these cars and how copper mining touched their lives.  Copper - one of the "5 Cs" of Arizona - Copper, Cotton, Citrus, Cattle and Climate.  The Five Cs built and fuel the Arizona economy, with copper being the primary engine of prosperity.  It leaves towns and lifestyles in the dust as it sweeps though.  Jerome is one of the best examples of that.

cindy