“YOU KNOW YOU’RE AN ARIZONA NATIVE, WHEN IN YOUR HEART YOU’RE SURE THAT AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW THERE IS NOT A POT OF GOLD BUT A GOOD MEXICAN RESTAURANT.” – JAMES W. COOK
Touring the Douglas Mansion is the top thing to do in historic Jerome, Arizona. Unfortunately, by the time we spiraled up Cleopatra Hill, it was nearing closing time and the museum was only allowing a scant-few inside due to covid restrictions. Still, we mined the museum for all it was worth.
Jerome clings to the hillside like a bad hair day. These days, it's a ghost town. In its hey day, it was a copper mining boom town, full of tricksters, cowboys, miners and bordellos. While touring the museum, we learned about William A. Clark. Back-in-the-day, Clark was the richest man in America. A "Copper King" that mined a billion dollars from the parched hills of Jerome. Later, he built a New York mansion with 121 rooms and 31 bathrooms. Today - if the monolith still stood - it would be worth approximately 180 million. Here's what Mark Twain had to say about old Clark:
He is as rotten a human being as can be found anywhere under the flag; he is a shame to the American nation, and no one has helped to send him to the Senate who did not know that his proper place was the penitentiary, with a ball and chain on his legs. To my mind he is the most disgusting creature that the republic has produced since Tweed’s time.
A gigantic Jerome Hotel
The highlight of the tour was the rock and mineral display. (especially the glow-in-the-dark rocks) But the Jerome history video narrated by a ghost, was interesting too. We gleaned an important nugget: there's a wildly photogenic (and lonely) town cemetery sitting on the precipice of a rocky hill. We beat-feet for it after the museum closed. I'll post the spooky photos in October.
“YOU KNOW YOU’RE FROM ARIZONA WHEN YOU FEED YOUR CHICKENS ICE CUBES TO KEEP THEM FROM LAYING HARD-BOILED EGGS.”
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21 comments:
Sounds like an interesting place. The blue the glow-in-the-dark rock looks amazing!
Interesting comment from Twain about Clark. I love those beautiful rocks! And I look forward to a spooky graveyard in a future post. :-)
What a cool place to visit. But wow...Twain sure did not give a lick for Clark with that statement. Makes you wonder.
Dawn aka Spatulas On Parade
How interesting. DId it collapse in an earthquake? Or just time?
Very interesting.
I love those quotes, especially how to get hard boiled eggs, hahahaha. I wonder if Mark Twain would've thought Clark was a sweetheart compared to today's billionaires and pretend-to-be billionaires.
That must have been a fascinating place to visit. Mark Twain did have a flair for insults, didn't he? I can only imagine what he'd have to say about today's politicians.
Hi Sharon :) I'm a geology buff and I really enjoyed this post!! You take some great photos! How I wish I had a bathroom that size!! :)
Sharon - what a unique piece of Arizona history. And I laughed out loud at the two Arizona quotes. How true, how true! Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday!
I've never heard of Jerome! Thanks for the trip. :)
I've never been there, but sounds like an interesting place to visit. Love all the photos.
the blue glowing rock.... look so attractive....
thank you for sharing beautiful photos
fascinating history
What an interesting Post. I enjoyed reading.
Thank you for sharing this lovely captures at My Corner of the World.
Stay healthy and well.
Wow, what a bathroom. Looks like you had a nice place to visit that trip.
Wow, that original hotel was huge! Thanks for sharing your photos. What a great part of the world to explore.
Your link is a wonderful addition to 'My Corner of the World'!! Thanks for being here this week.
Thanks for a truly interesting post. I hope you don't mind that I pinned a couple of photos to related Pinterest boards; more traffic can only be a good thing, right?
The photos are both useful and evocative; someday I hope to stop to take my own look if we can ever get out of Texas again!
Thanks!
I love that bathroom!!!
Fun post, and my kind of place! I love old bottles, geology, and mining history. Oh, and any story told by a ghost is always a plus!
What a wonderful place. I love the blue on the rocks.
Feed your chickens ice cubes to keep from getting hard boiled eggs. That is hilarious. Loved your pictures.
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