A Day in the Ghost Town of Jerome!

This morning was a relaxing one.  Neither of us got up very early and the 4 of us didn't plan to leave the CG till 10:00 so we had plenty of time "catch up" on somethings.   I had a great phone call with my mother and both she and Dad are doing well.

I also spent time working on the blog because I appear to have a much better internet connection in the morning than at night.  So I was able to finish the blog, download Ken's photos, and actually put them into the blog - hallelujah! It can drive me crazy when I get behind!!!

At 10 the 4 of us left in their truck to drive to Jerome, a mining town about 30 minutes from the CG.  Ken and I have been there before, but it was a 1st time visit for Ernie and Noela.  We find it a fascinating place so we were happy to return.

1st stop was the historic home of James S. Douglas who built the Mansion in 1916 just above his Little Daisy Mine.  It cost $150,000. and has 8,700 sq. feet. The walls are built of adobe that were made on the site and it is thought to be the largest adobe structure in the country.  All the materials came from Arizona. Innovations included electricity, concrete floors, and central vacuum.  The house was up for sale in the 1960's for $10,000. but was not sold.  So the Douglas family donated the building to Arizona State Parks in 1962.

Quite an amazing property that was built in 1916!

James Douglas home was next to his Little Daisy Mine.
The miners went 1,900 feet into the mine which is a lot
considering that the Eiffel Tower is 984 feet tall!

The living room of the mansion which also serves as the
gift shop!

The library

This area talks about the medical care of the time.  There was
a "self taught" dentist who also made his own toosl - ouch!
They did have an "on staff" surgeon and built 3 different
hospitals during the mining era!

This was the last hospital built and it now serves as a hotel!

This is a replica of the underground mining.  The flat part
on the top is the town of Jerome!

So many different minerals in this area!

Some of the old mining machinery!

These 2 homes were built for executives of the Little
Daisy Mining Company by James Douglas!

Jerome has had its ups and downs over time, from a population booming at 15,000 to 100 residents during the downturn of the mining industry.  Today there are 500 residents.   Jerome is at an elevation of 5,000 feet and the road leading to the town is very steep and windy!  Many of the homes are sitting right on the edge of the mountain with absolutely no backyard.  Over the years many building and homes have fallen "over the edge" because of the erosion and "caving in" of the land due to all the underground mining! 

After visiting the museum and touring the home, we drove into the town of Jerome and had a delicious lunch at Grapes, a place that Ken and I had the opportunity to enjoy 2 additional times in our travels.  We were excited to return and we were again thrilled with the service and wonderful food.

The building on the right is the fire house.  Not nearly as
many fires today as when the mining was in operation.  The
town had major fires many times that destroyed lots of buildings!

Many of the shops are in the original buildings from the early
1900's.

After lunch we walked through the town going in and out of the shops. Currently the town has a variety of interesting buildings filled with quirky and unusual shops and galleries, restaurants, historic hotels, and bed and breakfasts.  There are 2 very nice galleries that are co-ops and all of the crafts and photos are done by local crafters and photographers.  I really enjoyed seeing their exceptional jewelry!

Many unique items in the gift shops!

Only the "skeletons" of some of the buildings!

This one is just "hanging on".  So many fracture lines that
you can see through!

This is the original Mexican United Methodist Church.  It is
called the Keg Box for they used a lot of wood from dynamite
boxes.  Now it is a private residence!

At one time the jail slid 225 feet and ended up going down the hill and across the road.  The remains of it are still sitting there today.

This is what is left of the jail, but it is in a different location!

This shop is literally on the edge of the hill!

Throwing coins into the toilets of this "used to be" building!

We left there and stopped in the Old Town of Cottonwood and enjoyed tea, chai, or coffee sitting outside at one of the local coffee shops.  We returned to the CG by 5:45, ate our dinners, and then got together in Waldo to play Skip-Bo and Racko.  A fun evening!

The cattle roam freely on the road leading to the CG!

Another beautiful sunset!