The Importance of Copper In Our Lives

On our way up to Clarkdale, AZ to ride the Verde Canyon Railroad, we stopped to visit the Arizona Copper Museum.  This museum is all designed, assembled, and maintained by volunteers and it represents a fabulous collection of all things copper and how important copper has been and continues to be in our lives.

The museum association bought the old Clarkdale High School, removed the banks of lockers along the first floor hallway to convert the space to display cases and use each of the classrooms to display specific ways copper has been used over the centuries.

The slide show below gives you a glimpse of what’s inside the museum.  We could’ve spent hours looking at all the displays.

Located at the base of Cleopatra Hill, Clarkdale, Arizona is a former company town located in the Verde Valley. Founded by William A. Clark, the owner of one of Jerome, Arizona’s largest copper mines, Clarkdale was one of the country’s best “company” towns. The Town of Clarkdale is situated in the Verde Valley, located in the North Central part of Arizona. The Town was founded in 1912 and was the first planned community in the State of Arizona. Clarkdale was a “company town” owned by the United Verde Copper Company and provided housing and services for its employees who worked in the nearby smelter. Mining operations were discontinued in 1953 and Clarkdale was incorporated in 1957.

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To find out more about Clarkdale, AZ and the interesting history of William Clark and how he built the company, the town, and the local economy, follow this link.

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