Clarkdale, formerly a mining town, is now largely a retirement community and arts community.
History
Clarkdale was founded in 1912 as a company smelter town by William A. Clark, for his copper mine in nearby Jerome. Clarkdale was one of the most modern mining towns in the world, including telephone, telegraph, electrical, sewer and spring water services, and was an early example of a planned community.[4] The Clark Mansion, a local landmark, was built in the late 1920s by William Clark III, Clark's grandson and heir to the United Verde Copper Company. The structure, east of town across the Verde River near Pecks Lake, was destroyed in 2010 by a fire of "suspicious" origin.[5]
The town center and business district were built in Spanish Colonial style, and feature the Clark Memorial Clubhouse and Memorial Library, both still in use. The Clubhouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The entire original town site is also on the National Register as the Clarkdale Historic District.[4]
The mine and smelter closed in 1953, and Clarkdale entered hard times. Clarkdale was bought and sold by several different companies. In 1957, Clarkdale was incorporated as a town. The 1959 construction of the Phoenix Cement Company (now Salt River Materials Group) plant restored a modest prosperity to the community.[4]
Clarkdale was a segregated town for much of its early history. Mexican and Mexican-American laborers were restricted to living in Patio Town (see neighborhoods), with a separate swimming pool and park; the town swimming pool was marked "whites only." Additionally, Upper Clarkdale was designated for engineers and executives, while Lower Clarkdale was for the "working class."[6]
According to the United States Census Bureau, Clarkdale has a total area of 7.5 square miles (19km2), of which 7.3 square miles (19km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5km2) is water.
Clarkdale is at 3,545 feet (1,081m) above sea level at the confluence of Bitter Creek and the Verde River in Yavapai County, northern Arizona. The town is about 40 miles (64km) southwest of Flagstaff and about 90 miles (140km) north of Phoenix. Arizona Route 89A skirts the town on its south edge, while Historic Route 89A passes through Clarkdale. Nearby towns include Jerome, about 4 miles (6.4km) to the southwest, and Cottonwood, about 4 miles (6.4km) to the southeast.[7]
Sycamore Canyon Wilderness lies several miles north of town. Sycamore Creek, which flows through the wilderness, enters the Verde River canyon about 6.5 miles (10.5km) north-northwest of Clarkdale.[9]
The average temperature in Clarkdale in January is 45°F (7°C), and in July it is 84°F (29°C). The highest recorded temperature for the town was 118°F (48°C) in 1994, and the lowest was 8°F (−13°C) in 1990. The wettest month is August, averaging about 2 inches (51mm) of precipitation.[10] In the Köppen Climate Classification system, Clarkdale has a tropical and sub-tropical steppe climate, abbreviated BSk on climate maps.[11]
Little snow falls in Clarkdale. Between 1949 and 1977, Cottonwood, Clarkdale's close neighbor, received an average of about 4 inches (10cm) of snow a year. About half of this fell in December. The average snow depth in Cottonwood during the period of record was reported as zero.[12]
The Made in Clarkdale organization hosts an annual invitational art show each December in the Clark Memorial Clubhouse.[15] and free concerts are offered in Clarkdale Park through the summer months.[16] The Arizona Copper Art Museum is located in the city.
Neighborhoods
Clarkdale's neighborhoods are not strictly defined, but include:
Upper Clarkdale, the oldest part of the historic section of town, from 9th Street/Miller's Hill west to 16th Street.
Lower Clarkdale, east of 9th Street/Miller's Hill, along Main Street to 4th Street and the railroad tracks.
Riverfront, between 4th Street/railroad and the Verde River (sometimes included in Lower Clarkdale).
Patio Town, now referred to as Patio Park across Bitter Creek between the train depot area and the river.[4]
Centerville, the oldest development not in the historic site, along Avenida Centerville off of Arizona State Route 89A. Said to be named for its location at the geographical center of Arizona.[4]
Foothills Terrace, a development west of Arizona State Route 89A along Lisa Street and Lanny Lane.
Black Hills, north of Black Hills Drive and west of Old Jerome Highway. Site of Yavapai College's Clarkdale campus.
Bent River, east of Broadway (Historic US Route 89A) along Bent River Road and Old Clarkdale Highway.
Verde Palisades, west of Broadway along Palisade Drive.
All of Clarkdale is in Mingus Union High School District.[17]Mingus Union High School in Cottonwood takes Clarkdale high school students.[19] There are also charter schools in Cottonwood. In addition, Yavapai College has a community college campus in Clarkdale. The campus is home to the newly opened Southwest Wine Center.
Historically, Clarkdale had an elementary school, located in Lower Clarkdale, a junior high school, located at the top of Miller's Hill in Upper Clarkdale, and a high school, next to the junior high school. Clarkdale High School combined with Mingus High School in Jerome in 1960 to form Mingus Union High School, then located in Jerome. The combined high school adopted the name of the Jerome school and the colors of the Clarkdale school. The school then moved to Cottonwood in 1972.[20] In 1983, the junior high school burned down. A new elementary school was built, becoming the K-8 school at 16th and Main Streets in Upper Clarkdale in 1985.
As of the census[22] of 2000, there were 3,422 people, 1,433 households, and 994 families residing in the town. The population density was 466.9 inhabitants per square mile (180.3/km2). There were 1,546 housing units at an average density of 210.9 per square mile (81.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 84.5% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 6.8% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.4% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. 11.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,433 households, out of which 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 25.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,911, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median income of $28,824 versus $21,811 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,441. About 7.4% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.
Clarkdale became one of the municipalities in Arizona to recognize civil unions for same-sex partners and opposite-sex partners seeking a form of recognition other than marriage.[23][24]
Yavapai County is a county near the center of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, its population was 236,209, making it the fourth-most populous county in Arizona. The county seat is Prescott.
Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,031. It is within the Coconino National Forest.
Camp Verde is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town is 10,873.
Cornville is a unincorporated community in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. The population as of the 2010 United States Census was 3,280, down from 3,335 at the 2000 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Cornville as a census-designated place (CDP) that includes the communities of Cornville and Page Springs.
Cottonwood is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 11,265.
Jerome is a town in the Black Hills of Yavapai County in the U.S. state of Arizona. Founded in the late 19th century on Cleopatra Hill overlooking the Verde Valley, Jerome is more than 5,000 feet (1,500 m) above sea level. It is about 100 miles (160 km) north of Phoenix along State Route 89A between Sedona and Prescott. Supported in its heyday by rich copper mines, it was home to more than 10,000 people in the 1920s. As of the 2020 census, its population was 464.
Verde Village is a census-designated place (CDP) in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. The population was 11,605 at the 2010 census. It is a retirement and bedroom community for Cottonwood.
Mingus Mountain is a mountain located in the U.S. state of Arizona in the Black Hills mountain range. It is located within the Prescott National Forest traversed by State Route 89A approximately midway between Cottonwood and Prescott. The summit can be reached via Forest Service roads that branch off from State Route 89A. From the mountain, there are views of the Verde Valley, Sycamore Canyon Wilderness and the towns of Cottonwood, Jerome, and Clarkdale. The Woodchute Wilderness, north of the summit of 89A, also offers views and hiking trails. There are several National Forest campgrounds in the area and it is the transmitter location for Prescott full-service television station KAZT-TV and several low-power television stations serving Cottonwood, Clarkdale, Camp Verde and Prescott Valley. Mingus Mountain is also the premier flying site of the Arizona Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association.
The Verde Valley is a valley in central Arizona in the United States. The Verde River runs through it. The Verde River is one of Arizona's last free-flowing river systems. It provides crucial habitat for fish and wildlife, fresh water for local agricultural production, recreational opportunities for locals and tourists alike, and brings clean drinking water to over 2 million people in the greater Phoenix area. The valley is overlooked by Mingus Mountain and the Mogollon Rim. The valley is one of three regions of viticulture in Arizona and contains the Verde Valley AVA.
The Verde River is a major tributary of the Salt River in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is about 170 miles (270 km) long and carries a mean flow of 602 cubic feet per second (17.0 m3/s) at its mouth. It is one of the largest perennial streams in Arizona.
State Route 89A is an 83.85-mile (134.94 km) state highway that runs from Prescott north to Flagstaff in the U.S. state of Arizona. The highway begins at SR 89 in Yavapai County and heads northward from Prescott Valley, entering Jerome. From Jerome, the route then heads to Cottonwood and Clarkdale. The road then continues out to Sedona. The highway is notable for its scenic value as it winds over and through Mingus Mountain as well as passing through Sedona and the Oak Creek Canyon. The route then enters Coconino County soon after leaving Sedona. The highway proceeds to Flagstaff, where it crosses Interstate 17 (I-17) and I-40. The highway ends at I-40 Business in Flagstaff. What is now SR 89A became a state highway in the late 1920s as SR 79. The highway was extended and improved several times through 1938. SR 79 was renumbered to U.S. Route 89A in 1941 and then to SR 89A in the early 1990s.
North Central Arizona is a geographical region of Arizona. Much of it is within the Transition Zone between the Basin and Range Province and the Colorado Plateau, and has some of the most rugged and scenic landscapes in Arizona.
Oak Creek Canyon is a river gorge located in northern Arizona between the cities of Flagstaff and Sedona. The canyon is often described as a smaller cousin of the Grand Canyon because of its scenic beauty. State Route 89A enters the canyon on its north end via a series of hairpin turns before traversing the bottom of the canyon for about 13 miles (21 km) until the highway enters the town of Sedona.
Drake was an unincorporated community on the Verde River in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States, and a station on the BNSF Railway's Phoenix Subdivision. Drake is also the junction and western terminus of the Verde Canyon Railroad. Drake is the site of the old Hell Canyon Bridge, formerly used by US Route 89, and now on the National Register of Historic Places.
Perkinsville, Arizona, is a populated place in Yavapai County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is a hamlet about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) from the Perkinsville Bridge over the Verde River.
Mingus Union High School is a high school in Cottonwood, Arizona. It is one of two high schools in the Mingus Union High School District. Under Genie Gee the MUHS had an average graduation rate of 17% one of the lowest in the nation. Genie Gee now runs the Mingus Online Academy. The other school, Mingus Online Academy, is a computer based alternative school at the same location. Genie Gee employeed her daughter, Sierra Soto as a disciplinarian. Nepotism at its best. Miss Soto has a criminal record. When Superintendent Michael Wescott was asked about Genie Gee employing her daughter, he quickly dispatched the school resource officer to prevent any further inquiry. A true prior restraint issue. Today Dave Berry is the new principle as of 2024, hopefully under him Mingus will improve.
The Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District No. 6 (COCSD) is a school district in Arizona, United States, headquartered in Cottonwood.
Clarksdale-Jerome Elementary School District 3 is a public school district based in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. It operates the Clarkdale-Jerome School.
↑ E.W. Gifford, Northeastern and Western Yavapai, University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1936. Page 248, footnote 7. PDF copy, hosted by the Arizona Navigable Stream Adjudication Commission, retrieved August 31, 2017.
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