Clarkdale Heritage Conservancy

Clarkdale Heritage Conservancy is the successor to earlier groups formed in Clarkdale for the purpose of preserving the buildings and heritage of the town. Formed on August 8, 1989, the purpose of the Clarkdale Heritage Conservancy is "to advise the Town Council and Staff regarding the preservation, conservation and promotion of natural, cultural and historical resources." They have undertaken and completed a number of important projects to fulfill this directive.

It is important to note that the artifacts listed below do not necessarily belong to the Clarkdale Heritage Conservancy as they are objects of interest and importance to the town. People who are interested in doing research in the areas under the oversight of the Clarkdale Heritage Conservancy should contact the Town Clerk or a representative of the Clarkdale Heritage Conservancy.

History of Clarkdale
The history of Clarkdale, which was founded in 1912, is inextricably tied to the history of Jerome. The area around Jerome was rich in minerals, and in the 1880s more and more entrepreneurs and workers were drawn to the hillside copper camp. Jerome, indeed, provided the essential elements of success to the United Verde Copper Company, the mining enterprise that extracted the ore that fed the local economy and filled the coffers of the mine owners, the Clark family.

It is no secret that William Andrews Clark, the scion of that family, built Clarkdale as a model community that would, in a sense, stand as a monument to himself. This Montana mining baron amassed a fortune in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries by using his exceptionally effective business sense, futuristic thinking and the kind of governance that was concentrated in one man-himself. Clark ran his company this way and built his town this way.

Clarkdale, constructed around a smelter site down the hill from the mines in Jerome, was supposed to be a model community that would house and edify the 7,000 United Verde employees who would live there. The town had an upper and lower site, and the lines that divided the two were not simply geographic. The upper site was reserved for white, middle class, white-collar workers and their families. The lower site housed blue-collar workers; Patio Park was specifically for Mexican laborers. Native Americans who were employed in the mine set up their traditional shelters in the Bitter Creek area, which, like Patio Park, is down the hill from the more elite, white settlement.

William Clark, known as Senator Clark, left his mark most strongly on the upper site. And, while he may not have physically designed the town, he closely supervised those who did, just as he supervised construction of the buildings and creation of the infrastructure in the town.

The Company town was built between 1914 and 1928, just before the U.S. economy-and copper prices-crashed. But before the bottom fell out, Clarkdale was completed, and it was complete.* The upper site had several churches; a community park; a hospital and clinic; a clubhouse with an attractive auditorium, meeting rooms, men's and ladies' lounges, a kitchen, reading room/library, swimming pool and bowling alley; a school; an administration building; a commercial area; and residences ranging from private cottages built according to 6 different plans, to an employee dormitory for single, male white-collar workers.

Initially all the bricks used in the construction were made locally in a plant situated down toward the river where Patio Park is now located. However, ten million bricks were necessary for the smelter alone, so the local producer could not keep up with demand. Beginning in about 1918, Clark came up with a new building material-hollow clay tiles, rather like proto-cinderblocks. The tile is red and has an air space. In most buildings, stucco was placed over the tiles. This building material was used in most structures, including the coalhouses erected behind each residence.

Just as in present day Bagdad, the Company owned the town, quite literally. It managed and rented out all of the structures, and they were not available for private ownership until after Phelps Dodge left the area in 1953.

William Andrews Clark did not live to see his work completed. He passed this task on to his children and grandchildren when he died in 1925. Although he did bequeath money to complete many of his projects, the Company had to step in to augment this amount.

The Clark family retained ownership of the town for another ten years. Senator Clark's grandson, William A. Clark III, died in a local plane crash in 1932; his oldest son, Charles Walker Clark died in 1933, and William Andrews Clark II died the following year. Despite his abiding wish that United Verde remain in the family for perpetuity, Senator Clark's two remaining children, the daughters, sold the company-and hence the town itself-to Phelps Dodge in 1935. Phelps Dodge in turn ran Clarkdale as a company town until the ore played out, which was in 1953.

After that, the town went through a series of owners. Most of these companies wanted to scrap out the smelter yard; they were not interested in the town site. Although deterioration of residences and public buildings had already begun, it sped up during the following decades when the town passed from hand to hand, beginning with Allison Steel in 1954.

The town incorporated in July of 1957, hoping to gain some control of its affairs, but the various companies that held the property serially were still the primary property holders. Finally, the owner in 1968, Gulf State Land and Development Company, deeded the Clubhouse to the town. It was at about that point that local residents grew more keenly aware of the unique heritage of the town.

When Clark conceived of "his" town, it was supposed to be ideal. Of course, the soot and odor from the nearby smelter would have detracted from the ambience of the town, and certain categories of workers were not allowed to live there, but visually Clarkdale was wonderful to behold. Many of the original buildings still stand, and local residents are determined to help Clarkdale retain its charm. An important element in this plan is the Clarkdale Heritage Conservancy.

*Other buildings were added later.

History of the Clarkdale Heritage Conservancy
In the early 1980s, the town of Clarkdale became more intent upon preserving the history of the town. A group of local citizens worked to have the Clark Memorial Clubhouse placed on the National Register of Historic Places. They accomplished this in October of 1982. It was evident that a great deal of work had to be done in the building, so the Town Council established the Restoration Commission, comprised of seven members who were appointed in February of 1983.

The Restoration Commission had oversight of restoration projects. They duplicated and installed the curtains in the auditorium and worked on the Ladies' and Men's Lounges, replicating curtains and reupholstering and refinishing furniture. They raised funds locally by putting on operettas, champagne dinners, and presenting an annual ice cream social in the park. The group decided to disband in 1989 when they felt that their work was accomplished. At that point, their funds were placed within the General Fund of the Town of Clarkdale, and they passed the torch to another group, the Heritage Conservancy Board on August 8, 1989.

The purpose of the new group was "to advise the Town Council and Staff regarding the preservation, conservation and promotion of natural, cultural and historical resources."

The first task of the eight original members was to decide on the direction they would take. They wanted to:

create a Historic District
establish a safe repository for artifacts and archives
collect oral histories

They began by completing many of the projects that the Restoration Commission had started. In 1993, they were able to replicate the rug in the Ladies' Lounge. They acquired many of the furnishings of The First Interstate Bank, originally The Bank of Arizona, which had opened in 1914 and closed its doors in 1993.

The Heritage Conservancy accomplished a momentous fete when it established a Historic District. The work begun in 1994 was arduous. Volunteers had to inventory and photograph properties, create a map of the area, and complete reams of paper work. After a number of iterations, the work was completed in January of 1998; the final proposal included 387 historic buildings and structures in upper and lower Clarkdale.

ARTIFACTS (except for the structures listed below, all artifacts are currently located in the Clark Memorial Clubhouse)

Structures
Buildings
Administration Building (1918-1919): presently the Clarkdale Town Hall, originally contained the Post Office and United Verde Utilities office. This building was not constructed using local brick; instead, builders used a hollow clay tile, rather like an early version of the cinderblock. The tile is red, and has an air space; stucco covered the tile.

Clark Memorial Clubhouse (1926-27): memorial to William A. Clark, completed after his death and with his own bequest of $100,000. This clubhouse was for faithful white employees. Mexicans had their own clubhouse and pool in Lower Town-there was no clubhouse for Indian employees. The Clark Memorial Clubhouse contains an auditorium, ladies' lounge, men's lounge, kitchen, and once had a 4-lane bowling alley in the basement. There was also a reading room, which developed into a library and then a lending library. A swimming pool is situated behind the clubhouse. The pool has been reworked and is still used by the community.

Clarkdale High School (1928): The school was used until the 1950s. When the mines closed, people left Clarkdale, and the school population dwindled. As a result, students were transported up to the hill to Jerome's facilities, which were better. Current Clarkdale high school students attend Mingus Union, in Cottonwood. The old school now houses two charter schools.

Clarkdale Town Park (1919): between 10^th and 11^th Streets on Main, a wrought iron fence once enclosed the park. The Gazebo in the park was built in 1915; it was a bandstand. The park looks now much as it did when it was built, though the fence has been removed in the interest of safety.

Commercial Block, 1914-15, along Main Street: This supplemented the original down town, which was in lower site. Early stores included Miller's Grocery Store, an establishment that ran tabs for Company employees and schoolteachers. There was a restaurant and bakery, managed first by men from Jerome, and then by Charley Hong, who also ran restaurant in Lower Town. Operators of another shop sold jewelry and did tailoring. The Pecharich family had the 1012 Lounge. There was an undertaker who operated out of a furniture store, and there were offices for the telephone company, with apartments overhead for workers. The Bank of Arizona was in the area, as was a theatre, built in 1914, which was recently gutted to make a parking garage. The Texaco station was built 1938, during time Phelps Dodge owned Clarkdale.

Community Church, 1921, now the public library, was constructed using hollow tiles.

Hospital, 1918-19, now Clarkdale Police Station, was constructed using hollow tiles. When the company built the large hospital in Jerome, this became the smelter superintendent's house (probably by 1926).

Clinic, built of hollow clay tiles, this eventually became the Town Hall and is now used by the DMV.

Residences: no two houses using the same style are next to each other. They conform to the following styles:

Bungalow: typical of houses at the time (1914-17), it had a front-facing gable and a smaller gable over a front porch;
Craftsman (1914-1917): wide hipped roofs with central gable dormer and a bay next to a recessed porch;
Eclectic Period Revival (1919): located in the area at south end of 13^th Street; not more than three are alike; they are either gabled or have jerkinheads, and the broad side of the homes faces the street;
English Cottage Revival (1925): located at 1^st North, the walls are stucco and have jerkinhead roofs in imitation of thatch; the porch openings are corbelled;
Spanish Colonial Revival, First and Third South (1927-30): they are Mission-influenced with flat roofs, porches, and stuccoed walls;
Tudor Revival (1930): 15^th Street and 2^nd South, they have high pitched gable roofs and half-timbered gables;
Vernacular Ranch (1930s): they look like early ranch houses, with steep roofs and wooden columns on the front porches. Not fancy, these houses built at the nadir of mining activity in the town often stood vacant for years.

St. Cecelia's Catholic Church (1920), stucco, one of three churches established from 1917-21.

St. Thomas Episcopal Church (1917), the first church building in Clarkdale.

Upper Town Dormitory (1920), now apartments, 32-room dormitory for single, male, white-collar workers.

ARTIFACTS located in Clark Memorial Clubhouse
The following account is one made on the spot. Inventory cards or lists were not available at the time this report was written.

Building Components
Screen, original copper screen made for Clark Memorial Clubhouse (several)

Floor Covering
Carpet, sample of original carpet from the Men's Lounge, in display case, Reading Room/Library

Furniture: In addition to the items listed below, a great deal of furniture is stored
Ashtray, standing, copper, base only
Ashtray, standing, copper, complete, Reading Room/Library (7)
Bar cabinet, wooden, wall unit, two sets of glass doors on top, under counter top, 5 drawers, lower shelves behind sliding doors, located in bar of Men's Lounge, Clark Memorial Clubhouse
Bar stools, original, attached to the floor, metal and wood with padded seats, (5) in Men's Lounge
Bar, wooden, original, located in Men's Lounge
Bench, wooden bench, 2.5 feet high, with foot rest, about 8 feet long, Men's Lounge
Bench, wooden, various sturdy benches in Clark Memorial Clubhouse
Book Shelves, Reading Room/Library: originally the walls were lined with bookshelves, the top shelves have glass doors. These bookshelves were removed when the town library moved to another location; eventually several of these bookshelves were rebuilt and returned to the Reading Room/Library
Cabinets, kitchen, Clark Memorial Clubhouse, original with building
Chair, rounded, upholstered, Reading Room/Library (4)
Chair, straight back with arms, Ladies' Lounge (2)
Chair, straight back with padded seats, Ladies' Lounge (2)
Chair, straight back with padded seats, Reading Room/Library (2)
Chair, stuffed, Ladies Lounge, (7)
Chair, stuffed, Reading Room/Library (6)
Chair, wood with arms, Reading Room/Library (8)
Chair, wood, straight back, Reading Room/Library
Chests, wood with copper hinges and inserts (2)
Counter, two sections, probably from Bank of Arizona, Clarkdale, Reading Room/ Library
Counter/table, from Bank of Arizona, about chest high, CHC
Desk, banker's desk, wood, Reading Room/Library, CHC
Desk, heavy utility, Reading Room/Library (behind arch)
Desk, wood, Ladies' Lounge
Hat/coat racks, constructed of wood, iron and copper, located throughout the Clark Memorial Clubhouse, (3)
Hutch, wooden, enclosed bookcase, two drawers (2)
Safe, approximately 4 feet high, Herring Hall Marvin Safe Co, Hamilton Ohio
Spittoon, Reading Room/Library
Table, half wall, wood, Ladies' Lounge
Table, wooden library table, Reading Room/Library
Table, occasional, Ladies' Lounge
Table, six-sided top, Men's Lounge
Table, small round copper, Reading Room/Library
Table, small round, copper and metal base, wooden top, Reading Room/Library
Table, small, Reading Room/Library
Tables, small, Ladies Lounge (2)

Lighting Device (the lamp count is probably not complete)
Beam supports: notable, ornamental beam supports in the large area of the Men's Lounge
Ceiling fixtures, replicated ceiling light fixtures, with three bulbs (2), two matching wall fixtures, Men's Lounge
Chandeliers in large section of Men's Lounge
Lamp, floor, made of copper and iron, with elaborate shades constructed of copper and parchment, Ladies Lounge, (2)
Lamp, floor, made of copper and iron, with elaborate shades constructed of copper and parchment, Men's Lounge, (2)
Lamp, floor, made of copper and iron, with elaborate shades constructed of copper and parchment, Reading Room/Library (5, one is partial)
Lamp, table, made of copper and iron with intricate shades, Reading Room/Library (2)
Lamp, table, several throughout the Clark Memorial Clubhouse
Lighting fixtures in most rooms in Clark Memorial Clubhouse are original

Building: Plumbing Fixture
Mostly original, in bathroom, kitchen, drinking fountains, Clark Memorial Clubhouse

Temperature Control Device
Andirons, with WAC monogram (1 set)
Andirons, without WAC monogram (1 set)
Fan, old electric
Fireplace screen, with WAC monogram (2)

Building window or door covering
Valances in most rooms in Clark Memorial Clubhouse are original, carved wood

Personal Clothing
Jacket, Clarkdale Motors, in display case, Reading Room/Library

Personal Gear
Cigarette packages, very old, on display in Reading Room/Library
Pouch, various tobacco pouches, on display in Reading Room/Library

Food Processing T&E
Can opener, on kitchen wall, Can-o-mat, Clark Memorial Clubhouse
Ice pick, Wombacher ice pick, on display in Reading Room/Library

Food Service T&E
Ashtray, with matchbox holders (7)
Bowel, with WAC insignia, double handled cups/soup bowls (64)
Bowl, sugar, with WAC insignia, (1)
Fork, cocktail, with WAC insignia, (103)
Fork, dinner, with WAC insignia (63)
Forks, salad, with WAC insignia
Knife, with WAC insignia (72) and one unmatched
Pitcher, matching bowl, on display in Reading Room/Library
Place settings, K-F-F, soup and tea spoons, (2 sets on display in Reading Room/Library)
Place settings, with WAC insignia, (2 complete sets on display in Reading Room/ Library)
Plate, bread and butter with WAC insignia (5)
Plate, dinner, with WAC insignia (2)
Plate, salad, with WAC insignia (58)
Saucer, with WAC insignia (74)
Spoon, Soup, with WAC insignia (7)
Tablespoons, with WAC insignia (7)
Teaspoon, with WAC insignia (14)

Distribution and Transportation
Artifacts Rail Transportation
Spike #27 from Clarkdale RR track at Standard Oil Plant, in display, Reading Room/ Library

Regulative and Protective T&E
Fire hose nozzle, brass
Fire hose nozzle, metal (2)

Merchandising T&E
Coke Machine, Reading Room/Library: this machine was purchased from State Surplus; it is probably from the early 1950s.

Metal Working T&E
Wrench, large, used to unload railroad tank car at the Standard Oil Plant, 1955, located in display case, Reading Room/Library

Mechanical T&E
Cover, water meter, Clarkdale, on display in Reading Room/Library
Hook, Post office, on display in Reading Room/Library

Electrical and magnetic T&E:
Battery, Eveready Columbia Ignitor Dry Cell "for Radio, Ignition and all general purposes," in display in Reading Room/Library

Timekeeping T&E
Clock, wall, Linder Motor Company, approximate 18", round

Data Processing T&E
Adding Machine, Burroughs, on stand with small wooden table, ledger size, Burroughs
Adding Machine, Burroughs, on stand with small wooden table, regular size, Burroughs

Written Communication T&E
Punch, Three hole, very old, Gorum and Peas Company, St. Louis and New York, Reading Room/Library
Typewriter, Underwood manual
Typewriter, Royal manual
Typewriter, covered letters

Documentary Artifacts
Books located in Reading Room/Library: many books are located in this room. Some date back to 1856. They include collections that belonged to the Clark family as well as numerous sets of classic literature, history, and scientific writings (including Darwin): Examples: 18 volume set of O. Henry, 1925; sets of novels by Alexander Dumas, Stevens, Balzac, and Victor Hugo; Harvard Classics

Certificate, framed, National Register of Historic Places, October 29, 1982, Clark Memorial Clubhouse

Ledgers, other business records: book shelves cover one wall of the area behind the service counter in the Reading Room/Library, and on those shelves are the extensive written records of United Verde and Phelps Dodge that pertain to the town of Clarkdale. This resource is unbelievably rich.

Music, sheet music: "There is a tavern in the town," Rudy Vallee, on display in Reading Room/Library

Plaque, copper wall plaque: Clarkdale Arizona, in appreciation of the following [names], Restoration Commission appointed 1983
Scrapbook, Northern Arizona District, Federation of Women's Clubs, 1927, very large, in display case, Reading Room/Library
Trophy, 1926, NAAA, winners of 7^th annual meet
Trophy, basketball, Arizona State College Runner-up, no year listed
Trophy, basketball, High School Northern Arizona, 1955
Trophy, Chino Valley tournament, 1^st place, 1956
Trophy, large, bowling, probably says Croatian Fraternity, etc.
Trophy, track and field, 1925, 1926
Trophy, Verde Valley 8^th Grade Invitational, 1957, Champs

Art
Painting, oil, 2'x2', Bruce D. Fee, "Manager's House,"
Painting, oil, Armstrong, of smelter, framed, approx. 16" x 20"
Painting, watercolor, smelters
Photo, in display case, along with write-up, bowling alley located in basement (2)
Photo, wall, copper framed, of William Andrews Clark, Reading Room/Library
Sculpture, smelter, Jack Connolly, Reading Room/Library
Wall hanging, copper relief of miner and burro, approximately 2 x 3, located above the large fireplace in the Men's Lounge
Wall hanging, mirror in copper frame, Ladies' Lounge

Games
Pool table, large, leather pockets, located in Men's Lounge