The Hopewell Townsite was a neighborhood built around a tunnel which provided a critical part of the ore transportation to the smelter. Very little is left of this early townsite today located approximately 1.25 miles north of Jerome and 1/5-mile northeast of the open pit in Jerome.
The term "townsite" was used by United Verde Copper Company [UVCC] to designate company neighborhoods at Hopewell, the 500 ft. level, the 300 ft. level, and Sunshine Hill. A vital link in the mining operation of UVCC during the first half of the 20th century was Hopewell. Its importance was derived from the fact that it served as a transfer point for the shipment of ore from mine to smelter from 1915 to 1953, replacing the early cumbersome ore wagons. It began when the company started excavating a drain tunnel to remove water from underground mining in December 1906. Tunnel construction began at the 1,000 ft. level to extend more than a mile in an easterly direction, terminating on a hillside overlooking the Verde River. The termination point would eventually become Hopewell. Excavation began from each end of the tunnel. Crews met at the junction to complete the tunnel in September 1908. The mining engineer, Septembere Hopkins took satisfaction in the fact that the junction was near perfect, varying by only 3/8 of an inch, and no one had been seriously injured during the project. Census records do not indicate anyone living there in 1910, but by 1920, census taker Edith Whitaker recorded 122 persons living in the Hopewell Tunnel District.
Eighty-nine of them resided in 29 households (1-10 persons). The other 33 individuals resided at the bunkhouse (also called the providing house). Twenty-eight of the 29 households rented their homes, with one owner-occupied. The Hopewell bunkhouse was predominantly Hispanic when the census was taken in 1920. Two men oversaw the bunkhouse. All but three adult males were employed in a wide variety of occupations in 1920. The little community suffered a setback in 1923 when UVCC closed the ore-crushing mill where many Hopewell residents were employed. The Hopewell crusher could not keep pace with the Clarkdale Smelter. However, Hopewell continued to be an important site for ore haulage, storage, and transfer; low-grade ore leaching, and mine waste disposal. Jobs associated with these provided a means to sustain the community. By 1925, Hopewell had experienced a revival. There was now a commissary/store and the original bunkhouse. After a general cleanup, the Verde Copper News in March 1925 agreed it was now "quite a nice place to live".
This information was found in the manuscript entitled "United Verde Mine (2008-050-001) written by Pat Stein of the Arizona Preservation Consultants. Reprinted in the "Jerome Chronicle" by the The Jerome Historical Society, September 2008, Ron Roope, Editor.
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Part 2
In 1914 workmen widened the tunnel to 13 feet and added height to 9 feet and lengthened it another 600 feet. A bunkhouse, a half dozen cottages for families, a store, two corrals, company buildings and even a school completed the settlement.
Children at an early age were cautious of runaway ore cars when crossing a spur. The ore cars were brought to Hopewell by electric locomotives. The Verde Tunnel and Smelter railroad took it to the smelter. It was sometimes known as the "Clarkdale & Jerome Elevator" because of the steep grade. It was also referred to as the "Very Tired and Slow (Sleepy)” railroad. The VT&S had nearly 186 curves in 10.87 miles. The trip took 45 minutes including a stop at MacDonald (another mine close by). The sharp curvature and steep (4% grades) seemed to invite accidents, despite the meticulous operating practices, which in turn disrupted the flow of copper ore to the smelter. Heavy rains in 1916 derailed one of the locomotives. With other unplanned events happening, only one locomotive was available. In 1917, five cars jumped the rails. One locomotive took it upon itself to roll unstoppably down the hill. One time a dump car (filled with rock debris) overturned on a curve and covered a small boy with gravel while playing in his own yard. He recovered from his injuries but was badly frightened. The population of Hopewell declined markedly during the Great Depression. By the end of 1931, of the 11 company-built houses built at Hopewell, only 2 remained occupied. By 1939, only three houses received electricity services. A foreman at the United Verde, Elmer E. Axford, stayed until 1942. When he retired, a new foreman took over. He stayed until 1946. One resident stayed at Hopewell in the 1950's and earned a living hauling groceries from Clarkdale to Jerome. This family, the Giustis may have been the last family to live at Hopewell.
Information used for this article was taken from RAILROADS OF ARIZONA, Volume 6 JEROME and the NORTHERN ROADS, by David F. Myrick, 2010, and THE JEROME CHRONICLE, published by the Jerome Historical Society, March 2009.
article submitted by Cindy Emmett
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