THE BROTHELS OF JEROME;
ARE THEY REALLY HAUNTED?

If you ask Ron Roope, former historian for the Jerome Historical Society, he will definitely reply:  “MOST ASSUREDLY”.

When Ron first began TOURS OF JEROME over two years ago, the tours were primarily designed to provide a historic overview of this former Billion Dollar Copper Camp.  However, guests on the tour became fascinated with the factual accounts of various murders, suicides and tragic mining accidents that took place and asked for haunted tours of the town.  From that suggestion came Haunted Tours of Jerome.
Of particular interest to guests visiting Jerome are the brothels.  During the mining heyday, the population of Jerome was close to 90% male.  What many may not know is that the “soiled doves” of Jerome provided a significant economic force within the town – particularly the Madams.
Ron also likes to point out on his tours that there was a caste structure within the brothels.  For example, the lowest class was the common streetwalker.  Next came those women who worked in what was called “The Cribs”.  And finally, the upper class brothels housed those ladies of the evening who had madams who ran the establishment.  This was significant in terms of crime because the madam could call the sheriff or other law officials and receive assistance in cases of trouble.  Other ladies working in the trade were left to fend for themselves.

These former brothel areas provide wonderful material for our haunting”, Roope said.  “Numerous attacks, shootings, stabbings, and other acts of extreme violence were recorded in the local newspapers here.  That provides an excellent ambience for a ghost (or spirit) haunting.”

Jerome is much like the Phoenix rising from the ashes.  For many years it was the 3rd largest town in Arizona and had a population of over 15,000.  Then, when the mines closed it literally became a ghost town.  Everyone move…everyone that is except for about 46 citizens who like the town itself clung precariously to their homes and possessions – hoping the town would revive.

And then it happened!  The “Hippies” of the 70’s found Jerome, and what a lucky strike that was for them.  They could live wherever they wanted, do pretty much whatever they wanted, and that explains why Jerome is today a colony of artists of all kinds.  But it has survived and boast thousands of tourists monthly.

If you want to know even more about this quaint little town on Cleopatra Mountain, TOURS OF JEROME offers tours daily.  Or, if your taste runs more to hunting ghosts, take one of their evening tours to visit haunted sites.  They provide EMF readers and flashlights and encourage guests to bring digital cameras.