“Haunted Jerome,” by Patricia Jacobson and Midge Steuber has been published by Arcadia Publishing & The History Press.

Called “The Wickedest Town in the West” by the New York Sun in 1903, Jerome was once home to the largest copper mine in Northern Arizona, built on the steep terrain of Cleopatra Hill. The small town, population 15,000 at its peak when it was the fourth-largest town in the Arizona Territory, was shock­ingly nefarious.

Diversions for the hardworking miners came by way of saloons, gambling and ladies of the evening. Shootouts, murders, violent acci­dents in the mines and smelters, building fires and diseases scourged its denizens. Life was tough on the mountain — death came too soon for many. When the copper mine closed in 1953, Jerome was rendered a ghost town and its spirits still lurk among the living.

The stories in this book will convince readers they are here for a reason. Authors Jacobson and Steuber have lived in Jerome for a combined 56 years.

Originally from Chicago, Jacobson was the director of the Verde Valley Art Association and has conducted both historical tours and paranormal investigations in the area. 

Steuber has a background in psychology, although she has worked in many fields. Originally a nonbeliever in ghosts, she now knows there’s definitely something going on in Jerome.

Arcadia creates the largest and most comprehensive publisher of local and regional content in the USA. By empowering local history and culture enthusiasts to write local stories for local audi­ences, the company creates excep­tional books that are relevant on a local and personal level, enrich lives and bring readers closer to their community, their neighbors and their past.

More information is available at arcadiapublishing.com and www.historypress.net.