The Bank of Clemenceau, founded 1918. The bank building is preserved on the grounds of the Clemenceau Heritage Museum. | Wikipedia / Clemenceau Heritage Museum
The Bank of Clemenceau, founded 1918. The bank building is preserved on the grounds of the Clemenceau Heritage Museum. | Wikipedia / Clemenceau Heritage Museum
On November 5, 1932, the Arizona Central Bank's Clemenceau branch was robbed by armed outlaws who made off with $7,000.
Clemenceau, once a bustling mining town in the Verde Valley of Yavapai County, had its roots in the early 20th century as a hub for copper extraction. Founded in 1917 to support the smelter operations for the United Verde Extension Mine in Jerome, owned by James Douglas, Jr. Originally named "Verde," it was renamed "Clemenceau" three years later in 1920. This renaming was a tribute to World War I's French premier, Georges Clemenceau.
The town had its own post office and a dedicated station on the Clarkdale branch of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. The town was equipped with worker residences, an educational institution, a financial institution, and a community center.
The population of Clemenceau ranged between 1,000 and 5,000. A railway system, the Arizona-Extension Railway, was developed to facilitate ore transport from Jerome to the smelter.
In 1918, a dispute between Mexican laborers and local authorities led to the killing of Yavapai County Sheriff James R. Lowry.
In the mid-20th century, as the mining industry waned and the population shifted, Clemenceau was incorporated into the neighboring city of Cottonwood.
The town’s history is preserved at the Clemenceau Heritage Museum, located at 1 N. Willard St. in Cottonwood.
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