Page 4 - Travelore 36 Winter 2016

Page 4 - DRVC Travelore
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From time immemorial, the Verde River and other peren- nial water sources have attracted people to Sedona Verde Valley.
People have been calling Sedona Verde Valley home since at least 9,000 B.C. Evidence has been found of the ancient Clovis culture, as well as the later Archaic people. Later, came peoples, and the present-day Yavapai-Apache Nation communities in Camp Verde, Rimrock and Clarkdale. These people chose their homes in relation to the rivers, creeks, and springs in the area resulting in one of the highest concentrations of archeological sites in the United States. The Anasazi, a Navajo term meaning “the ancient ones,” fished the rushing Oak Creek waters, farmed the land and tracked the valley’s plentiful hunting grounds.
Today, hundreds of early culture sites include cliff dwell- ings, pueblos, petroglyphs, and pictographs from the ancient cultures.In addition, the cultural influence of the Yavapai-Apache Nation can be seen throughout the Sedona Verde Valley at local festivals and in the region’s arts and crafts that include traditional baskets, pottery and wooden flutes.
The area’s former copper mining history is another fasci- nating story for visitors to explore. In 1880, excavators discovered rich copper reserves on Cleopatra Hill, beneath the present-day Town of Jerome. This discovery drew miners and investors from across the world.
When the last mine closed in 1953, residents abandoned Jerome, which was a ghost town until the 1970s when it became a colony for artists and artisans, inspiring new
businesses, shops, and restaurants. Today, visitors can even take a ghost-town tour of the old mining town to explore the abandoned mining sites and listen to folklore.
Founded in 1912, Clarkdale, originally a “company town”, was founded by the United Verde Copper Company to provide housing and services for the employees of their smelter. Copper’s history comes alive in stories depicted in the array of museums and walking tours.
Today, approximately 75,000 people presently call Sedona Verde Valley home. This mix of longtime residents, retirees and young families supports the communities of Camp Verde, Clarkdale, Cottonwood, Jerome, Sedona, and Yavapai-Apache Nation. As a result, each community has its own unique character.
Chandler Area
Chandler, located in Maricopa County, is a prominent suburb of the Phoenix, Arizona. It is where FMCA’s Inter- national Convention and RV Expo will be held March 7-10. The town was the dream of Dr. Alexander John Chandler who, in 1891, was the first veterinary surgeon for the ter- ritory of Arizona. He purchased 80 acres of land from the federal government south of Mesa. Dr. Chandler studied the relatively new science of irrigation engineering and was instrumental in building an early system of canals.
By the turn of the century, Dr. Chandler owned an 18,000 acre ranch. With the help of planners and architects, he subdivided the ranch and drew up a town site map. Dr. Chandler’s ambitious plan was a landscaped central park
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