Clemenceau, Arizona
Encyclopedia
Clemenceau is a neighborhood of the city of Cottonwood
in Yavapai County
, Arizona
, United States
. It was built as a company town
in 1917 to serve the new smelter for James Douglas, Jr.
's United Verde Extension mine in Jerome
. The town was originally named Verde after the mine, but it was changed to Clemenceau in 1920 in honor of the French Premier in World War I, Georges Clemenceau
, a personal friend of Mr. Douglas. Clemenceau would later leave a vase designed by the French potter Ernest Chaplet to the town in return.
The Clemenceau smelter closed on December 31, 1936. Most residents then left the area. When Cottonwood was incorporated in 1960, Clemenceau and the Clemenceau Airport were included in its boundaries.
With the exception of the school, the bank/post office and the smelter slag
pile, little remains of the original town of Clemenceau. A largely invisible remnant is the Clemenceau Water Company , which still serves the area of the old town of Clemenceau. The town of Cottonwood bought the company in 2004, but it still operates as a separate entity, as of 2006.
, and preserves archives and artifacts from the area. An elaborate working model railroad display depicts the seven railroads that operated in the Upper Verde Valley from 1895-1953.
, bought an apartment in Paris for his friend, Georges Clemenceau
, in 1926, for his retirement home. This building later became the Musée Clémenceau
. Source: http://www.musee-clemenceau.fr/en/histoire.html
's personal airplane, a TWA
Lockheed Model 10 Electra
with tail number NC18137, was frequently based at the Clemenceau Airport.
Frye had a vacation ranch near Sedona, now Red Rock State Park
.
Cottonwood, Arizona
Cottonwood is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 11,171.-Geography:Cottonwood is located at ....
in Yavapai County
Yavapai County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*89.3% White*0.6% Black*1.7% Native American*0.8% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.5% Two or more races*5.0% Other races*13.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was built as a company town
Company town
A company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...
in 1917 to serve the new smelter for James Douglas, Jr.
James Douglas, Jr.
James Stuart Douglas, Jr , popularly known as Rawhide Jimmy, was a Canadian-American businessman and mining executive.-Biography:...
's United Verde Extension mine in Jerome
Jerome, Arizona
Jerome is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 353.-History:...
. The town was originally named Verde after the mine, but it was changed to Clemenceau in 1920 in honor of the French Premier in World War I, Georges Clemenceau
Georges Clemenceau
Georges Benjamin Clemenceau was a French statesman, physician and journalist. He served as the Prime Minister of France from 1906 to 1909, and again from 1917 to 1920. For nearly the final year of World War I he led France, and was one of the major voices behind the Treaty of Versailles at the...
, a personal friend of Mr. Douglas. Clemenceau would later leave a vase designed by the French potter Ernest Chaplet to the town in return.
The Clemenceau smelter closed on December 31, 1936. Most residents then left the area. When Cottonwood was incorporated in 1960, Clemenceau and the Clemenceau Airport were included in its boundaries.
With the exception of the school, the bank/post office and the smelter slag
Slag
Slag is a partially vitreous by-product of smelting ore to separate the metal fraction from the unwanted fraction. It can usually be considered to be a mixture of metal oxides and silicon dioxide. However, slags can contain metal sulfides and metal atoms in the elemental form...
pile, little remains of the original town of Clemenceau. A largely invisible remnant is the Clemenceau Water Company , which still serves the area of the old town of Clemenceau. The town of Cottonwood bought the company in 2004, but it still operates as a separate entity, as of 2006.
Clemenceau Heritage Museum
The Clemenceau Heritage Museum occupies most of the old Clemenceau School, which operated 1924-1986. The 1919 Clemenceau Bank and Post Office building is also part of the museum. The museum has displays on mining, logging, and railroad development in the Verde ValleyVerde Valley
The Verde Valley is a valley in central Arizona in the United States of America. The Verde River runs through it. It is overlooked by Mingus Mountain and the Mogollon Rim.- History :The first notice of this region appears in the report of one Espejo,...
, and preserves archives and artifacts from the area. An elaborate working model railroad display depicts the seven railroads that operated in the Upper Verde Valley from 1895-1953.
Douglas and Clemenceau
James Douglas, Jr.James Douglas, Jr.
James Stuart Douglas, Jr , popularly known as Rawhide Jimmy, was a Canadian-American businessman and mining executive.-Biography:...
, bought an apartment in Paris for his friend, Georges Clemenceau
Georges Clemenceau
Georges Benjamin Clemenceau was a French statesman, physician and journalist. He served as the Prime Minister of France from 1906 to 1909, and again from 1917 to 1920. For nearly the final year of World War I he led France, and was one of the major voices behind the Treaty of Versailles at the...
, in 1926, for his retirement home. This building later became the Musée Clémenceau
Musée Clemenceau
The Musée Clemenceau is a house museum located in the 16th arrondissement at 8, rue Benjamin Franklin, Paris, France. It is open in the afternoons of Tuesday through Saturday, except in August; an admission fee is charged...
. Source: http://www.musee-clemenceau.fr/en/histoire.html
Notable residents and visitors
Jack FryeJack Frye
William John "Jack" Frye was an aviation pioneer, who with Paul E. Richter and Walter A. Hamilton, built TWA into a world class airline during his tenure as chairman from 1934-1947....
's personal airplane, a TWA
Twa
The Twa are any of several hunting peoples of Africa who live interdependently with agricultural Bantu populations, and generally hold a socially subordinate position: They provide the farming population with game in exchange for agricultural products....
Lockheed Model 10 Electra
Lockheed Model 10 Electra
The Lockheed Model 10 Electra was a twin-engine, all-metal monoplane airliner developed by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2...
with tail number NC18137, was frequently based at the Clemenceau Airport.
Frye had a vacation ranch near Sedona, now Red Rock State Park
Red Rock State Park
Red Rock State Park is a state park of Arizona, USA, featuring a red sandstone canyon outside the city of Sedona. This day-use park hosts numerous environmental education events for the public and for school or private groups.-Natural history:...
.