Posts From The Road: Downtown Jerome, Arizona - 7:41 am Jerome and Cleopatra Hill: Jerome, Ariz., sits on the side of Cleopatra Hill in central Arizona overlooking the Verde Valley. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com Switch-Backs: Much of Jerome, Ariz., consists of a series of switch-back turns as the main street through town winds its way up and down the steep hillside. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com By GARY WARREN Formerly of Los Alamos Jerome is a town in central Arizona that has a storied past, which has led to its eclectic and artistic population today. Jerome sits on the steep slope of Cleopatra Hill at an elevation of 5,200 feet. It was known as “the wickedest town in the west” during the copper mining era. Jerome is built on top of what was Arizona’s largest copper mine and the people living there reflected the rugged lifestyle and antics of that day.