Stories of Clarkdale: Fortunes, Scandals, Feuds & Magnates
Clarkdale may be a small town, but its history is anything but small.
Scattered throughout town, Clarkdale’s historic information kiosks offer glimpses into the people, industries and events that shaped the community. Stop for a few minutes and you might discover a story about copper mining, architecture, railroads, local legends—or, in this case, one of the wealthiest and most controversial businessmen of America’s Gilded Age.
One of the kiosks in Clarkdale tells the story of William Andrews Clark, the copper magnate, U.S. senator and industrialist whose sprawling business empire ultimately helped give Clarkdale its name.
And his story has just about everything: unimaginable wealth, political scandal, bitter rivalries, railroads, fine art and a New York mansion so extravagant that it became famous in its own right.
Meet the Man Behind the Name
William Andrews Clark was born in Pennsylvania in 1839 and headed west as a young man. After finding success in mining and business in Montana, Clark built an enormous fortune through copper and a wide range of other ventures.
By the turn of the 20th century, he was one of the wealthiest men in America.
Clark’s interests stretched far beyond mining. His business holdings included banks, railroads, newspapers, real estate and other enterprises across the West. His influence could be felt from Montana to California, Nevada and Arizona.
In Arizona, Clark acquired the United Verde Copper Company in Jerome, and the massive mining and smelting operation that followed would eventually lead to the creation of Clarkdale.
The Birth of Clarkdale
Clarkdale was founded in 1912 as a company town supporting the United Verde Copper Company’s smelting operations.
But this was not simply a collection of hastily constructed worker housing.
Clarkdale was carefully planned, with distinct neighborhoods, civic spaces, schools, businesses and infrastructure. The town became an ambitious example of early 20th-century community planning—a history that can still be seen in Clarkdale’s streets, architecture and historic districts today.
The enormous smelter once dominated the landscape, processing ore from nearby Jerome and helping make copper one of the defining industries of the Verde Valley.
Today, the smelter is gone, but its story—and Clark’s influence—remain woven into the identity of the town.
Fortunes, Feuds and the “Copper Kings”
Clark’s rise was not without controversy.
In Montana, he became one of the legendary “Copper Kings,” competing with fellow mining magnates Marcus Daly and F. Augustus Heinze for control of the region’s enormously valuable mineral resources.
Business disputes became political battles. Newspapers, courts, elections and political alliances all became part of the struggle.
Clark’s political career was especially controversial. His pursuit of a U.S. Senate seat became entangled in accusations of bribery and corruption during an era when senators were still selected by state legislatures rather than elected directly by voters.
The scandals surrounding Clark and other political figures of the era became part of the broader national debate over political corruption and the movement toward the direct election of U.S. senators.
It is exactly the kind of story that makes the kiosk’s title—“Fortunes, Scandals, Feuds & Magnates”—feel particularly fitting.
A Railroad Empire—and a Connection to Las Vegas
Clark’s ambitions extended across the West.
His railroad interests helped connect mining operations and growing western communities to major markets. The San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad became an important transportation route between Southern California and Utah.
Along that route was a small settlement in southern Nevada.
In 1905, land was auctioned for a new townsite along the railroad.
That town became Las Vegas.
Clark County, Nevada—home to Las Vegas—was later named for William Andrews Clark, another reminder of just how far the influence of Clark’s western empire extended.
America's Most Expensive Mansion
For all of Clark’s western ventures, one of the most astonishing chapters of his life unfolded thousands of miles away in New York City.
Clark constructed an enormous mansion at Fifth Avenue and 77th Street near Central Park.
Completed during the height of the Gilded Age, the residence contained more than 100 rooms and was filled with elaborate stonework, imported materials, ornate interiors, galleries and architectural details rarely seen in a private residence.
Its reported cost was approximately $7 million at the time—an extraordinary sum in the early 1900s.
Historic photographs show grand salons, a sweeping marble staircase, picture galleries and richly decorated rooms that looked more like a European palace than a private American home.
The house survived Clark by only a few years. After his death in 1925, the mansion was eventually demolished in 1927.
A Collector on a Grand Scale
Clark was also an enthusiastic art collector.
His collection included works attributed to or created by some of Europe’s most celebrated artists, along with sculpture, decorative arts, furniture and other pieces amassed during his lifetime.
Many works from the Clark family collection eventually found their way into museums and collections after his death.
The contrast is remarkable: the same man whose wealth came largely from western mines and industrial enterprises filled his Manhattan mansion with European paintings, sculpture and furnishings.
It is one more unexpected chapter in the story behind Clarkdale’s name.
History Is Waiting Around the Corner
This kiosk is only one piece of a much larger collection of historical displays found throughout Clarkdale.
As you explore town, look for kiosks sharing stories about the United Verde Copper Company, Clarkdale’s historic neighborhoods, Route 89A, the Verde Valley’s Indigenous history, the 1928 bank robbery, local architecture, schools, churches, the cement plant, mining history and more.
They turn a walk or drive through Clarkdale into something of an open-air history tour.
You may come to Clarkdale for the Verde River, the train, Tuzigoot, local shops or a weekend getaway—but take a little time to look around.
Some of the town’s best stories are hiding in plain sight.
Explore Clarkdale. Read the signs. Follow the stories. You never know what you’ll discover.
