The first mining claims in Jerome were filed in 1876, and within 20 years it had become a billion-dollar copper center and one of the wildest mining towns in the West. Drinking, gambling, brawls, and frolicking with ladies of the night went on around the clock in two dozen saloons. By the time mining shut down in 1952, enough copper had been produced to put 13 pounds in the hands of every citizen in the world, while gold and silver production covered mining expenses. Through the efforts of the historical society, Jerome became one of the West's most celebrated ghost towns. Although that image persisted into the 1970's, Jerome's population grew in the 1960's, buildings began to be restored to their graceful pre-1953 conditions, and in 1970 Jerome was designated a National Historic Landmark. Today Jerome is an arts-oriented village of 500, drawing a million tourists a year to its twisted streets and 100-mile views, and its rich history and tenacious citizens have made it a town too strong to die.