The meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius luteus) is a riparian obligate with a fragmented distribution in the American Southwest. Because of recent rapid declines in populations, it is a candidate for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. In Arizona, its known distribution has been restricted to the White Mountains region in the east central part of the state. I present evidence for an historical occurrence of jumping mice in the Verde River watershed, Yavapai County, in west central Arizona. Evidence includes record of a specimen collected by Edgar Mearns in the 1880s, a 1944 report of parasites collected from jumping mice in Yavapai County, and a phylogeographic history that is consistent with an occurrence in the region, including an ecological niche model that predicted suitable conditions for Z. h. luteus in the upper Verde River watershed during the last glacial maximum. Field surveys should be conducted to determine if Z. h. luteus currently exists within the Verde River watershed.