Here are some scenes of Bisbee’s historical record, as shown in the town’s Historical Museum.

This is some of the machinery used in the Queen Mine.

Here is Bisbee in 1907.

Serbians were among the dozens of ethnic groups  who made up the mine crews.                                 Here is a Chinese tea set.

The flags of several nations flew at the mine in the 1900’s.

Here is an early miner at work.

This shows a rough estimate of the amount of copper used by the average American.

Here are some shots of the Queen Copper Mine, which was established by George Warren and Edwin Reilly in 1879.  The Douglas family, and Phelps-Dodge Corporation (now Fairport-Mc Moran) later bought the mine and expanded on it.

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  Here are four shots of the mine, which may also be toured, if scheduled in advance.

  
  

  

  

                               

  
  

  

  

                                

  
  

  There is probably a fair amount of copper tailings in the Queen, but Fairport- McMoran’s operations have shifted to an area across the street.

  
  

  The mine was the focal point of a serious labour dispute in 1917.  This culminated in the deportations, on July 17 of that year, of 2,000  men, who were members of the International Workers of the World (IWW).  This was orchestrated by Sheriff Harry Wheeler, of Cochise County and Walter Douglas, the president of Phelps-Dodge Corporation, which owned the mine.  Wheeler was greatly concerned with “getting rid of German spies”, which is how he saw the labour activists.

  
  
  
  

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  Here, I will show you some aspects of the community’s sense of artistic license.  These help make a small town a huge delight.

  
  

  

  

                                     

  
  

  

  

                                     

  
  

  

  

                                     

  
  

  

  

                                     

  
  

  

  

  

  

                                                                        

  
  

  

  

                                     

  
  

  

  

                                     

  
  

  

  
  

  This goes to show, great things come in small packages!

  
  
  
  

One of the most striking features of Bisbee is the prodigious use of colour in its many fine structures-  hotels, eateries and places of worship.

Let’s look around:

Yes, the trolley is ideal for those who prefer relaxation.

Here are some churches.

Hotels are not to be outdone, in style and substance.

Houses have their own sense of artistry.

In the next post, I will show some  of the random art that the good folks of Bisbee share with their many guests.

Cochise County:  Sierra Vista is its economic engine, Douglas, its main Port of Entry, Willcox, its breadbasket, Tombstone, its “Toughnut’ and Benson, its Cave City.  Bisbee, the county seat, is Cochise’s crown jewel.

Dewitt Bisbee, a mining executive, never lived in the town that bears his name.  ‘Tis a pity; he’d have probably loved it here.  Canyons can be hard places to live, if one is used to the wide prairies.  On the other hand, for those who like snugness and close proximity to one’s neighbours, a place like this is paradise, if in a rough way.  There are, to my delight, over a dozen lodging establishments, from the Bisbee Grand and Copper Queen Hotels, to Audrey’s Inn ( a bed and breakfast, which fills fast).  I chose the Canyon Rose Suites, in the center of the Bisbee Historic District.  It was exactly what I needed, to cast out my demons.

In order to give a sense of what a trip to Bisbee can offer the body, let’s climb some stairs to the water tower:

Parking is actually abundant, all over town.

This is what’s left of the old water tower keeper’s lot.

The tower itself, though, is still in service.

Next, I will feature Bisbee’s fine old buildings.