Bisbee, AZ - 1909Bisbee, Arizona by the West Coast Art Co., 1909. Vintage photo restored by Kathy Weiser-Alexander.

While we were in Tombstone we ventured out on a day trip to the home of the Copper Queen Mine, where one of the world’s richest mineral sites resulted in what was once the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco, Bisbee, Arizona. 

Bisbee ArizonaDowntown Bisbee

Bisbee got its start as a mining camp after army scouts and cavalrymen found a good-looking rock in the Mule Mountains’ Tombstone Canyon in the fall of 1877. By 1880, the mining camp known as Mule Gulch became a town and was named after Judge Dewitt Bisbee, a financial backer of the area’s Copper Queen Mine, the largest claim at the time.

Cochise County Courthouse BisbeeActive Cochise County Courthouse, Bisbee AZ

In 1929, Bisbee became the seat of Cochise County, taking that honor away from nearby Tombstone, where the old historic courthouse still stands. 

Lavender Pit Mine, Bisbee/LowellLavender Pit Mine, Bisbee/Lowell AZ
The mining boom ended in the 1950s, and the population dropped to less than 6,000, however during that same time, the manager of the Copper Queen, Harrison Lavender, introduced open-pit mining, which would result in the huge Lavender Pit mine, which covers 300 acres and is a thousand feet deep, replacing what was once Sacramento Hill. It remains today as a popular tourist attraction. The Lavender Pit is also known for producing some of the finest turquoise in the world, known as Bisbee Blue.

The Inn at Castle Rock, Bisbee AZThe Inn at Castle Rock, Bisbee AZ

Today, Bisbee is known as an artist’s community and thrives on tourism thanks to its citizens’ efforts to restore the historic district. Mining also saw a small resurgence around 2007 when Freeport-McMoran Copper and Gold bought out Phelps Dodge. The population of Bisbee in 2010 was about 5,500, a fraction of the former boom days.

Read more about Bisbee

Read about John Heath and the Bisbee Massacre

The Lowell Life

Lowell ArizonaThe Lowell Life

On the southern end of the Lavender Pit, Lowell used to be a fairly large mining town, with the pit swallowing most of the original townsite. 

Welcome to Lowell, AZDon't know the dog's name, so we'll call him/her Bandit. Sorry, didn't get close enough to know how Bandit identified.

I don't know what his name is, so I'll just call him Bandit.  Good boy Bandit, thanks for the welcome. 

Lowell TruckThe door of an old truck in Lowell, AZ.

On the side of the old truck below the welcome... The famous Broken Spoke Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota was sold to Bisbee resident Jay Allen who continues to use the "brand."

Lowell, AZLots of classic cars in Lowell, AZ.

We parked and walked along Historic Erie Street, really enjoying the nostalgia. About the only thing left of the original town, Erie St. is a living snapshot of another time, restored by residents and volunteers who want to preserve another period in American life.

Lowell, AZDriving through Lowell, Arizona

Discover Bisbee describes it best, "...what remains of Lowell today is a strikingly intact, historical mid-century street – often utilized as a backdrop for film and video shoots, and well worth a visit to walk back in time." 

See our story "The Rise and Fall of Lowell" HERE.
 

Camp Naco, Border Fort. 

Camp Naco, Naco ArizonaBuildings of the old Camp Naco in Naco Arizona.

Camp Naco, aka Fort Naco or Fort Newell, sits on the southern US border about 12 miles south of Bisbee. Surrounded by chainlink fence, the few remaining buildings document the only remaining border fort constructed during the Mexican Revolution.  Today it is owned by the City of Bisbee. 

Naco ArizonaOld business in Naco, Arizona

The small town of Naco needed the Fort to protect from fighting across the border.  It suffered the Battle of Naco in 1913 and the later Siege of Naco in 1915 in the sister city of Sonora, Mexico. It also has the honor of being the first and only U.S. mainland city to be aerial bombed by a foreign force, happening by accident in 1929.  Today, Naco has around 1,000 residents. 

Old Border Station in Naco, AZOld Border Station in Naco, AZ

A border crossing since 1902, the Naco Port of Entry operates 24 hours a day.  Read more about Camp Naco HERE.

That's it for now. The data gods are smiling, as well as Mother Nature, so we are catching up. Next up, Cochise, dinosaurs in Dragoon, and Texas Canyon. 

We'll be adding up these and more images soon to our Arizona Photo Print Galleries here. 

Cya on the Road!