Discover How Bisbee Became A Bustling Mining Hub

There was a period when the city of Bisbee was considered the largest city between St. Louis and San Fransico. Today, that seems laughable, but when Bisbee was first founded, it was rich in ores and materials that drew prospectors and entrepreneurs to the desert's doorstep. At its height, Bisbee had over 25,000 residents, and in 1929, the Cochise County seat was moved from Tombstone to Bisbee. What made Bisbee such a desirable place to be, and how is that reflected in Bisbee today?

READ RELATED: Why Bisbee is Named Bisbee, and Why Its Namesake Hates It

History of Bisbee

The famous Copper Queen Mine in Bisbee was discovered by accident. According to the City of Bisbee's official website, the area was first discovered towards the end of the Apache War in 1877 by cavalrymen and army scouts who were sent there on duty. When they arrived in the area, Jack Dunn, a civilian tracker, noticed evidence of copper deposits and mineralization. George Warren and Jack Dunn filed claims in this area, which brought prospectors flooding to the Mule Mountains. It wasn't long before numerous deposits were discovered and mined, and the area became known as the "Queen of Copper Camps." 

By 1902, there was a need for new infrastructure, and on January 9th, a charter was approved, and the city of Bisbee came to be. The city was named after the financial backer for the mines, Judge Dewitt Bisbee. In 1910, it became recognized as the biggest city between California and Missouri. About a decade after the discovery of the deposits, in 1974, all the resources had been deplated and the Copper Queen was closed.

FUN FACT: Stevie Nicks' Mother was born to a mining family in Bisbee, but moved to Phoenix before Stevie was born.

Bisbee after discovery

Throughout the 98 years the mines were in operation, over 102 million onces or silver were mined, alongside 2.8 million ounces of gold, and 128 billion ounces of Copper! With all the money coming in, Bisbee was not adverse to cowboys and crime. Some of these stories include a drunk man shooting up a dance hall, a robbery that led to civilian vengeance, and a man getting shot by mistake.

Read about the Bisbee Massacre: Cochise County's Wild West Stories

When the mines started depleting, people left the city at alarming rates. This gave way to cheap housing, and very quickly, lots of people were back. Retirees, tourists looking to see the Copper Queen, and even so-called hippies, flocked to Bisbee! This created a flourishing tourist town that gave way to many artistic ventures.

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Today, Bisbee is considered an artistic town, with lots of live music events, murals, and art shows happening almost every week. Lots of annual events happen, such as the return of the turkey vultures Marchh), pirate weekend (August), and the 1000 stair climb (October).

You can even tour the Copper Queen Mines and the Copper Queen Hotel, which is supposedly haunted by a little boy named Billy, as well as numerous miners who stayed there. Without a doubt, Bisbee is one of the most interesting historical towns in Arizona, alongside Tombstone, of course.

READ MORE: Bisbee's Centuries-Old Sports League