Ever Wonder Where That Copper Comes From?

Bisbee. Arizona, founded in 1880, is a town in the Mule Mountains, about 80 miles south of Tucson, that has reinvented itself.  Once rich in not only copper, but gold and silver, Bisbee was a thriving mining community for Phelps Dodge up until the 1950s when the boom bombed because of the end of WWII  and its demand for copper.  The town, however, did not die like so many others.  Thanks to continued underground work and open pit mining, it continued to survive, if not thrive, until the Copper Queen Mine was closed in 1975.  The exodus of mine workers caused real estate prices to drop to the point that artists, who loved the quaint architecture and the beautiful natural surroundings, were able to relocate there. 

With the help of Phelps Dodge the town fathers created the Queen Mine Tour, which has given over a million visitors a first hand experience at descending into a copper mine.  The narrow, hilly streets are lined with art galleries and the inevitable tourist trap gift shops, but not to excess.  We found this mule sculpture made of all sorts of wire and discarded parts of cars and machinery on Main Street (what else?)  The artist was there to greet us, but since his t-shirts were $49.95 we didn't ask the price of the sculptures.

The Copper Queen Hotel is central to the town and maintains that old west/mining town atmosphere.  We took a pass on the dark old wooden bar as it had been commandeered by some traveling bikers.  Instead we walked over to the Old Bisbee Brewing Company for a sampler of their seven brews - all very good.  Great menu - just beer and beer cooked bratwurst and for the "fancy schmancy" folks a red or a white wine.  Plenty of free popcorn too.  I loved looking up all the alleys as we walked around the winding streets.  I expected an old prospector to come out with his pick ax (or whatever) in his gnarly, copper colored hand.

The highlight of the day for me was our visit to the Lavendar Pit.  No, it is not lavender in color, but named for an VP and General Manager at Phelps Dodge who conceived the idea of using this method of making low grade copper profitable.  Its  900 foot deep ugliness is almost beautiful and the roadside cliffs across the highway paint a picture of the multiple riches out there in dem, dere hills. Quite a worthwhile trip.