Local History - Bisbee - Southern Arizona Guide.com

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Bisbee ca. 1915

The history of Bisbee Arizona is the history of Copper mining. Visit the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum for a good overview of the times and then jump on a tour of the Queen Mine with one of the original miners. Scroll down to read the articles that may interest you.

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The Bisbee Influenza of 1918: A Portrait of a Pandemic

(The following story was written by Mike Anderson, a Bisbee resident and historian. It was written for Southern Arizona Guide in Summer 2020.) Bisbee’s Evergreen Cemetery, like many historic burial grounds, is a monument to the community’s past. Its most prominent occupants include George Warren, one of the earliest prospectors … Continue reading

A “Jap” In Bisbee: A “White Man’s Mining Camp” Part I

On occasion, we invite knowledgeable writers to contribute to our website. Today, we have Mike Anderson, a borderlands historian and researcher, former Arizona history teacher, author of “Warren Ballpark” and articles published in the Journal of Arizona History and the Cochise County Historical Journal. In this article, he writes about … Continue reading

Bisbee, AZ Burns To The Ground. Hundreds Are Homeless!

This photograph captured the devastating fire that occurred in Bisbee during 1908. Photo courtesy of the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum, Brophy Collection.

The following account of the 1908 Bisbee fire was written by Henry Bethea for The Copper Chronicles, a joint project of the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum & Bisbee’s KBRP Radio Station. He holds the copyright and this article is reproduced here with permission.

Baseball History in Bisbee Arizona; Warren Ballpark

warren-ballpark bisbee deportation ballpark

Bisbee, Arizona boasts an exciting piece of baseball history. It is home to the Warren Ballpark, considered the oldest continuously used professional baseball venue in the country. The field was built in 1909, five years before Wrigley Field in Chicago!

A Walk Through Old Bisbee

Bisbee is an interesting town with a compelling history. An old mining town it was able to rebrand itself as a quirky Arts Community. The houses in Old Town Bisbee are well cared for and decorated. Take a walk with Mike Foster while he shows off some of the homes … Continue reading

The Devastating Southern Arizona Earthquake of 1887

An adobe home destroyed by the 1887 earthquake just south of Douglas in Sonor

Editor’s Note: at the time of the devastating Southern Arizona Earthquake of 1887, there were only about 90,000 people living in all of Arizona Territory. The following account was written by Henry Bethea for The Copper Chronicles, a joint project of the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum & Bisbee’s KBRP … Continue reading

A Story of Miracle Mountain in the Mule Mountains near Bisbee, AZ

Southern Arizona is an interesting mix of modern life and ancient tradition. Here is one of those stories in the Mule Mountains close to Bisbee. Enjoy. Mike Foster, San Pedro River Videos, is an ardent supporter of the Friends of the San Pedro River which serves to educate people about … Continue reading

James J. Murphy, Bisbee’s First Casualty in World War II

Thanks to Mike Anderson to whom we owe this article. Many of the people who lived and worked in Bisbee during its early years were immigrants. During the second decade of the 20th century, when the city’s population was at its peak, approximately 40 percent of its population were from … Continue reading

The Day Amelia Earhart Dropped In For Dinner

(Reproduced with the permission of the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum.) In September of 1928, Amilia Earhart was one of the most famous women in the world. Three months earlier, she had become the first woman to fly the Atlantic and, along with her flight crew, was honored with a … Continue reading

Fatty Arbuckle Performs at the Orpheum in Bisbee, 1909

Mike Anderson, Bisbee historian, sent us this piece recently. Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle was Bisbee’s first resident comedian. For years now Bisbee has been the home of well-known stand-up comedian Doug Stanhope, but, as it turns out, Stanhope wasn’t the first famous and successful comedian to make his home in the … Continue reading

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