Bisbee, Arizona:

A Destination That Seems Suspended In Time

Story by Jane Cassie

Pictures by Brent Cassie

Our meandering pathway twists and turns like a gnarled pretzel as it leads to higher ground. Slicing through the crimson landscape, we jostle around potholes and over century-old paving stones. Architectural treasures that border our pencil-thin route include everything from Shanty shacks to Spanish villas. And from their carved-out hillside perches, high above the picturesque town, they share their views with fine- feathered friends.

Although a self-guided walking tour conveys the landmarks of Bisbee, Arizona, instead of hoofing it through the hills, we decide to check them out from the comfort of a jeep with the help of knowledgeable guide, Tom Mosier, at the helm.

We soon discover that this quaint frontier town, snuggled into a pristine valley of the Mule Mountains, is steeped with as much history as it has hills. Tom reveals that her roots go back to 1880, when pioneers had struck it rich after uncovering an abundance of copper. Before long, the news had spread and this western boomtown soon became the most populated city in Arizona. By the turn of the century, it was the largest mining town in the world with a bustling metropolis of over 20,000 people. In the early 1970s the demand for copper decreased but before operations closed down, Bisbee mines had produced nearly eight billion pounds of copper.

The town fits like a glove into the contours of five paralleling canyons, and dug out gulches bisect each one. “They channel away floodwaters from the torrential downpours we receive each year,” Tom informs, “and, although a wall of water can climb up to 10 feet high, it’s always over with quickly and the sun comes out again.” A warm breeze whistles through the open-air jeep and under cloudless cobalt blue skies, the concept of precipitation is hard to fathom. Contrary to the majority of Arizona, where summer months can reach unbearable temperatures, Bisbee, with its home at 5,300 feet, averages 65 degrees, insuring pleasant weather throughout the year.

The narrow road weaves like an accordion over the steep terrain and our rugged four-wheeler, journeys over pumps and humps without missing a beat. We pass by the old red light district where brothels once hosted ladies of the night. Some of the original structures have been redeemed and reformed as apartment houses. Others just host ghostly steps and airy plots where rusty headboard tombstones remind us of the wild whims of the west. Ironically the old jailhouse is nearby, as well as the once bustling street of Brewery Gulch, where gambling and carousing were regular frivolities in the more than forty saloons.

Heaven-bound staircases lead away from the city hub to roadless homes that are carved into the hillside. “If you live up there, the only way to enter is by those steps,” Tom reveals, “whether bringing home a loaf of bread or a piano.” We chuckle as we careen our heads skyward, then cringe at the thought of what moving day must be like! Although the slope still hosts many humble abodes, there are also vacated tiered plateaus that were once foundations in the 1880s for other miners’ homes.

Red brick buildings dominate the setting while an eclectic blend of architecture includes styles from the Romanesque, Renaissance, Victorian and even Art Deco periods.Our camera never takes a break while passing treasures like the Pythian Castle, with its jade green cupola and skyward spire, St Patrick’s Church that boasts Tiffany stained glass windows, and the stately Copper Queen Hotel that exudes a sophisticated Mediterranean feel. Also sharing the limelight is the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum, and the West’s first rural Smithsonian Institute’s affiliate, that offers a glimpse into the past through interpretive exhibits, photographs and an extensive display of relics and reminders of long ago.

Our camera never takes a break while passing treasures like the Pythian Castle, with its jade green cupola and skyward spire, St Patrick’s Church that boasts Tiffany stained glass windows, and the stately Copper Queen Hotel that exudes a sophisticated Mediterranean feel. Also sharing the limelight is the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum, and the West’s first rural Smithsonian Institute’s affiliate, that offers a glimpse into the past through interpretive exhibits, photographs and an extensive display of relics and reminders of long ago.

Classic American streetscapes veer away from the main hub, where refined artisans and traditional antique stores now replace the rowdy venues from the past. Inspired by Bisbee’s natural beauty and Old World charm, this culturally diversified scene has become a true mecca for patrons of the arts.